The timing of our meals can impact mental health, including depression and anxiety, according to a recent study.
Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, conducted a study to examine the effects of eating both day and night compared to eating only during the day.
What you eat and how you eat will affect your mental health – (Image: iStock).
“Our findings reinforce claims related to the timing of food consumption, leading to measures that could help mitigate mental health issues in individuals experiencing circadian rhythm disruptions, such as night shift workers, those who move to different time zones, or those suffering from circadian rhythm disorders,” stated Dr. Frank A.J.L. Scheer, a co-author of the study.
Shift workers make up about 20% of the modern workforce and are directly responsible for many hospital services, factory jobs, and other essential services. These workers often experience disruptions in their biological clocks and are at a higher risk of depression and anxiety, ranging from 25% to 40% more than the general population.
Sarah L. Chellappa, another co-author of the study and currently working at the Department of Nuclear Medicine at the University of Cologne (Germany), shared: “Our findings open up new opportunities for a circadian rhythm adjustment strategy, benefiting those with mental health disorders. There is increasing evidence that optimizing sleep and circadian rhythms can help improve mental health.”
To conduct the study, Scheer, Chellappa, and their colleagues invited 19 participants (12 males and 7 females), randomly assigning them to one of two groups: one group that ate both day and night, and another that only ate during the day, subsequently assessing their levels of depression and anxiety hourly.
The team found that the timing of meals had a significant impact on the mood of participants. On the fourth day of the study, those in the group that ate both day and night experienced a 26% increase in depression levels and a 16% increase in anxiety compared to the first day. Participants in the group that only ate during the day did not experience these fluctuations.
Chellappa noted: “The timing of meals is also an important aspect of nutrition as it directly affects physical health. However, its impact on mental health still needs to be explored.”
Future similar studies are necessary to determine whether changes in meal timing can assist individuals experiencing disorders related to depression and anxiety.
The results of the study were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
