Study says people with diabetes who consumed less processed food at night may live longer

Washington: A new study has revealed that people with diabetes who eat less processed foods at night might live longer.

The study was published in 'The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism'.

Mealtimes should be in line with the biological clock--a natural, internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and repeats every 24 hours. Health outcomes for people with diabetes may be improved if certain foods are eaten at different times of the day.

"We observed that eating potatoes in the morning, whole grains in the afternoon, greens and milk in the evening and less processed meat in the evening was associated with better long-term survival in people with diabetes," said Qingrao Song, M.D., of Harbin Medical University in Harbin, China.

"Nutritional guidelines and intervention strategies for diabetes should integrate the optimal consumption times for foods in the future," he added.

The researchers analyzed data from 4,642 people with diabetes from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to determine their risk of dying from heart disease.

They found people with diabetes who ate potatoes or starchy vegetables in the morning, whole grains in the afternoon, and dark vegetables such as greens and broccoli and milk in the evening were less likely to die from heart disease.

Those who ate a lot of processed meat in the evening were more likely to die from heart disease.