Eating right before sleep will not make you gain weight, Japanese study suggests
- Researchers examined blood glucose levels and other lifestyle factors in middle-aged and older people from western Japan
- The results remained the same for those who ate just before sleeping and those who did not. However, Japanese diet differs from those of much of the world
Do you avoid eating a meal right before bed to maintain your health? You may not need to do that, according to a new report.
Researchers from the Graduate School of Health Sciences at Okayama University in Japan recently conducted a study, published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention and Health, to explore whether leaving a two-hour gap between the last meal of the day and bedtime increases blood glucose level. High blood glucose is associated with weight gain, diabetes and heart disease.
For the assessment, the team examined 1,573 healthy middle-aged and older adults from western Japan. They assessed their diets as well as other lifestyle factors such as physical activity, weight, and smoking and drinking habits.
The scientists also monitored the participants’ HbA1c levels, which indicate longer-term blood glucose levels.
They found HbA1c levels did not change significantly over the course of the three-year study. In fact, the numbers remained normal.
