When is the healthiest time to eat dinner?
A research result supports that this is the healthiest time to eat dinner which most people have no idea about.
Each person has a different eating routine. There are those who prefer not to eat at night while some are dinner enthusiasts. Based on the article in The Healthy, the timing of a person’s dinner can have a great effect on overall well-being.
Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) study published in Cell Metabolism in October 2022 supported that early dinners could have more health benefits than previously believed.
Frank A. J. L. Scheer, PhD, Director of the Medical Chronobiology Program in BWH’s Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, a senior author of the study said that they wanted to know the reason why there was an increased risk of obesity among those who have late-night dinners.
Their research stated that it is beneficial to take a meal three to four hours before bedtime and it is because it aligns with the body’s circadian rhythm.
With this, the body can efficiently digest food, and process nutrients. Then, the body will also have a smooth transition into a fasting mode during sleep that will facilitate essential restorative processes.
Here are the health benefits of early dinner:
- lower blood glucose levels
- improved fat-burning capacity
- better sleep quality
- higher energy levels
However, those people who eat dinner later than the suggested time can suffer from these conditions:
- increased hunger
- slower calorie burning
- elevated fat storage
- posing risks for conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease
Despite the citation of the benefits people can get from having early dinner is quite clear, Maya Feller, MS, RD, CDN, a nutritionist based in Brooklyn, NY, stressed that it is not a “one size, fits all” thing. It is because not all the people have the same schedule. She advised that it is better to find a dinner time that is fit for your daily routine.
With this, Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, MA, RDN, suggested a good way to address the difference in the schedule of each person that also affects their dinner time. She suggested that it is best to eat meals or snacks every three to five hours. By having this regular eating pattern, it stabilizes blood sugar levels, preventing the onset of hunger pangs and energy lulls.