Late meals would have devastating effects on our metabolism and promote weight gain. This is what a recent American study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. But why, exactly? Carried out on a small sample (20 people) of 10 men and 10 women who had meals at 10 p.m. and 6 p.m., the study revealed that for a bedtime at 11 p.m. in both cases, the later dinner increases the peak of glucose by 18% and decreases the amount of fat burned by 10%. In short: eating too often shortly before going to bed would lead to obesity and diabetes. Chenjuan Gu, one of the main researchers of the project, specifies that these effects could be “more pronounced on people already suffering from [de ces deux pathologies]”.
Respect 3 hours between dinner and bedtime
In 2013 and 2014, two spanish studies were already showing that the earlier women ate in the day, the more calories they burned. Three years later, scientists at the University of Pennsylvania went even further, at SLEEP 2017: “We knew that lack of sleep negatively affected weight and metabolism, in part due to nighttime snacking. discoveries now allow us to better understand the benefits of meals taken earlier in the day “, then explained Professor Namni Goel, before specifying that eating too late caused, beyond obesity and diabetes, a increased cholesterol, but also “cardiovascular problems and other health concerns.”
And that’s not all: the work of these same researchers, carried out with volunteers followed from evening to morning, had also led to a better understanding of the hormonal impact: in the participants who ate early, the secretions of ghrelin (which stimulates the appetite) and of liptin (the hormone of satiety), intervened at the best possible times. Satisfied longer, they were therefore more resistant to snacking between meals. And according to nutritionist Arnaud Cocaul, interviewed the same year by Ouest-France, they also had to sleep better, the digestion phase can alter sleep: “Beyond eating early, it is especially necessary to respect at least an hour and a half between dinner and bedtime. Ideally, it should even be three hours. “
No snacking in the evening
Is it therefore imperative to stop opening your mouth just before closing your eyes? Not for everybody. A study published in 2014 suggests, for example, that a small snack before bed could prevent some diabetics (type 1) from waking up at night or from lacking energy in the morning following a drop in blood sugar levels. Another study, unveiled in 2015 by the University of Florida, suggests that a meal rich in protein before sleeping would strengthen the morning metabolism of athletes by repairing their muscles overnight.
In short, if it is therefore generally not recommended to have dinner just before slipping under the duvet, it also depends on your profile. But whatever happens: avoid unwanted snacking on the sofa!
