The study that will make you give up a late dinner - voila! health

2022-09-16T06:10:21.966Z

A new study shows that a late dinner not only contributes to you physically, but can also affect the mental aspect. Here are his findings

The research that will make you give up a late dinner

If you need further proof that it's not just "what you eat", but when you eat it - a new study comes out and shows that a late dinner not only contributes to you physically but can also affect the mental aspect.

Here are his findings

Voila system!

health

16/09/2022

Friday, September 16, 2022, 08:00 Updated: 08:57

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Is it worth giving up the late dinner?

Shakshuka (Photo: ShutterStock)

We are used to work having three main meals a day - breakfast, lunch and dinner, but what if one of them can harm our mood and mental health?

A new study shows that eating during the day instead of at night may lower the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms.

Brigham and Women's Hospital researchers whose research was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences say their research adds to the growing body of research that suggests eating shortly before bed is harmful to the brain.

They found that symptoms of depression and anxiety increased by 26 and 16 percent respectively after dinners.

"Our findings provide evidence for the timing of food intake as a novel strategy to minimize vulnerability to mood in individuals experiencing diurnal inconsistency," says lead editor Frank A.J.L.

Sher, Director of the Medical Chronobiology Program in Brigham's Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders.

"These include people who work in shifts, experience jet lag or suffer from circadian rhythm disturbances."

One in five people worldwide work irregular hours.

And this is a problem, as working night shifts can cause problems with daily behaviors such as sleeping, being awake, fasting and eating, which increases the risk of depression and anxiety by up to 40 percent.

A meal that may increase anxiety.

Illustration of a depressed girl (Photo: ShutterStock)

"The timing of food consumption is important for our mood"

The authors investigated how the timing of meals affected the moods of 19 participants - 12 men and seven women.

One group ate both during the night and during the day, which is typical among shift workers.

In contrast, the other group only ate during the day.

In addition, depression and anxiety levels were measured every hour.

During simulated night shifts, depression and anxiety increased significantly when participants also ate late.

In contrast, there were no changes when the meals were eaten during the day - even though they worked at night.

"Meal timing appears to be an important aspect of nutrition that may affect physical health," say the researchers.

"But the causal role of the timing of food intake on mental health remains to be tested. Future studies are needed to determine whether changes in meal timing can help people experiencing depression and anxiety disorders. Until then, our research brings a new 'player' to the table - the timing of food intake our mood".