Many people pay close attention to what’s on their plate at dinner time, but mealtime is often an afterthought, with dinner eaten only after work, child care, social plans, and other obligations have been completed. However, a growing body of research suggests that What What you eat is not the only factor that affects health. When? Your food is important, too—and when it comes to dinner, studies show, early birds get it right.
near man”body clocks Which control our physiology and our behavior to such an extent that we are no longer the same person in the morning as we are in the evening.” Frank Scheer, PhDDirector of the Medical Chronobiology Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital Health
This means that the same food can have different effects on your body depending on when you eat it.
Daisy Duane, MDThis has been demonstrated in his research by an assistant professor in the Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
In a study conducted by his team that analyzed what happened when 20 young, healthy adults ate the same dinner on two separate occasions: once at 6 p.m., and once at 10 p.m. After a subsequent meal, their blood sugar level This resulted in greater growth and decreased fat processing compared to the first meal.
According to one of Duan’s recent experiments, a late dinner also has different effects depending on whether one eats right before bed or gives oneself time to digest before going to sleep.
Why so? Scheer’s research suggests melatonin– a hormone that your body secretes at night to help prepare for sleep – plays a role. They reported that increased levels of melatonin interfere with the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels, potentially leading to a higher and longer-lasting spike after eating.
Scheer and his colleagues have also shown through laboratory research that people feel more hungry and burn fewer calories. Eat dinner late, eat early during the dayAnd eating late causes tissue-level changes that promote fat gain.
Many studies on meal timing are conducted in carefully controlled laboratory environments for short periods of time, so they don’t translate perfectly to real-life situations.
But based on laboratory findings, it is reasonable to “guess” that if one habitually Eating dinner late may put them at higher risk of metabolic health problems, Involved type 2 diabetes And obesityDuane told Health. Lots of studies have pointed to that connection.
On the other hand, other studies have shown that front-loading calories at the beginning of the day may contribute Weight loss and improvement in metabolic health markers.
And it’s not just metabolic health that appears to be linked to meal timing. Other recent research from Duan shows that people who don’t eat after 6 p.m. get more sleep than those who are free to graze until midnight.
According to a serious 2024 study, eating late may even be associated with a higher risk of death.
The bottom line: “For most people, it would be best to limit the amount of food consumed at night,” Scheer said.
Scientists haven’t identified a single “best” time to have dinner—but it’s safe to say that “avoiding eating late Probably the best for your metabolism,” Duane said. She suggested trying to give yourself at least two hours, and ideally more, between dinner and bedtime.
That said, aiming to eat dinner sometime between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. is usually a good goal. Colin Popp, PhDAssistant Professor in the Department of Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, who has studied meal timing.
But, of course, sometimes life gets in the way and forces you to eat later. Don’t stress too much, says Pop, especially if it’s an occasional thing. Just try not to eat a “big Thanksgiving Day meal” shortly before bed, he said. Health.
In fact, research generally suggests that contrary to the American standard, dinner should not be your largest meal of the day. “Eat most of your calories earlier in the day, when you wake up or even in the middle of the day,” recommends Pop.
If you’re used to eating late because of your schedule or your hunger, it may be hard to switch to an earlier meal time.
To smooth the transition, Pop suggested starting to make changes before the day. If you habitually skip breakfast and have an early lunch at your desk, you’ll likely feel hungry in the evening. Prioritize meals early in the day and ensure they contain plenty of protein, fiber and healthy fats So you won’t be as hungry at night, Pope said.
Pope said some people also find it helpful to set a specific “cut-off time” after which they stop eating, rather than vaguely shooting for an earlier meal time.
If you use that approach, it’s OK to take small steps, Duane said. Start by turning off the kitchen just 30 minutes before you go to bed, then an hour, and so on. “You have to meet yourself where you are,” he said. “Start there.”
