Is it true that eating at night makes you fat?

Medical Video: Nutrition | Can You Gain Weight By Eating Late? | StreamingWell.com

Are you one of those people who are afraid of being fat so they always avoid eating at night? Apparently not necessarily like that. Then what are the facts?

Where did the myth come from, "does dinner make fat"?

"Eating at night can make the body fat" is a statement that has long been discussed, but until now it is still debated. Research has been conducted on workers shift night, indicating that workers shift nights often eat food at night and indicate an increase in body weight. A journal also supports the results of previous research by stating that eating at night risks increasing the calories consumed.

Various reasons that cause people to eat at night other than because of the hunger that appears at night, is because they want to satisfy their appetite which could be false hunger, relieve stress, or get bored. Usually people who eat late at night because they want to satisfy their appetite or because they want to relieve stress tend to choose snacks but high in calories. They do consume it in small amounts, but the calories contained in these snacks are very large. Things like this can cause obesity.

People who have a habit of eating at night can be considered experiencing night eating syndrome (NES). NES has the characteristic of eating a lot at night, often staying up late or insomnia, and anorexia that occurs in the morning. NES is often associated with depression and stress which causes appetite to increase. When appetite increases, what is consumed at that time is foods that are high in calories and high in sugar, and this is what is considered to be the cause of obesity.

Recent research shows that eating at night is actually good, as long as ...

Various studies conducted recently, found that consuming snacks that are low in calories at night actually reduces risk overweight in women. Even research conducted on athletes, shows that the consumption of high-protein snacks at 30 minutes before bedtime can help in the process of spending energy which is useful for maintaining normal body functions at rest.

In another study conducted by Groen and his colleagues, it was found that consumption of snacks that are high in protein in older people turned out to increase muscle protein synthesis. This is because good time in the process of metabolism and protein synthesis is nighttime. So, eating foods that are high in protein before bed can maximize the process of digestion of protein in the body. The study also proves that protein consumption before bedtime can prevent aging and loss of muscle mass in older people.

Other studies that prove one of the benefits of eating light meals before bedtime can reduce calorie intake in a group of women overweight and obesity. The group of women who are overweight are given snacks that are low in fat, low in calories, and high in fiber, such as whole grain cereals, every 90 minutes after dinner. This has been shown to reduce the group's appetite when the next morning, thereby reducing its daily calorie intake.

Figueroa and colleagues also conducted research on the group, but wanted to see changes in blood pressure that occur if the group eats snacks at night. As a result, snacks containing these proteins accompanied by regular exercise can reduce blood pressure and reduce the risk of atherosclerosis in the female group overweight.

So, can dinner make the body fat?

Our body works all the time, including burning calories. It is true that when sleeping, the body burns fewer calories than when it is active, but quality sleep is one of the determining factors in maintaining weight. In this case, which is very instrumental in determining whether your weight increases, decreases, or stays is the number of calories you consume in a day, not the most decisive meal time. When you eat dinner and eat foods that are high in calories and fat, this can affect weight gain.

You may eat around 10% of your total calories at night, but it's better to do it 3 hours before going to bed. And if it is done routinely and balanced with regular exercise, this will maintain body stability and function.

Actually, scientific evidence is still needed to prove exactly which statement is true, whether dinner makes fat or even helps metabolize nutrients in the body. Research that states that eating at night can make fat proven to workers shift night and patients experiencing night eating syndrome, this is also due to lack of sleep in the group that affects the hormones that function to regulate appetite and metabolism of nutrients.

On the other hand, at present various studies have also proven that eating at night with certain conditions can actually help a person to maintain his health. Therefore another study is needed that corroborates this statement.

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