"This research backs up the idea that when you eat matters."
It might be challenging to incorporate healthful meals into your hectic schedule, primarily if you work late. However, it has been discovered that eating late at night may harm your health.
Researchers separated 19 men and women into two groups with varied eating schedules in a study published in Science Advances and funded by the National Institutes of Health. The first group ate during the day, while the second ate at night. Those who ate late at night saw their glucose levels rise by 6.4 percent, leading to significant health problems like diabetes and heart disease.
In a news release, study co-leader Sarah L. Chellappa, M.D., Ph.D., noted, "This study validates the notion that when you eat matters for determining health outcomes such as blood sugar levels, which is crucial for night workers because they often eat at night while on shift."
In an interview, Lisa Young, Ph.D., RDN, adjunct professor of nutrition at NYU and author of Finally Full, Finally Slim, explained that there are a few factors at play that can impact your glucose levels if you eat late at night.
"One is that you consume more calories," Young explained, "and these calories are typically in the form of easy-to-grab ultra-processed meals high in sugar and salt." "Because you don't have the opportunity to burn off the calories before going to bed, it's simple to gain weight."
"Setting up a day-time pattern is one of the most crucial initial stages when someone is starting a healthy eating journey," Morgyn Clair, MS, RDN, said when it comes to altering, you're eating habits for the better. People should "avoid unpredictable eating times and establish up a consistent plan that works for them," according to Clair, who is also a writer for Fit Healthy Momma.