Nutritionist Reveals Unexpected Danger of Late Dinner

Late dinners, especially those involving heavy, fatty, or spicy foods, can significantly impair sleep quality and negatively affect gut health, warns a nutritionist.

Studies show that eating late in the evening reduces energy expenditure, disrupts glucose tolerance, and interferes with the production of the hormone melatonin, which regulates sleep, leading to poorer sleep and metabolic disorders.

Moreover, a late dinner can cause disruptions in the activity of the autonomic nervous system and hormonal balance, as well as alter the composition of gut microbiota, potentially worsening overall health.

French researchers found that dining after 9:00 PM increases the risk of stroke and other vascular diseases by 28% compared to dining before 8:00 PM. Additionally, late meals negatively impact cardiovascular health overall.

At the same time, scientists from King's College London note that a late dinner is not dangerous in itself if a long overnight break without snacking is observed — an optimal fasting period of about 14 hours aids metabolism and does not lead to health issues.

Nutritionist's Recommendations for a Healthy Dinner

• Avoid heavy, fatty, and spicy foods before bedtime.
• The basis of dinner should be vegetables and fruits containing melatonin and magnesium — these components help improve sleep.
• Avoiding caffeine and sugar in the evening helps prevent sleep and metabolic disorders.
• Aim to have dinner no later than 8:00–9:00 PM and maintain a gap of at least two hours between eating and sleeping.

Thus, late dinners can pose a serious health risk if rules are not followed and unsuitable foods are consumed; however, a well-planned evening meal with the right timing can pose no threat and may even support normal metabolism.

Source: Materials from the article by experts and the news portal Iz.ru.