The time of day we eat is key to health, according to new UOC research

Although it has always been a common belief that it is better to eat dinner early and lightly, research from Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) and Columbia University has provided the scientific basis for this claim. According to a Nature team study published in the journal Nutrition & Diabetes, consuming more than 45% of daily calories after five pm is associated with increased glucose levels, with detrimental effects that provide health benefits regardless of a person’s weight and body fat.

The study was conducted at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City and was led by researcher and physician Diana Diaz Rizzolo, professor of health research at UOC.

“High glucose levels that persist over time can have consequences such as a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, increased cardiovascular risk due to damage caused by high glucose levels in blood vessels, and more chronic inflammation, which aggravates the cardiovascular and cardiovascular systems. metabolic damage,” says Diaz Rizzolo.

Until now, it was thought that the main consequence of late dinners was weight gain, which was due to the fact that at night people tend to make worse food choices, such as consuming more ultra-processed foods, because the hormones that regulate hunger and satiety change when we We do not adapt to the sundial.

The importance of the study is that it shows that meal timing itself can negatively impact glucose metabolism, regardless of the number of calories consumed during the day, as well as a person’s weight and amount of body fat.

People who eat late and people who eat early

The study included 26 participants aged 50 to 70 who were overweight or obese and had prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. The glucose tolerance of the participants was compared and they were divided into two groups: participants who ate earlier and those who ate better. caloric intake before tard-nit; and late eaters, who ate 45% or more of their calories after five o’clock in the afternoon. Both groups consumed the same calories and the same foods throughout the day; they differed only in that they did so at different times. Participants used a mobile app to record their meals in real time.

The main finding was that participants who ate late had poorer glucose tolerance, regardless of their weight or diet composition. It has also been observed that they tend to eat more carbohydrates and fats in the evening.

Diaz Rizzolo, a specialist in obesity, diabetes and aging, explains that “at night, the body’s ability to metabolize glucose decreases because the circadian rhythm reduces insulin secretion and cell sensitivity to this hormone. rhythm.”

The importance of when you eat

Thus, the study presents an important finding on the health effects of the timing of our meals. “Until now,” says the researcher, “diet personalization has been based on two main questions: how much to eat and what foods to choose. Thanks to this research, a new question in cardiometabolic prevention is starting to become important: what time do you eat,” says Diaz Rizzolo.

Based on the study, and with caution (as more research will be needed to explore the subject in more depth), the researcher advises that food’s contribution comes primarily during the sunny hours of the day and that “the largest contribution of calories per day occurs during breakfast and lunch, not during snack time.” and dinner.” Diaz Rizzolo also recommends avoiding ultra-processed foods, fast food and carbohydrate-rich foods, especially at night.