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Blood Sugar Spikes For Night Shift Workers Common; Eat Only At THIS Time To Prevent It

Blood Sugar Spikes For Night Shift Workers Common; Eat Only At THIS Time To Prevent It
Blood Sugar Spikes For Night Shift Workers Common; Eat Only At THIS Time To Prevent It

Irregular working hours can cause your blood sugar levels to spike and lead to complications. Here's how you can prevent a sudden spike by eating at a particular time.

Written by Arushi Bidhuri |Published : December 7, 2021 8:05 PM IST

Working night shift means working irregular working hours, which can cause your blood sugar levels to spike. A 2017 study published in the Journal of Sleep Research found that individuals who worked the night shift had a harder time controlling their blood sugar levels than those who worked during the day or were jobless. However, a new study has found that people who work during the night might be able to prevent the sudden increase in their blood sugar levels by eating during the daytime. A study published in the 'Science Advances Journal' found that eating only during the daytime might prevent higher glucose levels for night shift workers.

Eating Only During Daytime May Help Prevent Blood Sugar Spike For Night Shift Workers

According to the small study of 19 healthy young participants (7 women, 12 men), eating late at night increased glucose levels, which is a risk factor for diabetes, whereas eating just during the daytime reduced this impact. Specifically, during the simulated night work, average glucose levels for those who ate at night increased by 6.4%, while those who ate during the daytime exhibited no significant increases.

For the study, researchers at the National Institutes of Health randomly allocated the participants to one of two meal schedules and a 14-day controlled laboratory routine incorporating simulated night work conditions. One group ate at night to simulate the meal routine of night workers, whereas the other group ate during the day. After that, the researchers looked at how various meal regimens affected their internal circadian cycles. That is the internal mechanism that controls not only the sleep-wake cycle but also the 24-hour cycle of almost all biological functions, including metabolism.

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Eating During Nighttime Is Never A Good Idea

Dr Reema Kashiv, a senior diabetologist from Noble hospital in Pune, said, "Eating during the nighttime is always bad for your health. It is an established truth, and it is not a myth. Many research papers have been published in the past that underlines the importance of eating during the daytime."

"Many research papers have established that eating late at night for prolonged periods can lead to an increase in blood sugar levels, heart diseases, acidity, and obesity. Eating during the nighttime makes the process of digestion slow, this leads to many complex processes inside our body, which then leads to high glucose levels the next day. People should avoid eating late at night. If at all they feel hungry, they can have milk or nuts or popcorn or buttermilk etc," continued Dr Reema.

Dr Sarika Satav, head of the department of nutrition and dietetics, Noble Hospital, Pune, said, "Nighttime eating significantly affects the blood sugar in people having 'down phenomenon'. In this case, early morning increase in blood sugar levels is seen because of hormone release at nighttime."

Further explaining how nighttime may affect your body, Dr Sarika explained, "apart from calorific calculations and its effect on weight and sugar level, digestion gets affected majorly because of nighttime eating. Consumption of large mixed meals combined with irregular sleep patterns increases the susceptibility of weight gain, obesity and cardiometabolic diseases. But when we can't control the timings for those who have to work night shifts, it is advisable that consuming small 150 kcal food items appear to improve overnight muscle protein synthesis, morning metabolism and satiety. Exercise helps to eliminate the adverse effects of nighttime eating."