Eating Breakfast Later Tied to Earlier Death

Having breakfast later in the morning is linked to a higher risk of depression, fatigue, sleep problems, and even death, according to new research.

Scientists at Mass General Brigham and other institutions tracked nearly 3,000 adults in the U.K., ages 42 to 94, for more than 20 years. They found that as adults age, they tend to eat breakfast and dinner later, narrowing the window of time in which they consume meals. Those who shifted breakfast to a later hour faced greater risks to both mental and physical health.

"Our research suggests that changes in when older adults eat, especially the timing of breakfast, could serve as an easy-to-monitor marker of their overall health status. Patients and clinicians can possibly use shifts in mealtime routines as an early warning sign to look into underlying physical and mental health issues," said lead author Hassan Dashti, a nutrition scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital. "Also, encouraging older adults in having consistent meal schedules could become part of broader strategies to promoting healthy aging and longevity."

The study, published in Communications Medicine, showed that later breakfasts were tied not only to depression and fatigue but also to oral health problems and higher mortality.

"Up until now, we had a limited insight into how the timing of meals evolves later in life and how this shift relates to overall health and longevity," said Dashti. "Our findings help fill that gap by showing that later meal timing, especially delayed breakfast, is tied to both health challenges and increased mortality risk in older adults. These results add new meaning to the saying that 'breakfast is the most important meal of the day,' especially for older individuals."

Tips for better meal timing, according to Medical News Today:

• Eat breakfast within one to two hours of waking, ideally between 7 and 8 a.m., lunch at noon to 1 p.m., and dinner between 5 and 7 p.m.
• Aim for 25–30 grams of protein at breakfast with foods like Greek yogurt, nuts, berries, eggs, or beans, and spread protein intake evenly throughout the day.
• Start with a protein-rich breakfast, eat a steady midday meal, and keep dinner light and timely, while staying hydrated during the day.