The following article, New Study Shows Eating Only During Daytime Has Wild Effect on Longevity, was first published on Flag And Cross.
The world has long been filled with fad diets and exercise gimmicks. From the Stairmaster to the Atkins Diet, and from Bowflex to intermittent fasting, human beings will try just about anything to lose weight.
And while a great many of the actions we take to be leaner and healthier are rather drastic, (looking at you, liposuction), a new study seems to suggest that a simple adjustment to the time that we eat our meals could lengthen our lives significantly.
Eating primarily during the day instead of at night could be the key to a longer life, new research reveals. Researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center say it’s not just what you consume, but when.
Their study finds that cutting down on fatty and sugary foods and having meals at the right time increased the longevity of mice by 35 percent. Experiments found the body clock’s daily rhythms play a big part in the benefits of a healthy diet. Rodents are nocturnal animals that are most active in the dark. Meanwhile, humans are generally livelier during the day. With that in mind, study authors say people should restrict their dining to the most active hours of the day.
The amount of extra life that these animals conjured was impressive.
In lab animals tracked over four years, a reduced-calorie diet alone extended survival by 10 percent. However, the improvement increased significantly with an exclusive nighttime feeding schedule. The combination tacked on an extra nine months to their typical two-year average lifespan.
And it really did seem that simple:
Lead author Professor Joseph Takahashi says a similar plan for people would restrict eating to the daytime hours. Eating less is known to boost health. Studies on a variety of animals have shown it can lead to a longer, healthier life. The latest findings add to the evidence that having a hearty breakfast or lunch instead of dinner is also key — at least for humans.
While the diet may take some getting used to for some, for others it just sounds like they’ll be having more bacon than brussel sprouts going forward.
Continue reading: New Study Shows Eating Only During Daytime Has Wild Effect on Longevity ...