EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 Eating late at night may be doing more than disrupting sleep \u2014 it could be affecting the way the body processes food, according to Dr. Luis Ortiz.<\/p>\n
Ortiz said eating after 7 p.m. isn’t just a bad habit, but it’s actually affecting your health, explaining that the body\u2019s metabolism slows down as it prepares for sleep.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen night comes, and your body starts prepping to go to bed, what happens is that your metabolism slows down,\u201d Ortiz said. <\/p>\n
Ortiz explains that there is a \u201cshift of hormones\u201d at night, and that eating a late meal or snack can cause sugar from the meal to remain elevated longer because the body is processing it more slowly.<\/p>\n
“Insulin will not be as effective as when someone is awake,\u201d and added that the body shifts from \u201cfat burning to fat storing\u201d at night. <\/p>\n
She said fat consumed late may be stored rather than burned, \u201cin your belly and in the buttocks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Because of those changes, Ortiz said it is important not to eat \u201cespecially after 7 p.m. or two hours before bedtime.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, she noted that timing guidance can vary depending on a person\u2019s schedule, particularly for overnight workers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is where generalizations don’t apply to everyone,\u201d Ortiz said, adding that people who work at night \u201chave a different metabolism compared to the ones who work during the day and sleep during the night.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for what to avoid late in the day, Ortiz pointed to carbohydrate-heavy and highly processed foods.<\/p>\n
\u201cHeavy carbs like tortillas, bread, chips, ultra-processed foods,\u201d he said. If someone does eat late, Ortiz recommended focusing on vegetables or foods that are not high in carbs or fat.<\/p>\n
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