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Dr Sarah Berry at Zoe has issued the important information about the time of day people snack at
A top scientist is debunking the misconception that snacking between meals is inherently harmful to your health. Chief scientist at Zoe, Dr Sarah Berry, examined the dietary patterns of over 1,000 people to gain deeper insight into how snacking might affect a person’s health, for better or worse.
She revealed that people could be overlooking the significance of snacking, especially regarding how the timing of eating influences their overall health. The findings showed that those who nibbled after 9pm often had worse health outcomes, as reported by Surrey Live.
Dr Berry disclosed: “What was really interesting was that we found the time of day that you snack matters, and if you snack after 9pm, we found that that was associated with higher blood pressure, poorer insulin sensitivity, and higher blood cholesterol.
“That was regardless of the quality of the snack.”
Furthermore, the investigation also uncovered modest variations when examining what kinds of foods participants opted for as snacks. Dr Berry clarified: “The act of snacking – that is, eating between main meals – was not the problem. It was the choice of snacks.
“If you are hungry between meals and you select healthy snacks, it is not going to have an unfavourable effect on your health.”
In conclusion, Dr Berry’s findings determined that opting for nutritious snack options and steering clear of late-night munching after 9pm could stop snacking from negatively impacting your health. That could then offer some guilt-free indulgence.
High cholesterol is a particularly alarming consequence of snacking, often dubbed as a ‘silent killer’. This condition seldom presents any symptoms in isolation but can be the critical trigger for life-threatening medical incidents and conditions such as heart attacks and strokes.
It transpires when there’s an overabundance of a fatty substance, cholesterol, in the bloodstream. If this accumulation persists unchecked, it could obstruct blood vessels.
High cholesterol can be induced by consuming fatty food, leading a sedentary lifestyle, being overweight, or through smoking and alcohol consumption. High cholesterol can also be inherited. It can be managed with medications or lifestyle modifications.
