As the portal writes Real Simple, several studies have recently been published that suggest that an earlier dinner might be healthier than eating dinner right before bed. It is mainly pointed to the fact that it is more difficult for the body to 'do' the digestion process when it overlaps with sleep because then the processing of sugar and fat is worse; which can be especially harmful for diabetics, obese people and chronic health patients.
Nevertheless, dieticians point out that dinner before 19 pm should not be a rule and obligation for anyone because the time of eating depends on various factors that are more or less beyond our control; such as work hours, various responsibilities, exercise time, children's activities, food availability, fatigue and more.
Doctors therefore emphasize that it is good to have dinner earlier - when and if it is feasible - which can be especially useful for people with type 2 diabetes. This is also confirmed by a 2018 study published in the Endocrine Journal, which showed that type 2 diabetics who those who ate late at night had worse glycemic control, which potentially led to health complications related to the disease, reports Vecernji list.
Another 2022 study published in Cell Metabolism pointed to a link between late dinners and obesity, concluding that late dinners change the way the body stores and breaks down fat, tipping it toward greater storage.
Also, the study says, a late dinner can lower the level of serum leptin, a hormone that helps regulate our body fat, as well as reduce the amount of calories burned during the day.
"This study confirmed that several factors and mechanisms make eating late at night potentially risky for health," writes its author Dr. Wendy Bazilian.
Another 2020 study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found that late dinners in 20 healthy adult subjects caused nocturnal glucose intolerance and reduced their bodies' ability to use fat for energy.
"However, there is no universally ideal time for dinner and there are many variables to consider when timing a meal," said Dr. Maya Feller, a dietitian from Brooklyn, who says that it is obvious from all the above that the body benefits from eating before 19 p.m.; but also that, while trying not to do it too late in the evening, everyone should find the time that suits them best.
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