Table of contents:
- Where did the "dinner makes fat" myth come from?
- Recent research shows that eating at night is actually good, as long as….
- So, if dinner can make the body fat?
Are you one of those people who are afraid of fat that always avoid eating at night? Apparently not necessarily like that. Then what are the real facts?
Where did the "dinner makes fat" myth come from?
"Eating at night can make the body fat" is a statement that has been discussed for a long time, but until now is still debated. Research that has been done on workers shift evening, show that the worker shift often eat food at night and show an increase in body weight. A journal also supports the results of previous studies by stating that eating at night is risky to increase the calories consumed.
There are various reasons that cause people who eat at night apart from hunger that appears at night because they want to satisfy their appetite, which could be false hunger, relieving stress, or being 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 eat small amounts of it, but the calories from these snacks are huge. Things like this can cause obesity.
People who have the habit of eating at night can be considered experiencing night eating syndrome (NES). NES has the characteristics 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 increased appetite. When appetite increases, what is consumed at that time is food that is high in calories and high in sugar, and this 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 consumption of low-calorie snacks at night actually lowers the risk overweight in women. Even research conducted on athletes, shows that consumption of high protein snacks at 30 minutes before bedtime can help in the process of energy expenditure which is useful for maintaining normal body functions at rest.
In another study conducted by Groen and his colleagues, it was found that the consumption of high-protein snacks in the elderly can actually increase muscle protein synthesis. This is because a good time for metabolism and protein synthesis is at night. So, eating foods high in protein before bed can maximize the process of digesting protein in the body. The study also proved that consumption of protein before bed can prevent aging and muscle mass loss in older people.
Another study that proves one of the benefits of eating snacks before bedtime is that it can reduce calorie intake in a group of women overweight and obesity. The group of women who were overweight were given snacks that were 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 the next morning, thereby lowering their daily calorie intake.
Figueroa and his friends also conducted research on this group, but wanted to see the changes in blood pressure that occurred if the group ate snacks at night. As a result, snacks that contain these proteins are accompanied by regular exercise can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of atherosclerosis in a group of women. overweight.
So, if dinner can make the body fat?
Our bodies work all the time, including burning calories. It is true that when you sleep, your body burns fewer calories than you do when you are active, but quality sleep is one of the determining factors in maintaining body weight. In this case, it is the number of calories you consume in a day that is the most important factor in determining whether your body weight is increasing, decreasing, or remaining, not the timing of the meal that matters. When you eat dinner and eat foods that are high in calories and fat, it can affect weight gain.
You may eat about 10% of your total daily calories at night, but it's better to do it 3 hours before bed. And if this is done regularly and balanced with regular exercise, this will actually maintain the stability and function of the body.
In fact, scientific evidence is still needed to prove with certainty which statements are true, whether dinner makes you fat or can even help metabolize nutrients in the body. Research that states that eating at night can make you fat has been proven in workers shift night and patient experiencing night eating syndrome, this is also due to lack of sleep in this group, which affects the hormones that function to regulate appetite and metabolize nutrients.
On the other hand, currently various studies have also proven that eating at night with certain conditions can actually help a person to maintain his health. Therefore, other research is needed which corroborates this statement.
