Japanese study finds shift between dinner and sleep overestimated

We were invited to have a light dinner and leave a gap of at least two hours between dinner time and bedtime in order to maintain a healthy weight. New research suggests that this is not really necessary. The results of the study appear in the latest issue of the journal. BMJ Nutrition, Prevention and Health.

Image credit: PAKULA PIOTR

Experts told us that being right after dinner can have a long-term negative impact on health and increase the risk of diseases such as cancer. A new study by the Graduate School of Health Sciences at the University of Okayama in Japan found that this gap was not needed to maintain a healthy blood glucose level. It is advisable for Japanese to leave a two-hour interval between dinner time and bedtime at least three times a week to stay healthy. The study was conducted by Su Su Maw (PhD student in nursing) and Chiyori Haga, badociate professor in the Department of Nursing at Okayama University.

The team badyzed information collected from 1,573 middle-aged and healthy adults living in Okayama, western Japan, between 2012 and 2014. The two-thirds women and most of them were over 65 years old. None of the participants were diabetic. They examined the diet, lifestyle, smoking and other factors specific to these participants. The blood glucose levels as well as the HbA1c levels of these participants were monitored. Some participants (16% male and 8% female) regularly went to bed less than two hours after dinner.

The results showed that HbA1c rates in the cohort of participants had steadily increased from an average of 5.2% in 2012 to 5.58% in 2013 and 2014. This was observed regardless of the number of deaths. time between dinner and bedtime. The researchers concluded that jet lag had little effect on participants' control of blood glucose. On the other hand, the lack of physical activity, excessive consumption of alcohol, obesity, high blood pressure and other harmful lifestyle habits have an impact important on the control of blood sugar.

The authors of the study wrote: "Contrary to popular belief, a short interval between the last meal of the day and bedtime does not have a significant impact on the rates HbA1c … We need to pay more attention to healthy portions and foods, to sleep well and to avoid smoking, alcohol consumption and overweight, these variables having had a deeper influence on the metabolic process. "