What times should we take our meals? What does the science say

Fat cells also appear to be more sensitive to insulin earlier in the day, peaking around noon. They are about 50% more sensitive around noon than midnight, which means the body is ready to eat at certain times, and eating at the “wrong” time can ruin everything. In a study of rats, those who were given food at the “wrong” time (typically coinciding with their sleeping hours) ate more when they ate—10% more calories during the day alone. So they gain more weight.

Research is starting to show the same effects in humans. A weight loss study that compared participants’ meal times over a twenty-week period found that those who ate breakfast earlier lost more weight than those who ate it later. A related study found that those who ate later also burned less energy than those who ate earlier.

ecosystem in our body

The intestines are closely related to our eating habits, and it’s not just the growls of hunger that can come out of it. The digestive system is manipulated by an ecosystem of bacteria, the microbiome, that affects many systems and parts of the body. The bacterial species that inhabit our microbiome can change, and that’s a good thing; People who have a more diverse gut appear to have better health.

It is possible to influence this diversity not only by what we eat, but also when we eat it. Studies in mice have found that the populations of several types of gut bacteria fluctuate throughout the day following a circadian cycle. In a study that analyzed rat feces, researchers found that when the young animals were active, they showed more signs of cellular activity that promotes metabolism, cell growth, and repair. When the mice rested, the researchers found more genes associated with activities such as detoxification.

(Read: How probiotics can replace conventional medications.)