With all of the health messages available in society today, it sounds like eating for optimal health doesn’t just depend on what you’re eating but also when you eat.
As such, you may be wondering if there’s a best time to eat dinner, especially if you’re trying to lose weight or if you have any other health considerations.
This article examines whether there’s an ideal time to eat dinner.
Is there a best time to eat dinner?
Research, such as a small 2016 study, shows that many adults have erratic eating patterns.
More than half of the 156 people in the study ate during a long window of 15 hours or more in an average day. Some people may have stopped eating at 4 p.m., while others may have relied on snack foods well into the night
So, when it comes to the question of the ideal time to eat dinner, the answer may depend on your personal health-related goals or medical conditions.
For weight loss
One of the most common approaches to weight loss is to reduce the total number of calories you’re eating. Related to that, meal timing may be important in reaching your goals.
Some studies suggest you should eat your last meal before your body starts releasing melanin and preparing for sleep.
Your brain begins releasing melanin at night in response to normal light and dark hours of the day. This is your circadian rhythm, which is closely linked to your metabolism
One 2017 study found that eating later in the evening, when your brain has started preparing for sleep, is associated with increased body fat. This was independent of factors like the amount or type of food eaten or activity level.
