Night Eating Syndrome and its Health Costs
It's often said that night is the worst time to eat. The logic: Night is when the body typically slows down and, therefore, is more prone to gain fat. Makes sense, but is it true?
There are no conclusive studies or any evidence to prove that eating late causes more fat gain than eating early. Studies reveal that other variables, such as the frequency of meals, the glycemic index of food, calorie intake and hormonal balance are the real power brokers in the body's capacity for burning or gaining fat.
Even so, the notion that eating late causes fat gain is deep rooted. For most people, who typically eat several meals during the day, a late meal may be an additional meal, and any additional meal may be one too many. The result can be fat gain. Does it mean that eating late is a bad idea? Quite the opposite. If you plan your meals properly and the evening meal turns out to be the main meal, then eating late can be highly rewarding.
There's a substantial amount of evidence that humans have adapted well to nighttime eating. We carry the genes of our hunter-gatherer ancestors, who were busy gathering and hunting during the day and eating at night, when they were at rest. Indeed, our bodies are biologically programmed to work around the circadian clock'active during the day and relaxing at night. As mentioned above, our inner clocks are controlled by the two antagonistic autonomic nervous systems, with the result that our bodies digest and use nutrients better at night than during the highly stressful hours of the day. What's more, night is the time when growth hormone peaks (peak secretion occurs during non-REM, SWS deep sleep). GH is known to be a potent muscle-and-bone builder and a fat burner. Late meals, if applied correctly, can be highly anabolic.
Note that GH actions cannot be effectively finalized without the interference of insulin. Eating late may well help you take advantage of max GH spike during the night, promoting protein synthesis in the muscle tissues and fat burning by providing the nutrients required for facilitating GH actions. Do not betray your biological destiny. Don't deny yourself late meals. If you do, your body may come back with a vengeance to reclaim what was taken away from it. The effects often include chronic cravings for food at night, which may result in bingeing. Finally, late meals often have a relaxing effect on the body, preparing you for sleep. If nothing else, they can help bring a happy end to a tough day.
