Individuals working night shifts face a heightened risk of coronary heart disease, a type of heart ailment. Now, a study encompassing over 220,000 participants suggests a higher intake of dietary fiber may contribute to mitigating this risk.
The human body is naturally attuned to sleep during nighttime hours. Night shift work disrupts this inherent pattern, potentially placing additional strain on the body, including the cardiovascular system. Prior research has established a link between night work and an increased incidence of coronary heart disease. Recognizing that work schedules are often inflexible, researchers at Uppsala University sought to determine whether dietary habits could offer a protective effect.
The researchers analyzed data from 220,000 individuals within the UK Biobank (data collected between 2006 and 2010), categorizing participants into three groups: day workers, shift workers with occasional night shifts, and regular night workers. Participants completed comprehensive questionnaires detailing their dietary intake. A follow-up period of approximately 12 years revealed that night shift workers with lower fiber consumption exhibited a greater risk of coronary heart disease compared to those with higher fiber intake.
“A moderate fiber intake of around 19 grams per day was associated with a lower risk for those regularly working nights. For those working nights occasionally, approximately 15 grams was sufficient,” stated Diana Nôga, a researcher at Uppsala University. Current dietary recommendations for adults suggest an intake of around 25 grams of fiber daily.
The study, published in the European Journal of Epidemiology, highlights the potential for dietary intervention to support heart health among night shift workers. Researchers emphasize that these findings are not official dietary recommendations, but rather demonstrate a pattern observed in this British study: a correlation between increased fiber intake and reduced heart disease risk among night workers.
“The connection between fiber and reduced heart disease risk isn’t solely attributable to those consuming more fiber generally leading healthier lifestyles. We have adjusted for various lifestyle factors in our analysis,” explained Christian Benedict, professor of pharmacology at Uppsala University. “A plausible explanation, supported by previous research, is that fiber can improve gut flora and also reduce blood lipids, which can be particularly beneficial for the heart of people who work nights.”
Increasing the consumption of fiber-rich foods, such as whole-grain products, vegetables, fruits, legumes, and lentils, could be a straightforward method to enhance the cardiovascular health of night shift workers, according to the researchers. But, they caution that this should not be undertaken without considering any underlying medical conditions, such as chronic gastrointestinal diseases.
“Dietary changes should be viewed as a complement, not a replacement, to other healthy habits like not smoking, being physically active, and getting enough sleep,” Nôga added.
A separate Swedish study, published in June 2025 in Cardiovascular Research, involving over 24,000 participants, also demonstrated that a fiber-rich, plant-based diet can reduce the risk of dangerous cardiovascular diseases and specific types of plaque in the heart. Researchers at Lund University, Gothenburg University, Karolinska Institutet, and Uppsala University collaborated on the study, utilizing advanced heart imaging and detailed dietary questionnaires.
Another study from Lund University, published on June 16, 2025, found a connection between a low-fiber diet and more dangerous plaque buildup in coronary arteries. The research indicated that the composition of the plaque, and therefore its potential danger, was also linked to dietary patterns.
