Improper dinner timing to affect blood sugar levels

Blood sugar level, maintenance is crucial for individuals with diabetes, diabetes is affected by various factors including the timing of meals relative to sleep as well as levels of melatonin, a hormone primarily released at night that helps control sleep-wake cycles.

In research published in Diabetes Care, eating dinner close to bedtime, when melatonin levels are high, disturbs blood sugar control, especially in individuals with a genetic variant in the melatonin receptor MTNR1B, which has been linked to an elevated risk of type 2 diabetes.

The high melatonin levels and food intake associated with late eating impairs blood sugar control in carriers of the MTNR1B genetic risk variant through a defect in insulin secretion. The authors note that for the general population, it may be advisable to abstain from eating for at least a couple of hours before bedtime.