We’ve all heard the saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Now, new research suggests that the specific timing of eating breakfast and other meals might be pretty important as well, especially as you get older.
A decades-long study from researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and the University of Manchester followed nearly 3,000 adults ages 42 to 94 for an average of 22 years. The team tracked participants’ meal times, lifestyle factors, genetic data, and health outcomes to see how eating schedules shifted with age, as well as what those shifts meant for long-term health.
What they found is that as participants got older, they tended to eat their meals later in the day. The time frame in which all meals were consumed each day also narrowed. But perhaps the most important outcome of the study was discovering that eating breakfast later was linked to a higher risk of death.
Participants in the early-eating group had a 10-year-survival rate of nearly 90%, compared to roughly 87% for those among the late eaters. Moreover, each additional hour of delay in breakfast was associated with an 8-11% higher risk of mortality, depending on the statistical model, even after accounting for factors like age, sex, and lifestyle.
Why mealtimes may shift
The researchers noted that the reasons for participants eating breakfast later were sometimes tied to health challenges. Older adults with fatigue, depression, anxiety, and multiple chronic illnesses were more likely to eat later. Difficulties preparing food and poor sleep quality also factored into delays, as did genetic predisposition to stay up late.
Because the study was observational, this might matter quite a lot. It’s entirely possible that the increased mortality rate in late eaters is connected to the underlying health or genetic issues they faced, and which also caused them to delay their meals. In other words, although there’s a correlation between meal delays and a higher risk of mortality, this study doesn’t prove that the delay itself is the culprit.
It’s also worth noting that the study centered mostly around white British adults and relied on self-reported meal times.
Should you eat breakfast early?
Still, all of this does suggest that keeping mealtimes consistent—especially starting the day with breakfast on the earlier side—could be a marker of better overall health in older adults. Shifts in meal time might not only reflect underlying health problems but could also influence circadian rhythms, which help regulate things like sleep and metabolism.
Even though more research is needed, keeping a consistent breakfast routine could be one simple step toward supporting healthier aging.
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