A new study suggests that when and what you eat may play a role in maintaining good mental health.
Researchers in China found that heart disease patients who ate a large, calorie-rich breakfast were less likely to suffer from depression.
The study, conducted by a team led by Hongquan Xie from Harbin Medical University, was published in BMC Medicine.
The researchers highlighted that people with heart disease are already at a higher risk of developing depression, and diet may influence this risk.
The study examined how the timing of calorie intake affects mental health. According to the researchers, meal timing can impact the body’s internal clock, known as circadian rhythms. Disruptions in these rhythms have been linked to depression.
Since heart disease patients are already more vulnerable to mental health issues, the team wanted to explore whether adjusting meal timing could make a difference.
To investigate this, they analyzed data from nearly 32,000 Americans who participated in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2003 and 2018. Among them, almost 3,500 participants, with an average age of 66, had heart disease. Of those, 554 had also been diagnosed with depression.
Participants provided information about their daily eating habits, including what and when they ate. The results revealed a strong connection between breakfast size and depression risk.
How Breakfast Size Affects Depression Risk
The study found that people who consumed the most calories at breakfast—around 791 calories on average—were 30% less likely to have depression than those who had the smallest breakfasts, averaging only 88 calories.
Even small changes in calorie distribution seemed to make a difference. When participants shifted just 5% of their daily calorie intake from lunch or dinner to breakfast, their risk of depression dropped by 5%.
Interestingly, the study did not find a direct link between specific nutrients, such as protein or carbohydrates, and depression risk. This suggests that the timing of calorie intake may be more important than the type of food consumed.
Why Does Meal Timing Matter?
The researchers believe that coordinating food intake with the body’s natural circadian rhythms may help regulate mood and reduce depression risk. Eating a substantial breakfast aligns with the body’s metabolism, which is typically more active in the morning. This could lead to better energy regulation, improved mood, and a lower likelihood of developing depression.
The key takeaway from this study is that when you eat may be just as important as what you eat. For heart disease patients, shifting more calories to breakfast and reducing intake later in the day could be a simple and natural way to support mental well-being.
While more research is needed to confirm these findings, this study highlights the potential benefits of adjusting meal timing for better mental health.
If you care about heart health, please read studies that yogurt may help lower the death risks in heart disease, and coconut sugar could help reduce artery stiffness.
For more information about health, please see recent studies that Vitamin D deficiency can increase heart disease risk, and results showing vitamin B6 linked to lower death risk in heart disease.
The research findings can be found in BMC Psychiatry.
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