In a study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, it said that late dinners are highly associated with high blood sugar levels and weight gain. According to the study author Dr. Jonathan C. Jun, “We were aware of other research that suggested that late eating is associated with obesity, and because the association is not the same as causation, we wanted to look at this in a more rigorous way,” he said.
Because of this, they set up a randomized clinically-controlled trial, in which they enlisted the help of 20 healthy individuals (ten men and ten women) and had them eat at two different times, control their food, diet, and sleep times. They were asked to eat dinner at 10 p.m., and they were to sleep at 11 p.m.
The study was very controlled as each participant wore activity trackers, had their blood taken, underwent sleep studies, and body fat scans, among many other tests. They were also monitored intensively during the duration of the study. Blood was drawn every hour, their activities, and their sleep monitored for two weeks before they came to the lab.
The study showed that these individuals had high blood sugar levels, which was almost 20 percent higher than before, with a lower amount of fat burned that was reduced by 10 percent.
Dr. Jun and his team weren’t surprised by the results. This is because previous labs by other researchers have already shown that eating out of phase with the body’s normal circadian rhythm changes the metabolization of glucose.
Everyone Is Different
Despite the distinct effects of eating late dinners, some people weren’t affected by the late dinners. These are the ones who are used to eating dinners as late as 2 to 3 a.m.
It’s All About The Timing
These findings may effectively help guide future eating habits and disease prevention. Since dinner is the largest meal of the day for many adults when it comes to calories, it plays a significant role in how the body processes foods consumed at a certain time of the night. There is also the fact that busy people tend to rush through their breakfast and lunch, which means when it’s time for dinner, they usually eat more than they should.
Good Eating Habits
Indeed, it’s still best to eat dinner early, instead of eating it late. Aside from that, experts suggest that having small, high protein snacks in the late afternoon, especially if you know that you’ll be home late will help curb the appetite. It will make the brain think that you’re full so that you won’t end up overeating in the evening. At the same time, be sure to only eat healthy snacks.
Conclusion
This recent study showed that eating late dinner can easily cause unwanted weight gain and increased blood sugar levels. Yet, researchers found that not everyone will react the same way. Nevertheless, if the body is used to eating early dinners, it’s best to keep it that way so that you do not alter your body’s circadian rhythm. If you have to eat a late dinner, it’s important to have a healthy snack in the late afternoon to curb appetite and to prevent eating a considerable dinner late in the night.
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