1. Does the timing of meals affect circadian rhythms and metabolism?

The body has a circadian rhythm that regulates many activities in a day-night cycle, including sleep, hormones, and metabolism. The timing of meals is also a signal that can impact this system. Changes in meal times can affect metabolic factors associated with cardiovascular disease risk.

During the day, the body is in an active state, so digestion and nutrient utilization are more efficient. At night, metabolic activity changes according to the circadian rhythm, and the body gradually shifts to a state of rest. Therefore, eating too late can disrupt the synchronization between eating times and the biological clock.

The timing of meals also affects how the body processes glucose and fat after a meal. When eating late, especially a large meal, the body still has to process energy during a time that would normally be used for rest. If this habit occurs frequently, it can negatively impact several metabolic processes.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), meal timing and regularity can be related to metabolic indicators such as weight, blood glucose, blood lipids, and blood pressure. The AHA also suggests that synchronizing circadian rhythms with meal times, sleep, and daily activities is a crucial factor for metabolic and cardiovascular health.

Does eating dinner too late increase the risk of cardiovascular disease? - Image 1.

Regularly eating late dinners with fried foods, sweets, processed foods, and sugary drinks can be detrimental to cardiovascular health.

2. Does the risk of cardiovascular disease increase when eating dinner late?

There is currently no basis to confirm that eating dinner late directly causes cardiovascular disease. Any association, if it exists, may be influenced by many accompanying factors, such as portion sizes, total daily energy intake, weight, activity level, and sleep.

A late dinner often leads to eating more later in the evening or choosing high-calorie foods. If you regularly eat fried foods, sweets, processed foods, or drink sugary drinks, your total calorie intake can increase. In the long run, this can be detrimental to weight management and cardiovascular risk factors.

Sleep is also an important consideration. Eating a large meal close to bedtime can cause bloating, discomfort, or worsen reflux symptoms in some people. Meanwhile, inconsistent sleep duration and timing with the circadian rhythm are linked to metabolic and cardiovascular health.

However, cardiovascular risk should not be assessed based solely on a single time of day; a comprehensive assessment of eating and lifestyle habits is necessary: ​​what to eat, how much to eat, whether one frequently eats late, sleep quality, weight, and level of physical activity.

There isn't enough evidence to definitively say that eating late at night directly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, maintaining a habit of eating too late, overeating at the end of the day, or eating late coupled with irregular sleep patterns can adversely affect metabolic health. Therefore, it's advisable to maintain relatively stable meal times, reasonable portion sizes, and avoid eating too close to bedtime.

3. How to eat dinner to minimize negative impacts on cardiovascular health.

It's not necessary to have the same dinner time for everyone. The important thing is to maintain relatively consistent meal times, avoid absorbing too much energy at the end of the day, and limit eating too close to bedtime.

Several principles need to be followed:

- Eat moderate portions, avoiding consuming too much energy at dinner, especially if you've already eaten enough during the day.

- Prioritize vegetables, fiber-rich foods, and suitable protein sources such as fish, lean meat, eggs, tofu, and legumes; adjust carbohydrate intake according to energy needs.

- Limit fried foods, foods high in saturated fat, processed meats, sweets, and sugary drinks.

- Limit snacking after dinner, especially on high-energy foods with little nutritional value.

- If you have to eat dinner late due to work, eat just enough, avoiding fasting for too long and then eating one very large meal.

- Maintain relatively stable sleep and wake times to support your circadian rhythm.

For individuals with hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, overweight, obesity, or pre-existing cardiovascular disease, focusing solely on dinner time is not advisable. Controlling blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, weight, not smoking, and maintaining regular exercise remain crucial factors in preventing cardiovascular events.

Source: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/bua-toi-qua-muon-co-lam-tang-nguy-co-benh-tim-mach-172261003065601025.htm