A recent study has shed light on the possible health effects of meal scheduling by suggesting that eating after 9pm may increase the risk of strokes and mini-strokes.

Studying more than 100,000 people in France, the study used detailed food diaries to examine participants’ meal routines. Those who ate dinner after 9 p.m. had a 28% higher risk of having a stroke or mini-stroke than people who ate before 8 p.m.

Over the course of the seven-year trial, almost 2,000 incidences of cardiovascular disease—including heart attacks and strokes—were found.

Interestingly, the study highlighted the importance of meal time and suggested that our evolutionary tendencies favor eating sooner. Although studies on animals suggest possible linkages between elevated blood pressure and blood sugar levels and late-night digesting, further research is needed to establish firm connections.

The study’s principal author, Dr. Bernard Srour, emphasized the possible health hazards of eating out late, especially for people who blame their eating hours on hectic schedules.

The results highlight how crucial it is to take meal timing into account as a factor that could affect health, especially for women, who made up roughly 80% of study participants.

The study explores the connection between the timing of breakfast and dinner and the risk of cardiovascular illnesses and was published in Nature Communications.

There was no significant increase in the risk of coronary heart issues for individuals who ate dinner after 9 pm, but there was an 8% increase in the risk of strokes or mini-strokes for every hour that dinner was delayed.

Furthermore, a 6% increased risk of various cardiovascular illnesses was linked to every hourly delay in breakfast, which had substantial consequences for the female participants.

The results of the study corroborated past studies that suggested extended fasting during the night may improve health outcomes, especially for people who eat dinner early.