Avoid Large Night Meals to Stay Fit

This editorial article signifies timing of nutrient intake as a pragmatic philosophy to help prevent obesity and to better manage weight loss programs. The most recent discoveries in comparative nutritional physiology have established that when to eat is of importance in affecting the metabolic fate of nutrients consumed [1,2]. It is critical to maintain a synchrony between circadian rhythms in cell physiology and circadian fluctuations in the surrounding environment. The environment covers photoperiod, eating style, eating frequency and, as far as this article is concerned, eating timing.

Glucose intolerance is now known to increase as day progresses and night begins [2]. This phenomenon is basically linked to the evolutionary science that diurnal animals including humans are active during day and inactive or much less dynamic overnight. As a consequence, they have developed a fitting physiology and metabolism system to cope with evolution. This means that glucose and other fuels are required mostly during day, especially morning, and are least needed in evening and night times [3-5].

The global public health programs and policies must commence to concentrate on the above mentioned synchronies. Education will be of utmost significance in familiarizing the public with the concept of eating time and how it can be manipulated carefully to help minimize risks from obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular issues, heart deficiencies, and as a result to overcome welfare and life quality related challenges [6,7]. Increasing the number of daily meals and distributing them appropriately over day (decreased overnight), when insulin is adequately sensitive and when glucose may be effectively tolerated, should be persuaded [8].

Large night meals containing starch and fat must be seriously avoided to not introduce severe challenges to the body that has not been trained chronophysiologically to assimilate and metabolize nutrients [8]. Nocturnal eating contradicts with the circadian rhythmcity of cell physiology, and thus, predisposes cells to harsh metabolic discords [3,6]. It is time to incorporate the timing of food intake into public health programs for ordinary people; metabolically diseased groups including diabetics, obese and overweight groups; athletes of different kinds, and shift workers. Research must also continue as education persists to pragmatize the resulting science. Healthy timing of eating is a light-traffic road to staying fit.
 

The Ministry of Science Research & Technology, National Elite Foundation, and University of Zanjan, Iran, thankfully acknowledged for supporting the author’s global programs of optimizing the third millennium science edification.