Eating at night could increase risk of heart disease and diabetes

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Eating during the night is associated with higher risk of heart disease and diabetes, and the body's 24-hour cycle is to blame, according to research published today in Experimental Physiology.

The researchers at the National Autonomous University of Mexico looked at levels of fat, called triglycerides, in the rats' blood. They found that after feeding the rats fat at the beginning of their , their blood fat levels spiked more drastically than when fed during the beginning of their active phase. When they removed the part of the rat's brain that controls the 24-hour cycle, there was no longer a change in fat levels.

High blood fat levels are associated with and diabetes. These diseases are associated with a lifestyle where humans ignore the signals of the , and eat in the evening and night. This study demonstrates why such a lifestyle out of sync with our 24-hour cycle may result in high blood fat levels and thus in a higher risk for heart problems.

Commenting on the study, author Ruud Buijs said: "The fact that we can ignore our biological clock is important for survival; we can decide to sleep during the day when we are extremely tired or we run away from danger at night. However, doing this frequently - with , jet lag, or staying up late at night - will harm our health in the long-term especially when we eat at times when we should sleep."

More information: Sofía Moran-Ramos et al, The suprachiasmatic nucleus drives day-night variations in postprandial triglyceride uptake into skeletal muscle and brown adipose tissue, Experimental Physiology (2017). DOI: 10.1113/EP086026

Citation: Eating at night could increase risk of heart disease and diabetes (2017, November 8) retrieved 28 March 2024 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-11-night-heart-disease-diabetes.html
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