A cross-sectional study was conducted (March 2015-March 2016) in 84 females who survived breast cancer. The researchers wanted to form the connection between breast cancer incidence and frequency and eating times, the quality and quantity of food consumed, body consumption parameters and anthropometric measurements in breast cancer survivors using tamoxifen.
The main outcome of the study was the measurement of quantitative dietary evaluation, comprising of three 24-hour dietary recalls. The participants were segregated into groups based on early or late midpoint eaters (the middle point time between the first and last meal of the day) and early or late eaters of breakfast, lunch, and dinner (median eating time). Another form of classification was based upon median eating frequency (less than or greater than 5 eating meals per day). The body fat index as well as anthropometric measurements were acquired.
Early breakfast and dinner eaters were linked with better scores in terms of the Brazilian Healthy Eating Index Revised components and also the total index. Moreover, early midpoint and early dinner eaters were found to have lower daily energy utilization. Eating more than 5 times daily was found to be associated with better scores of the Eating Index and total index. Eating time and frequency was nowhere found to be associated with body composition parameters and anthropometric measurements.
In conclusion, the study suggests that earlier food intake time and higher frequency of eating was associated with better diet quality in female breast cancer survivors using tamoxifen.
Source: Lima MTM, Nunes FSM, Custódio IDD, et al. Eating Earlier and More Frequently Is Associated With Better Diet Quality in Female Brazilian Breast Cancer Survivors Using Tamoxifen. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2022
Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35533872/
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