Early birds may eat healthier than night owls

HELSINKI, Finland -- Ben Franklin may have been right about early risers being healthy.

Researchers at National Institute for Health and Welfare at the Department of Public Health Solutions in Helsinki, Finland, compared early birds to night owls and found that morning people tended to eat healthier foods than night people.

They also ate earlier in the day, and more regularly.

The team used data from the national FINRISK 2007 study.

Previous studies show eating earlier may help with weight loss, and lower the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

It's the first study of its kind to examine what and when people with different internal time clocks eat, including macronutrients like carbohydrates, protein and fat.

The study did only look at 2 days of eating for each volunteer, so the scientists say more research is needed.