Can After-Dinner Dining Affect Your Health?

By Caroline Jacobson on November 29, 2016 in Healthy Living

The risks are real for late-night eating. If heartburn and a runny nose accompany your midnight munching, you may want to kick the habit. Here are three health issues that may cause you to think twice before dialing in delivery:

1. Acid Reflux

Eating close to bedtime makes you seven times more likely to experience heartburn and acid reflux. Continuous acid reflux can be damaging long-term and lead to issues such as esophagus inflammation. 

2. Post Nasal Drip

Experiencing a nasal drip is typically synonymous with cold symptoms, but it can also follow acid reflux. If you have frequent cold-like symptoms, it's probably due to indigestion. Avoid all eating three hours before bedtime.

3. Sleep Problems

When we eat later in the evening, our blood sugar tends to rise. During the night, the body is meant to fast for about 12 hours. When depriving the body of this, our blood sugar levels spike and dip, interrupting the sleep cycle.

If you must munch at midnight, try making a lighter meal and refrain from late night snacking.