Study Finds Late-Night Eating More Likely to Lead to Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders

Study Finds Late-Night Eating More Likely to Lead to Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders
A study by a Northwestern University team showed that eating late at night is linked to diabetes and weight gain. Those who eat at bedtime are more prone to diabetes and disruptions to the biological clock. (Shutterstock)
11/7/2022
Updated:
11/7/2022
Urban dwellers lead busy lives, and it is not uncommon for them to have irregular eating habits. A Northwestern University (Evanston, Illinois) study, published in Science in October, pointed out that eating at bedtime is more likely to cause obesity and can disrupt the biological clock, cause metabolic disorders, and increase the risk of diabetes.

The research team divided nocturnal mice into two groups that were fed a high-fat diet when they were both active (nighttime) and inactive (daytime). Results a week later showed that the mice that ate during the inactive time gained more weight.

Chelsea Helper, the study’s main author, noted that mice expended more energy at specific times, so while both groups ate the same food, the mice that ate during their active hours were healthier.

The research team believes that energy release may be the mechanism used by the biological clock to control energy balance in the body. The study also found that transgenic mice (genetically engineered, as in foreign DNA has been introduced to their genome) with greater fat cell thermogenesis were less prone to obesity, and the mechanism involved creatine metabolism.

Joseph B. Bass, a professor at Northwestern University School of Medicine, points out that when animals consume high-fat and high-carbohydrate foods, it tends to disrupt their biological clocks. The circadian clock is sensitive to meal timing, especially in adipose tissue, however, this sensitivity can be disrupted by a high-fat diet. Even though the mechanism behind it is unclear, studies have found that obese animals are more likely to eat more when they should be asleep, showing a link between obesity and the biological clock.

Bass also said the findings have implications not only for understanding diet and sleep deprivation but also for patients under long-term care. Patients who rely on feeding tubes are often given nutrition while they are sleeping at night; but this is the time when they release the least energy, so Bass believes this study may explain their high obesity and diabetes rates.

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