Is there an ideal time for dinner?

Many people often eat dinner late in the evening, a practice that, as common as it is, greatly affects overall health.

Several studies have linked eating dinner late to a number of health risks, including weight gain, obesity and cardiovascular disease. Therefore, experts recommend following the "early bird approach", an approach that involves eating dinner within a two-hour window, early in the evening, which may help you lose weight, sleep better and improve digestion.

Experts at Veera Health recommend eating dinner between 5 and 7 pm. This early window corresponds to the body's natural circadian rhythm, which peaks during the daytime hours and begins to slow down as the evening progresses.

“When you eat dinner early, you give your body more time to digest the food before you go to bed. This reduces the likelihood of indigestion, heartburn and acid reflux,” say Veera Health experts.

It’s also important to eat dinner at the table rather than sitting on the couch watching TV, as the hunched posture can trigger symptoms such as acid reflux. Eating early also reduces the risk of going to bed with a full stomach, a common cause of disturbed sleep.

Health experts urge avoiding eating within three to four hours of going to bed if you suffer from heartburn, acid reflux or poor sleep.

Veera Health experts added that by eating dinner early, “your body will be able to focus on rest and repair rather than digesting a heavy meal. Eating early in the evening may also help control cravings and prevent unnecessary late-night snacking, which is often the result of boredom rather than hunger.”

If sitting down to dinner between 5pm and 7pm isn’t possible, eating before 8pm is still better than eating later, and can help prevent the blood sugar spikes that can result from eating too close to bedtime.

Source: Mirror - https://ar.rt.com/yetv