Dietitians have debunked the myth about evening food

Debunking myths: Scientists prove that dinner after six is perfectly acceptable for health

As reported by TUT.AZ, the popular belief about the harm of evening meals has no scientific confirmation, as Russian therapist Ekaterina Ladygina explained in an interview with "Izvestia".

"After six, you can and should eat. The point is that for normal digestion, it's desirable to have your last meal no later than three hours before sleep. This is important. But, again, no two organisms are identical, so dietary recommendations are often individualized," the specialist emphasized.

Ladygina explained that people with impaired glucose tolerance may experience night awakenings due to falling sugar levels, so in such cases a light snack before bed is beneficial - one or two boiled eggs or a handful of nuts. Additionally, women who are breastfeeding can add a meal before bed or even at night so that the milk remains nutritious and the baby sleeps peacefully.

Also for some people over 40, the expert added, intermittent fasting may be beneficial if there are no contraindications. It's important to consider individual characteristics of the body, as with Gilbert's syndrome, type I diabetes, or after gallbladder removal, long breaks between meals can be dangerous.

"It's better to have dinner three hours before sleep. It should be protein-based, with carbohydrates in the form of non-starchy vegetables: a piece of fish with green salad, a piece of white meat with stewed vegetables, or something similar. The total portion should be up to 350g by stomach volume," Ladygina noted.

When consuming sweets or fast food, it's better to take a walk so that the energy obtained from glucose doesn't go into fat deposits.