Late-night dinners and midnight snacks are not rare. Whether you come home late from work and have to eat dinner before you normally go to bed, watch a movie late and binge on popcorn, or feel the urge to graze on food to stay awake on a late night of study, there's a temptation to eat through the night. Is it harmless, or is it a bad idea to eat at night? Science has repeatedly taught us that this is an unhealthy habit.
Why is it bad to eat at night?
Our bodies have a circadian rhythm: a 24-hour cycle that affects everything from our energy and metabolism cycles to the way our organs operate. We're wired to be awake, to eat during the day, and to sleep at night when it's dark.
But if we change our natural cycle by working at night shifts, by being exposed to light at night, or by eating at night (especially fast food), it can interfere with normal circadian activity. A host of negative changes can occur in the body, particularly when we eat at night.
How Night Time Eating Impacts Your Health
Altered hormonal activity
Eating at night changes the quantities of insulin, glucagon, and leptin.
Inflammation
When people eat later in the evening, they have higher symptoms of inflammation. In one study, for every 10% increase in the proportion of total calories eaten between 5 p.m. and midnight, there was a 3% increase in C-Reactive protein, a significant predictor of inflammation in the body.
Impairments in the regulation of blood sugar
The ability of our body to use insulin to regulate blood sugar changes during the day and is least efficient at night. Glucose levels are highest following meals as meals are eaten late in the day. Shift workers show diminished blood sugar regulation when consuming food at night. Researchers recommend avoiding high glycemic index meals at night to prevent harmful effects and raise the risk of diabetes associated with high blood sugar.
Weight gain
Human experiments have found that when we eat a large amount of our daily food consumption at night, we are more likely to be obese. One explanation for this may be that there are regulatory elements for the circadian clock in our fat tissues, which may contribute to impaired fat storage. Eating at night will also increase the overall amount of calories you consume per day, resulting in more weight gain.
Elevated triglycerides and cholesterol
Eating out of sync with our circadian rhythm may have an effect on the way the body metabolizes lipids. This will lead to an increase in both triglyceride and cholesterol levels.
Takeaway
Stop eating at odd hours if you can. Its multiple health consequences are not worthwhile. We all deserve to enjoy a long and healthy life.
Stay in shape with the right diet at the right time and reduce the negative effects on your precious body.
