Why You Should Avoid Eating Late

 Most of us decide to eat at whatever time is convenient for us. The typical time people eat

dinner is around 6pm, but for some, it can be as late as 9 or 10pm. With so many of us having

such busy schedules it can be hard to eat earlier, so we just squeeze our meals into whatever

free time we have. Most people would think that it doesn’t matter how late we eat; it’s healthy as

long as we eat a sufficient amount of food every day. However, the time we eat can have

potential effects on our health.

A recent study has shown how our bodies are affected by eating late versus early. In the study,

16 patients with a body mass index (BMI) of overweight or obese underwent two different

protocols where they ate the same meals but at different times, one at a strict early schedule

and the other 4 hours later in the day. Laboratory tests were then collected for each participant.

The results showed that eating later in the day had a major impact on the hormones leptin and

ghrelin, which are hunger and appetite-regulating hormones that influence our drive to eat. It

also showed that calories were burned at a slower rate and that gene expression favored the

production rather than the breakdown of adipose tissue, which in turn promotes fat growth. The

study provides new evidence as to how eating later in the day increases one’s chance of

developing obesity.

How late we eat plays a larger role in our overall health than we initially thought. It’s

important to be aware of the potential effects of eating late as well as discovering more effects

so that we can improve our health and reduce the risk of obesity. Obesity has become an

an increasing problem in the US for a variety of reasons and understanding some of the underlying

causes that are not as obvious are crucial to reducing it.

Sarah Belcher (4)

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/10/221004121928.htm

Comments

  1. Caitlin HooperOctober 12, 2022 at 1:49 PM

    Hi Sarah! I liked reading this blog a lot because, as college students, I think it is something we can all relate to due to our busy schedules. A lot of times we let the day slip by and wind up eating a really late meal, and a lot of people don't know how much of an affect it really has on you. Is this something that drastically affects everyone, or does it affect some people more than others based on genetics?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousOctober 16, 2022 at 3:10 PM

      I think we can all be affected by it, but I do think that some people are more susceptible to its effects than others because of genetics. Genetics can play a role in how well we metabolize food, so it’s possible that the hormones responsible for hunger would be genetic too.
      - Sarah Belcher

      Delete
  2. Victoria LeongOctober 12, 2022 at 6:16 PM

    Hi Sarah!
    I really enjoyed reading your post because it made me realize that my own eating habits are quite irregular, which I didn't realize could be such a big concern. It was interesting to know that eating late affects our hormones that control hunger and appetite. After finding out the negative effects of eating late, do you have any suggestions for an optimal schedule for eating our meals? What time for meals would be best for our health and work best for our body to process the food that we consume?

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousOctober 12, 2022 at 9:29 PM

    Hey Sarah. I have always heard that eating later was not good for you, but I just learned more about why because of this blog post. As someone who often forgets to budget time to eat earlier in the day, this topic has very real-life implications for me. In your readings, did you come across any optimal times for eating, or was it more generalized that the earlier you eat the better?
    - Anthony

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousOctober 16, 2022 at 3:19 PM

      The article didn’t specify the best times we should eat; it really only explained the negative effects of eating late and why you should avoid it. But I would think based off the article that the earlier you eat the better it is for you.
      - Sarah Belcher

      Delete
  4. Haya UsmaniOctober 13, 2022 at 7:20 AM

    Hi Sarah! I found your post interesting since I had not known before that eating later had a different effect than eating at an earlier time. It was interesting to learn that eating later had an affect on our appetite and hormones. I tend to eat later than usual sometimes due to me being busy or a busy college schedule. In contrast, what are the benefits of eating at an earlier time?

