Cholesterol Levels Related to Frequency Eating

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Cholesterol Levels Inversely Related to Frequency of Eating

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LONDON (Reuters) Nov 30 - Controlling cholesterol levels may be a case of not only what is eaten but how often, according to a report in the December 1st issue of the British Medical Journal.



Men and women who eat six or more times a day have cholesterol levels that are about 5% lower than those of less frequent eaters.



"If you are already eating well and want to have further benefit, at least for cholesterol, dividing what you eat into more frequent meals may have additional benefit," said Dr. Kay-Tee Khaw of the University of Cambridge in eastern England.



"The more frequently the better — four, five or six [meals] spread out over the day so smaller amounts are eaten more frequently," Dr. Khaw told Reuters.



Dr. Khaw and her colleagues surveyed more than 14,000 people, 45 to 75 years of age, about how often they ate. They also measured the subjects' cholesterol levels.



The researchers found lower levels of cholesterol in the frequent eaters regardless of their body mass, physical activity or whether they smoked. But Dr. Khaw added that people who eat more frequently tend to be more physically active than others.



Although the 5% reduction in cholesterol levels may seem trivial, it could have a large impact on heart disease risk. "From other studies we know 5% lowering of cholesterol may be associated with a 10% reduction in coronary heart disease risk," Dr. Khaw added.



Findings from animal and laboratory studies suggest that eating large meals after long periods without eating changes how fat is stored and increases peaks of insulin.



"It suggests that if you eat more frequently you don't have such big insulin peaks and therefore enzymes responsible for the production of cholesterol may work differently and you don't have such high cholesterol levels," Dr. Khaw explained.