People who often eat midnight snacks must be careful about this problem~

Audit expert: Wu Xi

Associate Chief Physician, Department of Endocrinology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Doctor of Medicine

I believe that many people have the habit of eating supper, and I am no exception. Modern people have a rich nightlife. After a whole day of work or study, they often meet up with three or five friends for a few drinks. If they also have a barbecue hot pot, it is simply a great pleasure in life. How wonderful! How happy! Even if they don't go out for dinner, many people choose to use food to comfort and reward themselves after a tiring day. However, science has proven that long-term late-night snacks may lead to obesity and even increase our risk of diabetes.

Source: pexels

The amazing human biological clock

To understand the relationship between late-night snacks and diabetes, we need to start with the human body clock.

The biological clock is a regulatory mechanism produced by organisms to adapt to environmental changes. It means that organisms constantly adjust their physiological activities with the periodic changes of the external environment and form a fixed cycle. We can think of it as an invisible "clock". It essentially has four functions, namely, prompting time, prompting events, maintaining status and prohibiting functions.

For example, we are generally accustomed to having three meals a day. Once the biological clock adapts to this lifestyle, it will send out corresponding physiological signals some time before the three meals. Then the body will secrete more insulin to promote the digestion and absorption of food, thereby maintaining the human body in a balanced, stable and normal state.

Source: Sohu

The biological clock is controlled by the hypothalamus, which regulates the body by controlling the secretion of related hormones. The reason why we have circadian rhythms of sleep and eating habits is precisely because of the control of the biological clock. At night, the biological clock lowers people's blood pressure and slows down their breathing, which also provides a start signal for the body's nighttime repair and recuperation. The body's metabolic rate slowly decreases under the regulation of the biological clock, reaching its lowest point at about 3-4 in the morning, and slowly resumes its activity in the morning.

If the biological clock is disrupted, it will cause sleep disorders and insomnia. Then it will cause the body's metabolic capacity to weaken, thereby reducing appetite and weakening immunity. In severe cases, it may even lead to digestive system diseases and organic lesions, causing high blood pressure, high blood sugar and other diseases.

Source: pexels

Eating midnight snacks or not makes such a big difference!

After understanding the biological clock, let’s talk about its relationship with diabetes.

In 2021, a research team from Harvard Medical School in the United States published a research report in the journal Science Advances, pointing out that eating at night may increase people's risk of diabetes.

Source: Science Advances

The researchers randomly divided 20 healthy young people with normal work and rest schedules into two groups. One group ate at night, and the other group ate during the day. The eating schedule was consistent with the normal biological clock. The experiment lasted for 14 days, and the experimental data showed that the young people in the night-time eating group generally had higher blood sugar peaks, slower fat decomposition, and imbalanced biological clocks ; while the young people in the normal eating group did not change significantly, and the circadian rhythm of controlling body temperature and blood sugar levels remained consistent.

It is worth noting that the melatonin level in the blood of the subjects in the night-time eating group was 3.5 times higher than that in the other group, the insulin AUC decreased by 6.7%, and the glucose AUC increased by 8.3%.

Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the human body with a distinct circadian rhythm. Its secretion is suppressed during the day and active at night. Its main function is to improve our sleep quality and lower blood sugar levels. About an hour before bedtime, the level of endogenous melatonin in the human body increases, thereby inhibiting the secretion of insulin, reducing energy consumption , and entering a low-power sleep state. This is the body reminding us that it is time to go to bed.

If you eat a midnight snack at this time, the insulin level in your body is low, so the food you eat cannot be absorbed in time, causing the blood sugar level to rise and the body's sugar tolerance to deteriorate. At the same time, because the body is in a low-power state with weak metabolism, energy cannot be consumed in time and will accumulate in the body in the form of fat, which can easily lead to obesity.

Source: pexels

In addition, seafood, meat skewers, animal offal, etc., which are often found in midnight snacks, are high-protein foods that are grilled over charcoal fire. Under high temperatures, they will produce carcinogens such as benzopyrene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Long-term consumption will increase the risk of esophageal cancer. The human gastric mucosal epithelial cells need to be renewed approximately every 2-3 days, and this process takes place at night. Eating midnight snacks will affect the repair of the gastric mucosa. In addition, excessive drinking and overeating will increase the burden on the stomach and intestines, and may also cause acute pancreatitis.

Source: pixabay

How to eat healthy?

Seeing this, you may be surprised. 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.

Source: pexels

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 remind everyone again to try to maintain a regular life and diet and refuse to eat late night snacks. This is especially true for those who suffer from stomach problems. If you have any problems, please go to a regular hospital for examination and treatment in time.