Eating all meals before 3pm is good for your health and helps people lose weight, according to research.
A leading expert reviewed 250 studies and concluded that fasting for at least 14 hours daily boosts overall health.
One study suggested eating between 6am and 3pm and then fasting for 15 hours works best with our natural body clock.
It boosted processing of blood sugar, and participants also lost weight and shed dangerous visceral fat around the midriff.
Another clinical trial found eating more calories for breakfast than in later meals saw women lose 11lb 4oz more weight over a 12-week period.
This time-restricted eating is closer to how our hunter-gatherer ancestors would have eaten.
The research, presented at the European Congress on Obesity in the Netherlands, showed eating earlier also boosted healthy gut bacteria, which affects overall health.
Dr Courtney Peterson, of the Circadian Research Core at Alabama University, said: “There is data in humans that suggests grazing throughout the day increases the odds of having obesity by 57 per cent.”
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