Dr Valter Longo heads the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California
Adhering to a single 12-hour rule could be the secret to increased longevity, according to a leading expert. Dr Valter Longo has investigated the biology of ageing and disease throughout his career, heading up the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California.
While the average Brit tends to live until around 80, Dr Longo suggests that you can ‘stay young’ for longer if you’re willing to abide by certain rules. He recommends starting with a high-vitamin diet, reducing saturated fats and even increasing your intake of olive oil – but there’s one sleep-related tip that might catch you off guard.
“Confine all eating to within a 12-hour period,” he wrote in a previous online blog, according to the Mirror. “For example, start after 8am. and end before 8 pm. Don’t eat anything within three to four hours of bedtime.”
He also added: “Follow a diet with high vitamin and mineral content, supplemented with a multivitamin buffer every three days.” Dr Longo is not alone in his views, as numerous studies have praised the benefits of eating earlier in the day.
This includes a 2014 study by Harvard scientists, which examined the eating habits of 26,902 men over a 16-year period. Each participant reported on the times of day they ate breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as any additional snacks.
The research team were particularly interested in understanding how these eating patterns impacted cardiovascular health and disease risk. Data from the British Heart Foundation indicates that heart and circulatory diseases account for a quarter of all deaths in the UK alone.
Notably, findings revealed that men who ate later in the evening had a 55% higher cardiovascular risk, compared with those who didn’t. Additionally, men who skipped breakfast also had a 27% higher risk of cardiovascular disease than others who prioritised it.
At the time, its authors wrote: “Although there was some overlap between those who skipped breakfast and those who ate late at night, 76% of late night eaters ate breakfast (data not shown). Men who reported that they ate late at night were more likely to smoke, sleep less than seven hours a night, or have baseline hypertension as compared to men who did not eat late at night.
“The late night eating abstainers were more likely to be married and work full time and ate on average one time less per day that the late night eaters.”
Beyond this, late dinners can spark other uncomfortable problems, too. This is particularly the case for acid reflux and heartburn, which makes it challenging for some people to fall asleep.
For those struggling to resist late-night nibbles, it’s vital to recognise that certain food choices are superior to others. Additional research suggests that spicy dishes, sugary treats and even papaya are associated with disrupted sleep.
However, other options such as bananas, yoghurt and oats contain tryptophan – a compound linked to enhanced relaxation. Rosey Davidson, author and sleep consultant at Just Chill Baby Sleep, previously explained: “Nuts, such as almonds and walnuts, are packed with magnesium and melatonin, while turkey is an excellent source of tryptophan [too].
“Chamomile tea is also worth mentioning, as it contains apigenin, an antioxidant that may reduce insomnia and promote relaxation.”
