Returning home late from office, being stuck in traffic for hours, scrolling social media on mobile till late night or watching web series on OTT – today's hectic and modern lifestyle has spoiled the entire eating and sleeping routine of people. For a large population living in cities, having dinner at 10:30 or 11:00 pm has become a common routine. Most of the people go to bed immediately after eating heavy and fried food at 11 pm. If you think that just eating food late at night and counting calories does not make any difference to the body, then this can prove to be the biggest and fatal misconception for your health. According to gastroenterologists, endocrinologists and cardiologists, this habit of eating late at night ruins the body's metabolism, insulin sensitivity and heart health. How does eating at 11 pm attack the circadian rhythm and digestive system? Know the science of biological clock. The human body works according to the laws of nature and 24-hour 'circadian rhythm' (Biological Clock). All the internal organs of our body—especially the stomach, intestines, liver, and pancreas—are most active during daylight hours to digest food and convert it into energy. As the sun sets and night deepens, the body's internal systems go into 'rest and repair' mode. Digestive enzymes and intestinal motility slow down significantly at night. When you stuff a heavy meal full of carbohydrates, proteins and fats in your stomach at 11 pm, the body's biological clock gets confused. At the time when the body should be doing the work of detoxification of cells and tissue repair, it is forced to struggle to digest heavy food with a slow digestive system. 5 most serious health risks arising in the body by eating food late at 11 pm: According to medical research, the following serious diseases start developing rapidly in people who regularly eat food at or after 11 pm: 1. Insulin resistance and explosion of type-2 diabetes: The secretion of insulin hormone by our pancreas naturally reduces a lot at night. When you eat bread, rice or sweets at 11 o'clock, the glucose level in the blood increases rapidly. Due to insufficient insulin, cells are unable to absorb this glucose, causing 'insulin resistance'. If this continues for a long time, the person becomes a victim of type-2 diabetes at a very young age. 2. Chronic Acid Reflux and GERD: After eating dinner at 11 pm, most people lie down in bed within 15 to 20 minutes. Due to the loss of the law of gravity and relaxation of the stomach valve (Lower Esophageal Sphincter), the digestive acid and undigested food produced in the stomach starts flowing back towards the food pipe. This causes severe burning sensation in the chest, sour belching, bitter water in the mouth, sore throat and in the long run, there is a risk of chronic GERD and esophageal ulcer. 3. Stubborn Visceral Fat and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver: Food eaten during the day gets burned during movement and work, but there is no physical activity after eating at 11 pm. Instead of spending those extra calories, the body starts storing them directly in the form of 'triglycerides' and 'visceral fat' (fat of internal organs). This is the reason why the belly fat of those who eat late at night increases rapidly and their liver gets surrounded by fat and takes the form of 'Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease' (NAFLD). 4. Heart Attack, High Blood Pressure and 'Non-Dipping' BP: A healthy person's blood pressure drops by 10% to 20% at night while sleeping (called Nocturnal BP Dipping), which gives rest to the heart. By eating heavy food late at night, the body has to keep blood circulation fast for digestion, due to which the BP does not fall down at night. In medical science, this is called 'non-dipping blood pressure', which increases the pressure on the arteries of the heart and increases the risk of sudden heart attack and brain stroke in the morning by 30% to 40%. 5. Melatonin blockage and sleep apnea (insomnia and poor sleep): Due to active digestion, the core body temperature increases. Apart from this, due to full stomach, the production of 'melatonin' (sleep hormone) is disrupted. The person keeps tossing and turning throughout the night, does not get deep REM sleep, has frequent urge to urinate and due to pressure on the windpipe, the problem of snoring and 'obstructive sleep apnea' starts. When you wake up in the morning, instead of freshness, you feel headache, irritability and extreme fatigue. Correct scientific rules of dinner: When and how should dinner be? The 2 to 3 hour 'golden gap' rule: Dinner should always be completed at least 2 to 3 hours before bedtime. If you sleep at 11 pm, your dinner should be finished by 8:00 to 8:30 pm. Dinner is best immediately after sunset: Both Ayurveda and modern chrononutrition consider eating dinner between 7:00 and 7:30 pm as elixir for health. 'Light and low carb' food at night: Avoid heavy fatty, fried, heavy cheese gravies, refined flour or excessively sweet food in dinner. For dinner, have digestible items like moong dal khichdi, roasted vegetables, vegetable soup, light gram flour cheela or boiled egg white. Shatapavli (100 step walk) after meals: Instead of lying or sitting immediately after eating, take a slow walk for 15 to 20 minutes around the room or terrace. What to eat if it is 11 o'clock at night due to night shift or compulsion? If you feel hungry at 11 pm due to some professional compulsion, late night shift or travel, then do not make the mistake of eating a heavy meal by decorating the entire plate. In such times, resort to these lighter alternatives: Drink a cup of lukewarm turmeric milk (without sugar). Eat a handful of roasted makhana or 4-5 soaked almonds and walnuts. Have a bowl of hot clear veg soup or lentil water. Soothe your stomach by eating a few slices of cucumber. Dinner should be to nourish our body, and not to put extra burden on our digestive system and heart. A small habit of having dinner on time can keep your body fit and healthy for a long time by protecting it from dozens of serious lifestyle diseases.
