Night-time snacking: possible dangers

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Extract from the article: Who hasn't had a case of the munchies at night? Whether it's while lounging in front of the television or in bed. Nibbling is the practice of eating outside of meals. There are many reasons for nibbling: it can, for example, be caused by a craving (t

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Who hasn't had a case of the munchies at night? Whether it's while lounging in front of the television or in bed. Nibbling is the practice of eating outside of meals. There are many reasons for nibbling: it can, for example, be caused by a craving (the smell or thought of a food, for example), stress or simply boredom. In all cases, emotions play a significant role in driving people to snack, often compulsively. Night-time nibbling can also be the result of eating after waking up during the night. Beware, this bad habit is not without health risks.

Snacking runs counter to a balanced diet. It's often a question of satisfying a craving rather than a hunger: the body is then fed unnecessary sugars, fats and calories. Nibbling is an eating disorder that consists of having several small bites of food throughout the day, outside of mealtimes and snacks, and in addition to them.

These are mainly fatty and especially sweet industrial foods: sweets, cakes, chocolate crisps, biscuits, doughnuts and sweets, red meat, sauces and starchy foods for dinner, ice cream, fruit juice, cold meats and cheese, which are easy to eat with the hands and require no preparation. These foods are known as ‘soft foods’ because they stimulate the brain's reward and immediate pleasure zone.That's why they are so appealing when you're feeling blue or tired.

A dangerous practice

Snacking in the evening is often a comforting habit, but it's very bad for your health.Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have published a study in which they demonstrate that snacking and eating late at night significantly increase the risk of diabetes and heart problems.

In the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a team from the University of San Diego has shown that this practice increases the risk of diabetes and breast cancer. Eating at night not only reduces the length and quality of sleep, but also has consequences for weight gain.On the one hand, these nocturnal food intakes are an additional calorie intake that will not be spent. On the other hand, these people will eat more during the day to compensate for their lack of energy due to lack of sleep.As well as putting on weight, night-time snacking can compromise your health in other ways.Sleep disturbances, digestive discomfort, diabetes, concentration problems... There are numerous problems to which you are exposed the next day or in the longer term.

Weight gain

Researchers at Laval University (Quebec) have shown that the higher thebody mass index, the more pronounced the symptoms of nocturnal hunger pangs.In men, the severity of the syndrome was directly linked to waist circumference and blood triglyceride levels, two risk factors for cardiovascular disease. In addition, two of the main symptoms of this eating disorder, the urge to eat in the evening or at night and morning anorexia, are more marked in people with metabolic syndrome.

One of the greatest risks if you have a habit of snacking at night is weight gain. There's a risk of storing more weight at night.This is simply hormonal.Hormones don't work in the same way during the day as they do at night.The explanation is simple: during sleep, sugar and fatty acids that have not been burnt off during the day remain in the bloodstream and find their way to the adipocytes, whose envelope is particularly permeable after dark. The result: we store fat and sugar, and even expose ourselves to cellulite. All the more so as the body expends less energy at night.

Risks of diabetes

In addition to weight gain, sleep disturbance and digestive discomfort, night-time snacking can also lead to diabetes.A study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania (USA), published in 2017, already pointed in this direction.The scientists studied nine adults: some were invited to dine before 7 p.m., others had until 11 p.m. to eat. The team found that when the participants ate later, compared with the daytime condition, sugar and fat levels increased.The more you snack at night, the higher the levels of sugar and fat in your blood: hence the importance of eating foods with a low glycaemic index.

Another study has shown that night-time snacking influences both the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.Researchers at the National Autonomous University of Mexico have confirmed that night-time snacking is associated with a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes.To reach these conclusions, they assessed the levels of fats or triglycerides in the blood of rats fed at the start of their rest period.The team found that blood lipid levels were higher in animals fed before their resting period.High levels of fat in the blood are known to be associated with heart disease and diabetes.

Elom AKAKPO

Sources: Raphaël Gruman & Alexandra Retion, Nutritionists (France)