What time should you stop eating at night? Study finds 'serious health effects' for people who eat after 5 pm
By Shweta Kumari | First Published Nov 25, 2024, 8:00 AM ISTA groundbreaking research from the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) and Columbia University has revealed that consuming over 45% of daily calories after 5 pm significantly disrupts blood sugar regulation, escalating the risk of developing diabetes.
For years, doctors have suggested that those trying to shed pounds should avoid eating after sunset, reserving their most substantial meal for lunchtime. Now, groundbreaking research from the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) and Columbia University has revealed that consuming over 45% of daily calories after 5 pm significantly disrupts blood sugar regulation, escalating the risk of developing diabetes.
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The study, published in Nutrition and Diabetes, reveals that late-night eating not only challenges the body's ability to metabolize glucose effectively but also hinders insulin efficiency. According to Dr. Diana Díaz Rizzolo, one of the study’s co-authors, the body’s metabolic rhythm is tightly linked to the natural circadian cycle. She explained, “The body's ability to metabolize glucose is limited at night, because the secretion of insulin is reduced, and our cells' sensitivity to this hormone declines due to the circadian rhythm, which is determined by a central clock in our brain that is coordinated with the hours of daylight and night.”
Researchers studied 26 individuals aged 50 to 75 who were overweight or diagnosed with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Participants were divided into two groups—early eaters and late eaters—consuming identical meals with the same caloric intake but at differing times. Results showed that late eaters experienced elevated glucose levels after testing, indicating poorer glucose tolerance.
Interestingly, intermittent fasting, a popular diet followed by roughly 10% of Americans, seems to offer a solution. This promotes limiting the daily eating window, often to a six-hour span, such as from 11 am to 5 pm. By ensuring most calories are consumed earlier in the day, the body processes glucose more efficiently and utilizes insulin effectively.
Dr. Díaz Rizzolo emphasized the broader implications of the study, “Until now, personal decisions in nutrition have been based on two main questions: how much we eat, and what foods to choose. With this study, a new factor in cardiometabolic health is beginning to become increasingly important: when we eat.”
Late eating and weight gain
Late-night meals often consist of calorie-dense, heavily processed foods, which may explain their link to increased body weight and fat accumulation. A separate Harvard University study further highlighted the metabolic consequences of late-night eating. It demonstrated that such habits slowed calorie burning, promoted fat storage, and reduced fat breakdown.
In this study, 16 overweight participants followed fixed sleep and eating schedules, alternating between early and late meals. The findings revealed a drop in leptin—the hormone responsible for signaling fullness—during late meals, making participants feel hungrier over time. This disruption in appetite regulation compounds the risk of obesity, a leading contributor to type 2 diabetes.
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