American researchers claim that shifting the time of the last meal of the day can have a direct impact on your weight and your figure.
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When starting a dietor simply want to maintain a balanced diet, meal times and their diversification raises questions. Why do we have to eat at the same time every day? Should we eat normally in the evening, or rather be satisfied with a soup? A study published in the journal Cell Metabolism indicates that the risk of obesity and overweight could be aggravated depending on the time of eating. “We conducted a trial to determine the effects of late versus early feeding while tightly controlling nutrient intake, physical activity, sleep and light exposure“, summarize the researchers of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Boston). Here is their conclusion.
Eating late makes it easier to gain weight, but why?
The consequences of a late diet on our metabolism are multiple, according to these scientists. Mainly, it would increase hunger, reduce calorie burning, contribute to weight gain, and could also have an impact on appetite-regulating hormones. Even more surprisingly, eating late would reduce energy expenditure on waking and body temperature for 24 hours. “We asked ourselves: Does the time we eat matter when everything else fits together? And we found that eating four hours later made a significant difference to our hunger levels, the way we burn calories after eating, and the way we store fat.”says Professor Nina Vujovic, lead author of the study.
I am so happy and proud to be coauthor in this study lead by Frank Scheer and Nina Vujović, in @Cell_Metabolism
Which show converging mechanisms by which late eating may result in positive energy balance and increased obesity risk.https://t.co/nWtuQKYvwM— Marta Garaulet (@martagaraulet) October 5, 2022
It is better to eat at 6 p.m. rather than 10 p.m.
To determine the ideal time for the last meal of the day, the researchers examined 16 overweight or obese patients aged 20 to 60 years. They then observed two separate protocols. The first, where dinner was taken early, around 6 p.m. And the second, an identical meal taken four hours later, at 10 p.m. This second scenario showed a very strong impact on appetite-regulating hormones. Levels of leptin, or the “satiety hormone”, were lower in the 24 hours following a late meal than those who ate early. Conversely, levels of ghrelin, known as the “hunger hormone”, were higher the day after a late meal. Or, to sum up, eating later tends to satiate us less, and thus cause nocturnal cravingsbut also increases the craving for food on waking.