Eating late at night may pose significant health risks, including the potential development of type 2 diabetes, according to recent studies. Research highlights that the body's natural circadian rhythms cause it to become more insulin-resistant at night. Coupled with reduced physical activity during these hours, this insulin resistance can lead to harmful health outcomes. The study involved 26 participants divided into "early eaters" and "late eaters," revealing that late eaters consumed nearly double the calories after 5 p.m. and showed a tendency toward higher intake of fats, carbohydrates, proteins, and sugars.
The body's circadian rhythms play a critical role in metabolic processes. As evening approaches, the body becomes more resistant to insulin, the hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels. This resistance is compounded by the fact that most individuals are less active or completely inactive as they sleep. The research found that those who consumed more than 45% of their daily caloric intake after 5 p.m. exhibited higher blood glucose levels, particularly among older adults with prediabetes or early type 2 diabetes.
“If you’re a night owl and you’re just eating late, higher chance of insulin resistance, basically, based on your genetic predisposition. Higher rate of pre-diabetes, diabetes development, things like that. And this is something that we typically see with graveyard shift people, you know, firefighters, cops, doctors, medical staff that work at night a lot,” – Pouya Shafipour, MD
Late-night eaters not only consumed more calories but also had diets richer in fats and carbohydrates compared to their early eating counterparts. This dietary pattern may contribute to poorly regulated blood sugar levels, an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, and chronic inflammation. The study underscores the importance of consuming meals earlier in the day to mitigate these health risks.
“So if one wants to optimize their insulin sensitivity, [they] want to eat [their] heavier carbohydrate meals in that window and then try to wind it down by sundown and have a lighter dinner. And the lighter dinner will help with insulin sensitivity, will provide a better quality sleep,” – Pouya Shafipour, MD
Proper sleep also plays a pivotal role in maintaining metabolic health. Dr. Pouya Shafipour emphasizes the significance of consistent sleep schedules and achieving the optimal 7 to 8 hours of rest. During this time, leptin, an appetite-suppressing hormone, reaches its peak. Insufficient sleep, particularly less than 6 and a half hours, can lead to increased hunger during the day due to hormonal imbalances.
“Sleep is also by itself very important, because we have the hormone leptin, which is an appetite suppressing hormone, get secreted, and it peaks around 6 or 6 and a half hours of sleep. So optimal sleep schedule would be for an average adult would be between 7 to 8 hours so you get enough leptin and ghrelin, which is the appetite hormone that one also doesn’t stay up too much during the day. So if we sleep less than 6 and a half hours, we’ll notice that we’re hungrier during the day looking for food more.” – Pouya Shafipour, MD
Nutritional choices in the evening can further impact blood sugar regulation. Dr. Shafipour advises opting for meals lower in carbohydrates during dinner to enhance insulin sensitivity and improve sleep quality. This approach involves consuming healthy proteins and fats while avoiding refined sugars and simple carbohydrates such as white rice and bread.
“You want your dinner or the latest meal to be the lowest carbohydrate and simple carbohydrate meal,” – Pouya Shafipour, MD
“So you know this would be something with some healthy sources of protein and some healthy sources of fat, and maybe a salad. So optimally, you want to avoid desserts, alcohol, any type of refined sugar, white rice, white bread, potatoes, even a lot of fruits, because fruits also have sugar fructose.” – Pouya Shafipour, MD
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