A recent study suggests that eating in the evening increases the risk of type 2 diabetes.
The study was conducted jointly by teams from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain, and Columbia University, New York.
The study suggests that eating more than 45% of the daily recommended calorie intake after 5pm may be associated with higher glucose levels in the body, especially in older adults.
This significantly harms health over time, increasing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular risk, and chronic inflammation.
It was previously assumed that eating late would slow metabolism, leading to weight gain.
However, new research suggests that eating at specific times of the day has significant effects on glucose metabolism, regardless of a person’s weight or general calorie intake.
The study included 26 participants aged 50 to 75 who were overweight or obese. They were classified into two groups: early eaters (who consumed most of their daily calories before 5pm) and late eaters (who consumed 45% or more of their calories after 5pm).
The participants then underwent an oral glucose tolerance test, which found that late eaters had significantly higher glucose levels after 30 and 60 minutes, indicating higher glucose (sugar) levels.
