A new study published in Communications Medicine suggests that men who shift their meal times on weekends may face a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Researchers from INRAE and Inserm analyzed data from over 100,000 adults in the NutriNet-Santé cohort, tracked from 2009 to 2023. They found that for men, each additional hour of difference in meal times between workdays and weekends was linked to a 14% higher risk of cardiovascular disease and a 21% higher risk of coronary disease. This risk increased whether meals were eaten earlier or later on days off. No such link was found in women, and the researchers noted that a larger study might be needed to confirm this effect in all groups. The study introduces the concept of "food jet lag," which refers to the mismatch in meal timing between workdays and days off. This can include behaviors like sleeping in, having brunch instead of breakfast, or spending more time socializing over meals. The researchers suggest that it's not just the late sleep-in on Sunday mornings that poses a risk, but the shift in eating patterns itself. This change in rhythm may disrupt internal biological clocks, potentially leading to health issues. This research builds on earlier studies that have linked eating late in the day with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Bernard Srour, an INRAE research director, emphasized that the findings highlight the importance of consistent meal times, not just avoiding late meals. He noted that regularity in eating schedules between weekdays and weekends seems to be a key factor in heart health. The study also challenges the common belief that cardiovascular disease primarily affects middle-aged individuals. New data suggest that a critical shift in risk may occur much earlier in men, possibly due to lifestyle factors like irregular meal times. In a related experiment published in Current Biology, ten young men experienced a five-hour delay in meal times, which shifted their blood glucose rhythms by nearly six hours, without affecting their melatonin cycle. This suggests that meal timing can disrupt metabolic rhythms independently of the body's main circadian clock. However, the study is observational and does not prove a direct cause-effect relationship. Experts from the American Society for Nutrition have also highlighted the importance of regular meal patterns, suggesting that reducing the window of time in which meals are consumed may help lower the risk of dementia. These findings encourage a broader look at how meal time regularity can influence both heart health and cognitive function.