Meal timings and eating routines could play a surprising role in mental health. A new study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders has found that irregular meal schedules are associated with higher depression risks.
Analysing data from 21,568 adults in the 2014-2022 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey collected by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Korean researchers uncovered a strong association between meal frequency and psychological wellbeing.
Previous research has shown that irregular eating patterns increase the risk of adverse metabolic outcomes such as obesity, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disease.
The new study found that people with lower regularity of main meals had 55% higher odds of depression compared to those following more consistent schedules.
At the same time, they saw that greater dietary diversity was found to reduce the negative effects of erratic eating, whereas skipping breakfast intensified them.
