New Study Explores How Late-Night Eating May Affect the Liver - Video

Late-night eating may be associated with an increased risk of liver disease, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and cirrhosis, according to a study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Researchers from Oregon Health & Science University analysed dietary and lifestyle information from nearly 200,000 participants across three large US studies: the Nurses’ Health Study, Nurses’ Health Study II and Health Professionals Follow-up Study.

Participants were grouped according to their eating habits, including whether they consumed food after dinner or bedtime. Researchers then examined associations between these behaviours and reported liver disease outcomes.

The findings revealed that people who reported late-night eating had a 20% to 30% higher occurrence of liver disease compared with those who did not report this behaviour.

Researchers suggested that meal timing may influence liver health because the liver operates according to the body's circadian rhythm, the internal biological clock regulating sleep, metabolism and other physiological processes.

The liver may be particularly sensitive to disruptions in the relationship between eating patterns and sleep timing, researchers noted.

However, the study was observational and relied on self-reported dietary habits and health information. Therefore, it cannot establish that late-night eating directly causes liver disease or exclude the influence of other lifestyle factors.

Researchers also emphasised that only a proportion of people with fatty liver disease develop severe complications such as cirrhosis.

The findings suggest that limiting food intake in the hours before bedtime could be a potential strategy for supporting metabolic and liver health. However, further studies are needed to determine whether changing meal timing improves clinical outcomes.

Researchers are planning additional investigations to monitor eating behaviours directly and assess whether earlier meals improve indicators of underlying fatty liver disease.

REFERENCE: Robert Wilechansky, et al.; Late-Night Eating is Associated with MASLD and Cirrhosis: The Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals' Follow-Up Study; Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology; DOI: 10.1016/j.cgh.2026.09.047