Do you often eat late night snacks? You must pay attention to these hazards!

Eating midnight snacks has become a habit for young people today. Barbecue, fried chicken, instant noodles, beer... just thinking about it makes me drool. It is simply a great pleasure in life. Even if you don't go out for dinner, many people choose to use food to comfort and reward themselves after a tiring day. However, have you ever thought about what kind of impact eating midnight snacks frequently will have on your stomach and esophagus? Although midnight snacks can satisfy your appetite, they can also cause many health problems, especially for those who like to stay up late. So, let's learn about it together!

Image source: Pixabay

0 1What are the dangers of eating midnight snacks?

"A full meal at night will shorten your life by one day." We get the so-called material energy, but we have exhausted the energy of spirit and blood. How harmful is eating late night snacks? Late night snacks can increase the incidence of breast tumors in women; eating too close to sleep will increase the risk of gastroesophageal reflux, which will not only cause acid reflux and heartburn, but also increase the risk of esophageal tumors; eating late night snacks is closely related to cardia tumors and tumors at the junction of the gastroesophageal tube.

Image source: Pixabay

PART 0 1 Damage to the stomach

For the gastric mucosa, three meals a day are its digestive tasks. For people who often eat midnight snacks, the stomach also has to work overtime. Over time, the stomach's repair ability will weaken.

PART 0 2 Causes of fatty liver

Our liver needs sleep to repair itself. If you often stay up late and eat midnight snacks, it will increase the burden on the liver. In particular, some people like to go to bed within a short period of time after eating midnight snacks. This will prevent the fat in the food from being consumed in time, and the fat will be stored in the liver. Over time, it will lead to fatty liver.

PART 0 3Increased risk of cancer

When eating midnight snacks, if you consume too much protein, the body cannot absorb it and it will remain in the intestines. Once the protein in the intestines deteriorates, it will produce toxins, which will irritate the intestinal wall and eventually induce cancer. In addition, eating midnight snacks frequently can also cause certain damage to the gastric mucosa. In addition, many midnight snacks contain carcinogens, which are more likely to cause adverse effects on the gastric mucosa and eventually cause gastric cancer.

PART 0 4 Blood pressure

Normally, people's blood pressure drops by at least 10% after falling asleep. People who eat within two hours before going to bed are 2.8 times more likely to have no drop in blood pressure at night than those who do not eat, and their risk of heart attack or stroke is also much higher!

PART 0 5 Prone to Diabetes

Eating excessive midnight snacks for a long time will repeatedly stimulate the human pancreas, increasing insulin secretion, which will eventually cause a decrease in insulin cell function and induce diabetes.

0 2 Will frequent late-night snacks cause gastroesophageal reflux disease?

Frequent late-night snacking can cause GERD Do you often feel a burning sensation in your chest, an itchy throat, a sour taste in your mouth, or burping repeatedly? These symptoms may be manifestations of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This is a common gastroesophageal disease, also known as acid reflux. GERD is a disease in which stomach acid, bile, or stomach contents flow back into the esophagus and cause symptoms. This can cause inflammation of the esophageal lining, leading to problems such as mouth ulcers, strep throat, and tracheitis. In severe cases, GERD may lead to esophageal cancer.

GERD is closely related to late-night snacking, especially if you eat too much at night or lie down immediately before going to bed. This is because late-night snacking may lead to excessive secretion of gastric acid, which can cause GERD if it flows back into the esophagus. In addition, late-night snacks are usually high-fat, high-salt, and high-calorie foods, which stimulate the stomach wall to secrete more gastric acid, thereby increasing the risk of GERD. In addition, lying down directly after eating a late-night snack may cause gastric acid to flow back into the esophagus more easily, thereby aggravating symptoms.

How to prevent and treat gastroesophageal reflux disease? Here are some simple ways:

1. Adjust your eating habits

Eat small meals frequently and try to avoid eating too much greasy, spicy, acidic, caffeinated and other stimulating foods. At the same time, develop the habit of chewing food thoroughly and eating slowly. Do not lie down or bend over immediately after a meal, and try to stay upright.

2. Maintain healthy living habits

Lose weight, quit smoking and drinking, avoid maintaining the same posture for a long time, reduce mental stress, etc.

03How to eat healthy?

Why is eating midnight snacks so harmful? In fact, modern people live a fast-paced life with a rich lifestyle. Sometimes, they will inevitably have to eat midnight snacks due to social activities. At this time, if you can pay attention to the methods and achieve scientific and balanced diet, you can also minimize the harm.

First, try not to eat foods that are high in oil, salt, or irritating, such as barbecue and spicy crayfish. Secondly, eat less water-rich, high-sugar fruits such as watermelon, and avoid eating salty foods, otherwise water will be retained in the body, affecting sleep quality, and symptoms of full-body or partial edema will occur after getting up. Also, try not to drink late at night, otherwise it will cause uric acid deposition and increase the burden on the kidneys. It is especially important not to lie down and rest immediately after eating a midnight snack, so as to give the body enough time to digest food and absorb energy to reduce the burden on the body.

Image source: Pixabay

In short, eating midnight snacks may cause obesity, increase the risk of diabetes, and there is a considerable chance of other adverse symptoms. It can be said that it is harmful to the body and has no benefits.

Here, the editor would like to once again solemnly remind all friends that we hope that through scientific eating habits and lifestyles, we can better protect our health and enjoy a better life.

Source: Chongqing Tianji Network Co., Ltd.

Source: This article is compiled from Palm Health Manager, Family Doctor Online, Digital Beijing Science Center, Yuejiao Platform

Statement: Except for original content and special notes, some pictures are from the Internet. They are not for commercial purposes and are only used as popular science materials. The copyright belongs to the original authors. If there is any infringement, please contact us to delete them.