April 19: A lot of us are guilty of going to bed without eating anything at night either due to exhaustion or because we want to limit our calorie intake for the day. Well, if you do that once in a while, it is acceptable but do not make it a habit. Sleeping with a growling tummy can impact your body differently. Here is what really happens.
Not having food at night will lead to nutritional deficiency in your body, especially micro-nutritional deficiency. According to Manjari Chandra, Consultant Nutrition and Dietetics, Max Super Speciality Center, Panchsheel Park, “Our body needs micro-nutrients like magnesium, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D3 to run in an efficient manner. If a person is habitual of going to bed on an empty stomach, the person risks becoming malnourished and deficient in micronutrients.”
If you are skipping your dinner regularly or have an erratic eating habit, it can harm your metabolism. “This can affect your insulin level, which is the most important hormone of the body. Apart from that, it also affects the cholesterol and thyroid level.” If you are not eating the right kind of food at the right time, it can affect your hormones, which makes you prone to other diseases.
Going to sleep without having anything can leave you tossing and turning in the bed in the wee hours. Hunger pain will keep you mentally alert and not let you have a sound sleep. “This happens because our body is controlled neurologically and hormonally and not having enough food at night might have an impact on it.,” Manjari said.
A lot of people in their effort to lose weight assume that skipping dinner will do the deed. But in reality, it works the opposite way. It’s true that one should have low quantity of food at night, but completely skipping the meal is not ideal. It will only lead to weight gain. “The body enters a mode where you start accumulating fat. The body starts to conserve energy and use it for performing other activities, leading to weight gain.” The only effective way to lose weight is by eating it in a designed manner.
Working on an empty stomach can make any person cranky. You would not be able to concentrate if you go to bed on an empty stomach at night and go about your day without kickstarting it with a wholesome breakfast. This can even lead to terrible mood swings. Researchers from the University of Cambridge found that our level of serotonin starts fluctuating when we do not eat at night.
If you are not following a particular diet or fasting, it is not advised to sleep on an empty stomach at night. Nutritionist Manjair says, “Traditional fasting is a great way to detox or avoid diseases. It gives the body a chance to rejuvenate and restore. Inflammation in the gut and unhealthy gut is a leading cause for numerous disorders. However, doing it every day is not a good idea. Also, people on some sort of medication should consult their doctors if they are skipping meals.
By: (TNN)
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