Eating only one meal a day or skipping meals increases mortality, new study suggests | Prof Fontana

Eating one meal per day or skipping meals increases mortality, new study suggests

Researchers in a very interesting epidemiological study of 24,000 adults have uncovered some eye-opening connections between our eating habits and risk of dying prematurely.

Time restricted eating patterns such as the 16:8 diet or its most extreme forms of fasting have become very trendy lately but the the intriguing results of this new study suggest that Consuming just one meal per day is linked to a staggering 30% increased risk of all-cause mortality and an incredible 83% surge in cardiovascular mortality compared to those consuming three meals daily.

But that's not all. Skipping breakfast in this epidemiological study was associated with a 40% higher risk of cardiovascular mortality, while missing lunch and dinner increased all-cause mortality by 12% and 16%, respectively. Moreover, Among participants with three meals a day, those with shorter meal intervals, less than 4.5 hours, faced a 17% higher risk of all-cause mortality.

So, what does this mean for us?

The key takeaway here is to maintain a routine of three meals a day with intervals exceeding 4.5 hours provided you eat a nutritious Mediterranean-like diet rich in minimally processed whole grains, legumes, a wide range of vegetables, nuts and seeds, complemented with fish, low fat diary and low glycemic fruits. This might just be one of the key components for better cardiovascular health and a longer life.

[ToogyHowser]

Was there any information on what the diets where like for these people? If they were smokers or non-smokers? this data seems a little flawed if this information was not considered or collected. Also what was the sample size?

[LVArturs]

Very interesting. But I do wonder whether they took other parameters into account like diet, exercise, whether people ate like this due to longevity reasons or just due to serious medical issues or very stressful overworking lifestyles...

[rmcmillan]

The study you describe has been roundly criticized for its flawed methodology. I'm very surprised that you didn't mention some of these flaws. I watched an interview with the principal investigator of this study and even he admitted to numerous methodological problems. He said the study was intended for exploratory purposes only, not to draw definitive conclusions on the effects of intermittent fasting.

[JulieAllan-dt]

Thank you Luigi for highlighting this study which casts doubt on the benefits of intermittent fasting for decreasing mortality rates. However, have you considered the response by Hujoel, P. published as a letter to the editor in the October 2023 issue of J. Acad Nutr and Diet, in which it is argued that Sun et al did not use appropriate controls for previous smoking history when they examined the data. Hujoel points out that the study classified former long term heavy smokers with former very light smokers, and that this system of classification has previously led to incorrect conclusions in correlational studies. \Indeed, the conclusions drawn in the Sun et al study contradict the data from previous randomized controlled studies, and the growing physiological evidence on the beneficial effects of short periods of fasting on metabolic function and gut health. Thank you also for pointing out that correlation does not equal causation. It will be interesting ot watch this space.

[armandodibattista]

Thank you Luigi, however it’s a bit frustrating that we often are changing approach for nutrition every 2-3 years, coming from studies after studies. Of course as we have new data we have to reassess our position. We have a competition (to say) between short term RCT and epidemiological studies, and are left with few certainty. I feel that we still have very few fixed points

[florinvoicufv]

Hi Dr, can you please talk about new trend carnivore diet
I’ve read your book and now I’m a bit confused
I really want you to expand the carnivore diet

[lucapirola]

Buongiorno, grazie per il video preciso come al solito. Potrebbe spiegare secondo lei come si concilia questo studio con quanto scoperto dal premio Nobel Yoshinori Ohsumi circa l'autofagia innescata dal digiuno (studio per cui ha vinto il Nobel)? Grazie, buona giornata

[LuminousRhythmsTech]

Come vengono contate le ore, dalla fine o dall'inizio del pasto?

[andrea]

Si tratta solo di associazioni statistiche, o c'è anche un razionale metabolico per cui saltare pasti(o suddividere i pasti in frequenti spuntini) può essere dannoso?
Può essere che saltare pasti(o fare spuntini) sia semplicemente un indicatore di uno stile di vita "disordinato"(a cui si associano altri fattori dannosi, come fumo, alcol, sonno di scarsa qualità, abusi di farmaci, stress lavorativo ecc...), o di patologie psichiatriche( depressione, disturbi alimentari, ecc..)?

[kiara]

Ma per quale ragione succede ?

Potrebbe essere legato al fatto che i picchi glicemici sono più alti dopo che si è saltato un pasto? Io con il CGM vedo che quando salto un pasto, al pasto successivo ci sono dei picchi molto maggiori a partita di cibo

[timothykowalewski]

Then there's longevity "gurus" like David Sinclair who basically live on omad

[alessandrozanatta]

Ma! Ma! Fin ora si è detto digiuno, saltare un pasto, tutta salute, stimolare la via m-tor ecc, ecc, adesso si ritratta tutto... ho capito bene si?! Dr. Luigi se ce lo racconti anche in italiano ti ringrazio, son sempre pronto a cambiare se si vedono nuove indicazioni, ma l'uscita di questo studio mi lascia perplesso. Cortesemente rispiega anche cos è la restrizione calorica, perché saltare un pasto, in 24 ore rientra nella restrizione giornaliera, o restrizione è tutti i pasti, ma al 80% del "pieno"... E Sinclair, che professa di saltare pasti, Walter Longo???? Tutti cazzate??? È un lavoro che richiede più approfondimento, grazie dottore, spero lo rispieghi in italiano, magari ho capito male

[alessandrozanatta]

Faccio un 2' commento, da 45 pagina a 54 del tuo libro "the path to longevity" non mi pare si parla male del digiuno, o digiuno intermittente, ovviamente fatto con intelligenza.... anzi lo si elogia... questo studio non riesco francamente a collocarlo