Scientists explain why you shouldn’t eat late at night
And how it affects the body
A new study suggests that eating in the evening can directly affect the body’s weight management mechanisms, increasing hunger levels , reducing the number of calories the body burns and increasing fat storage .
Previous studies had already identified a correlation between meal timing and weight gain, but here the researchers wanted to examine this relationship more closely. Speaking about this, neuroscientist Frank Scheer from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School’s second largest teaching hospital, pointed out:
We wanted to examine the mechanisms that might explain why eating slowly increases the risk of obesity. Previous research, both by us and by others, has shown that this habit is associated with an increased risk of obesity, increased body fat, and decreased weight loss success. Now, we wanted to understand why.
The research was strictly controlled and included a total of 16 participants, with a body mass index in the overweight or obese range. Each volunteer went through two different six-day experiments, with their sleep and diet strictly controlled beforehand and for several weeks between each test.
In one experiment, participants followed a strict schedule of three meals a day around the following times: breakfast at 9am, lunch at 1pm and dinner around 6pm. In the second experiment, the three meals were moved some hours apart. Breakfast for example at 1 p.m. and dinner around 9 p.m.
Results:
Through blood samples, questionnaires and other measurements, the team was able to make a number of clear observations.
When participants ate later, levels of the hormone leptin – which tells us when we’re full – were lower for 24 hours. They mean that the feeling of hunger may have been more intense throughout the day. In addition, calories were burned at a slower rate .
The tests also showed that gene expression of adipose tissue—which affects how the body stores fat—increased the process of lipogenesis, which builds fat tissue, and decreased the process of lipolysis, which breaks down fat. It is a combination of physiological and molecular mechanisms that significantly increase the risk of obesity .
In conclusion, what this new study shows is that eating earlier in the day can reduce hunger levels, reduce the risk of obesity and help burn more calories. In fact, this is a change that may be simpler for some people as a first step than following a strict diet and exercise program.
The research has the official title ‘Late isocaloric eating increases hunger, decreases energy expenditure, and modifies metabolic pathways in adults with overweight and obesity’ and was published in the scientific journal Cell Metabolism on October 4, 2022.
You can find it by clicking here.
