Eating too late at night can be detrimental to your health. You can end up not just with a potbelly, but also poor sleep, heartburn, obesity and diabetes.
Late night eating also raises blood pressure, and cholesterol levels (resulting in heart disease). It also makes you feel hungrier the next day, making you eat more, which ultimately leads to weight gain.
A 2021 study found that high-fat, high-protein meals consumed around 10.00 pm disrupted sleep, because this type of meal is digested slowly. The process of digesting a late-night meal also increases hormonal activity linked to stress, which can keep you awake at night.
A 2019 study found that eating high-calorie meals after 6.00 pm significantly increases the risk for high blood pressure and high blood sugar levels that can lead to Type 2 diabetes.
Eating more calories, especially fat calories, later in the day, when the body’s production of cholesterol from fat is most efficient, tends to increase a person’s total cholesterol level, a Taiwanese study found.
Your last meal should be the lightest of the day and should be eaten at least 3 hours before you go to sleep, health experts say.