Night snacking: four nutritionists tell us why it's dangerous

Nighttime snacking is a signal that indicates that a person has serious health problems that he or she may not even realize.

This was discussed in an exclusive commentary for OBOZREVATEL by nutritionists whom we asked to explain whether nighttime snacking is really bad and why.

So, exclusive answers from nutritionists to questions about the dangers of nighttime snacking.

Nutritionist Olha Naboka: In case of severe hunger, drink hot water at night

"Nighttime snacks are acceptable only if a person works a night shift and does not sleep at night. Then a nighttime snack is acceptable, but it must be right. In this case, you need to exclude meat, and simple carbohydrates, including cereals. Fatty fish is also excluded from the nightly diet. You can eat an egg and non-starchy vegetables, preferably stewed. But the volume of such snacks should be small.

For those who do not work at night, it is still better to sleep rather than eat at this time. If you can't sleep at night and a trip to the refrigerator is inevitable, you need to understand that this happens for one reason: during the day, you received few nutrients. The second reason for nighttime hunger can be poor intestinal health. If you balance your diet and focus on a proper dinner, nighttime snacking will come to naught.

I don't recommend drinking kefir at night, especially for women over forty, as it can provoke swelling. You can drink some water, but if you have kidney problems, you will have swelling in the morning. In case of severe hunger, drink hot water at night and not in cups, but in sips. This will help you get away from the refrigerator at night."

Nutritionist Serhii Antoniuk: Better to drink some water than eat an apple

"Nighttime snacks are very bad. You need to eat in the evening, but you shouldn't eat high-carbohydrate foods with a high glycemic index after 8 p.m. Such foods lead to a significant release of insulin, which blocks the somatotropic hormone, which means that you will gain weight at night. In this case, the somatotropic hormone will not be able to perform its main function, and any injuries, cuts, scratches, etc. will heal very poorly. Vegetables and protein foods are allowed after 20:00, carbohydrate foods are not. But it's better to sleep at night than to eat. If you can't sleep at night, it's better to drink some water instead of taking an apple."

Nutritionist Olena Yudina: Nighttime hunger is a signal to see a doctor

"Nighttime snacking is really harmful. If a person works a night shift, they need to build their schedule differently, but in all other cases, night snacks are harmful. If a person eats at night, it means that either they don't eat enough during the day or they have an eating disorder. Nighttime hunger is a signal to see a doctor. If you can't sleep at all at night and want to walk to the fridge, you can drink some water."

Nutritionist Lyudmyla Honcharova: You can eat at night, but not at night

"At night, a person should sleep, not eat. If a person wakes up at night, it is a sign of illness. Depending on what time a person wakes up and what they eat, you can tell what health problems they have. If someone wakes up at night to eat, this in itself indicates a strong inflammatory process in the body. You can eat at night, but not at night. At night, you can eat 100 grams of chicken, shrimp, fish with herbs, lettuce with fresh cucumbers."