    ReplyDelete
  5. AlannaOctober 13, 2022 at 10:25 AM

    Hi Sarah!
    This is heartbreaking to read as someone who typically is eating meals passed midnight but very interesting to think its not just about what we eat but also when. What is it about eating later that impacts the hormones? If someone were to wake up later and then eat later as a result would it have the same type of negative effects?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousOctober 17, 2022 at 9:38 AM

      I was also wondering after reading the article why eating later affects these hormones. I don’t think there’s enough known about what triggers these hormones or how their cellular pathways work. Hopefully in the future scientists are able to discover more about them so that we can reduce or even avoid their negative effects on our health.
      - Sarah Belcher

      Delete
  6. AnonymousOctober 13, 2022 at 2:03 PM

    Hi Sarah! I thought your post was really interesting and the title immediately caught my attention because I am someone who eats at random hours all the time. My mom has always told me not to eat too late and it is interesting to learn why she was so strict about that. Do you think eating meals late at night or in the middle of night can affect your moods for the next day or affect energy levels?

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousOctober 13, 2022 at 8:22 PM

    Hey Sarah! It’s great to gain more insight on how dietary habits can impact our health! It’s interesting to know that the later we eat in the day, the greater the impact is on hunger and appetite regulating hormones. I wonder how eating later hormone levels impacts people who have gone their entire lives eating late versus people who generally eat around 6 pm? It could be interesting to see if these groups of people have different responses.
    - Ritika Koirala

    ReplyDelete
  8. Sneha MageshOctober 16, 2022 at 3:49 PM

    Hi Sarah! I have heard about this before and have been told not to eat late by my parents; however I never knew the science behind this (and why they would say that)! It was interesting to learn why people say this. I wonder if there are also some foods that are better to avoid eating at dinner that reduce the risk of obesity even when you eat late?

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Strain-Induced Jamming in a Spirostomum Ambiguum Cell

Spirostomum ambiguum are single-celled organisms that reside on sediment beds of brackish water habitats. These worm-like organisms range in size from 1 to 4 mm and feast on surrounding bacteria. However, there is more to meet the eye regarding this tiny aquatic organism. In a fraction of the time it takes to blink, Spirotomum ambiguum can shrink to more than half its original length. This contraction generates a gravitational force equivalent (g-force - a measure of acceleration) that is 10,000 times greater than that experienced by any other contracting cell. The energy produced is large enough to destroy the internal structures of a cell. However, this single-cell organism manages to dissipate this energy. Manu Prakash and Ray Chang of Stanford University noticed after imaging the insides of Spirostomum ambiguum cells before and after they had undergone a contraction event that their internal structures vacuoles (fluid-filled sacs) appear to entangle in the folds of a membrane-like ...
Read more

Did Corona Virus Feel Much Longer than it Actually Was? It May Have Also Changed Your Personality

 Everyone knows of those big historical events in which each person knows exactly where they were and what they were doing when they got the news. The release of the first iPhone, the announcement of the first African American president, and the national legalization of same-sex marriage are just to name a few. Endless monumental events help shape our society and give us a sense of community. Each is revolutionary in its own ways and vary per person, but some happen to make a more direct impact on all of us. Unfortunately, repeated time and time again these events are typically negative due to a trauma stress response. Coronavirus beginning 2020 is and will always be a unifying factor for every person who can recall the events. Its unique, sudden, and unpredictable nature makes it prominent in our government, healthcare, and local communities. What I’ve come to the realization of is that Coronavirus also had a drastic effect on our life order and even our personalities. In an artic...
Read more

Slimy Skincare: The Effects of Snail Mucin on Skin

If you’ve been on the right side of TikTok for a decent amount of time, you’ve definitely noticed an uptick in the popularity of snail mucin in skincare. The skincare industry never fails in shifting the goalposts for women all over the world. There is always some new fad or brand that is the “must-have” for the week and then vanishes into obscurity. Even worse, some of these fads can end up negatively impacting your skin. I definitely don’t need to remind anyone of the tragedy that was the St. Ives scrub (holy microtears). Usually, trends in beauty and skincare are driven by brands rather than particular ingredients or additives, which makes the popularity of snail mucin even more notable. Are the beauty influencers finally onto something, or is this yet another damaging trend that no one will remember in a month? A study done in May 2022 using hairless mice as a proxy for human skin showed that snail mucin does in fact lessen the effects of aging. In this study, exposure to UV rays w...
Read more