It’s great when you can come home from work on time, spend time enjoying a delicious meal with family and friends. However, real life doesn’t always work out that way. Sometimes you finish work late, too busy that dinner is late.
The familiar view is that eating late at night can be bad for you. The ideal time for you to eat the last pieces of the day usually falls around 7pm.
However, nutritionists say that habit has both pros and cons.
Causes belly fat
Many people often have a late-night snack or dinner, but some nutritionists warn that habit can easily lead to belly fat gain.
American expert Trista Best advises: “To lose belly fat, you should avoid snacking at night. I’ve noticed that some clients have lost weight by eating only when there’s sunlight.”
“First, daylight-based eating cuts your eating time from about 15 hours to just 12 hours. Also, the foods you normally consume after dark have more calories and contain more sugar or refined carbs, which tends to lead to belly fat.”
Acid reflux is worse
According to Eatthis , people with digestive issues should be aware that eating dinner late or right before bed can make the symptoms of acid reflux more obvious.
“The condition can get worse at night because you’ve been eating throughout the day. The gut starts to slow down in the evening, eating late can make reflux worse, regardless of quality or quantity. quality of food,” explains expert Trista Best.
Waking up in the middle of the night
People are often frustrated when they wake up in the middle of their sleep. Unfortunately, eating late at night can play a role in causing this discomfort.
According to Lauren Manaker, author of a book on nutrition, data shows that eating close to bedtime can be associated with nighttime awakening, especially when eating within 3 hours of bedtime.
Therefore, eating before 7pm can be useful because it gives your body enough time to relax and digest what has been absorbed earlier.
Beneficial for muscles
Despite causing more negative side effects, eating late can also have some benefits, especially if you prefer to work out later in the day. According to Rachel Fine, nutrition consultant, eating a late dinner can benefit your muscles, increasing endurance during intense workouts.
Especially for people who exercise in the evening and athletes, glycogen (the form of energy stored in the body) depletes quite quickly. Eating late has the ability to stimulate muscle protein synthesis, supporting the process of building and repairing muscle.
