High-fibre diet linked to reduced risk of heart disease in night shift workers

People who work at night have a higher risk of coronary artery disease, a type of heart disease. A new study suggests that a higher fibre intake in the diet may help reduce this risk. The study included over 220,000 adults in the UK and is published in the European Journal of Epidemiology.

The human body is built to sleep at night. This means that working during the night goes against this natural pattern, and can place additional strain on the body, including the heart. Previous research has linked night work to an increased risk of coronary artery disease. Since night work is often unavoidable, the researchers wanted to investigate whether certain dietary habits might have a protective effect.

More fibre associated with lower risk

The researchers used data from 220,000 adults in the UK Biobank (2006–2010) and divided the participants into three groups:

• Day workers
• Shift workers who worked night shifts sporadically
• Regular night shift workers

The participants had completed a detailed questionnaire about their dietary habits. During a follow-up after about 12 years, it was found that night shift workers who consumed little fibre in their diet had a higher risk of coronary artery disease than those who consumed more fibre.

“A moderate intake of about 19 grams of fibre per day was linked to a lower risk for those who worked night shifts regularly. For those who worked night shifts sporadically, about 15 grams was enough. The current recommendation for adults is about 25 grams of dietary fibre per day,” says Diana Nôga, lead author and researcher at Uppsala University.

The researchers stress that the figures from the study are not official dietary recommendations. But they do show a pattern in this UK study: a higher dietary fibre intake was linked to a lower risk of heart disease among night shift workers.

“The link between fibre and a lower risk of heart disease is not just because those who eat more fibre generally have a healthier lifestyle. We know this because we adjusted for various lifestyle factors in the analysis. One possible explanation, supported by previous research, is that fibre in the diet can improve intestinal flora and also reduce lipids, which can be particularly good for the heart in people who work at night,” says Christian Benedict, senior author of the study and Professor of Pharmacology at Uppsala University.

Dietary fibre can support heart health

According to the researchers, an increased intake of fibre-rich foods such as whole grains, vegetables, fruit, legumes and lentils may be a simple way to improve heart health for night shift workers. However, this requires that you do not have any medical obstacles to doing this, such as chronic gastrointestinal diseases.

“Dietary changes should be seen as a complement to, not a substitute for, other heart health-promoting habits such as not smoking, remaining physically active, and getting enough sleep,” says Diana Nôga.

Contact

Christian Benedict, Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University

Tel: +46 70 425 0215
Email: christian.benedict@uu.se

Aricle

Nôga, D.A., Meth, E.M.S., Pacheco, A.P. et al. Night shift work, dietary patterns, and coronary heart disease. Eur J Epidemiol (2026). DOI:10.1007/s10654-026-01362-w