If you are someone with the routine of having dinner shortly before you turn in for sleep, then it may be time to take a step back and consider its consequences.

Dmytro Khlystun/Shutterstock: Eating late at night is harmful to health

Eating late at night affects the body’s digestion,not letting it get all the necessary nutrients and glucose out of the meal. A study has revealed that this habit puts people at risk of getting overweight and spiking their glucose level to an abnormal amount. 10% less fat is burned if the meal is eaten past 10 PM as compared to eating at 6 PM.

How was the Study Conducted?

The researchers studied twenty healthy volunteers – ten women and ten men, to ascertain how supper time affected the overnight digestion.

All subjects followed the common routine of going to bed at 11 PM, and their body’s metabolism was studied as they slept in a laboratory-bedroom, throughout the night. Hourly blood samples were taken, and activity trackers collected data on the participants.

The study was performed and published by the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, who also initiated regular body scans to monitor fat levels. Individuals were fed a specially curated diet with specific labels—they further aided scientists in tracking the rate of fat-burning in the body.

What Were the Results?

It was subsequently found that if the person ingested their food just one hour before bed, thebody’s fat intake was lower, and the sugar levels were higher.

The study’s author Dr. ChenjuanGu, from the prestigious John Hopkins University in the United States, gave his opinion on the conclusive results. He said that, on average, the glucose levels were 18% higher, and the fat burning process was 10% slower in the body if we compare the statistics to ones having an early dinner.

There have been multiple studies conducted in the past that report the harmful effects of eating late, and the current research builds on the previous ones. It throws much-needed focus on how our body’s sugar tolerance worsens and lowers the amount of fat burned.

Motortion Films/Shutterstock: Chances of obesity rise as people eat more late at night

If a person is already obese or overweight, the effects are likely to be more significant as the study was conducted only by observing healthy individuals. It only goes to show how some people may be more vulnerable than others.

goffkein.pro/Shutterstock: harmful effects of eating late-night meals

Although the numbers may seem insignificant, if the habit of late-night munching is maintained, over time, the effects on the body can be catastrophic. Considering that the metabolism was affected so much when studied for a short time, in the long-term,it could cause diabetes or obesity.