Still wondering about the best time to eat dinner to avoid weight gain? This remains one of the most widely discussed fitness concerns across the world.
But worry not. Nutritionist Pooja Makhija has unveiled the science behind early dinners, especially in the evening, and how they can support the body clock and overall weight management. Alongside a video on Instagram, she writes in the caption, “You don’t start digesting worse at night because of the food… you digest worse because melatonin has already risen,” adding, “Melatonin climbs 2-3 hours before your bedtime, dropping your insulin sensitivity by up to 50% and switching fat cells into storage mode. So the same meal hits very differently at 7 pm vs 10 pm.”
What Is Melatonin?
Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain that helps regulate the body’s circadian rhythms. Its production typically increases in the evening, peaks in the middle of the night, and decreases in the early morning hours. Many doctors even recommend melatonin supplements to regulate the sleep-wake cycle. However, it can also be associated with certain side effects. Proper consultation with a physician is essential in such cases.
In the video, Pooja intrigues fitness enthusiasts by asking, “We all know that melatonin makes you sleepy. But what if I told you that melatonin wakes up your fat cells and makes them store more? Hadn’t heard of that?”
She further explains, “Melatonin is not just your sleep hormone. It is your body’s night mode switch. As soon as it starts rising in the evening, your metabolism powers down. Your insulin sensitivity drops 25 to 50 percent. Glucose clearing slows down, and your fat cells switch from burning mode to storing it.”
Citing a study published in the Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism journal, the nutritionist claimed, “People who ate dinner when their melatonin was high had a 34 percent higher glucose spike. Same people, same meal, same calories. Just wrong timings.”
What Is The Solution?
According to Pooja Makhija, the most effective way to prevent melatonin from turning the body into a fat-storage mode is by opting for early dinners and front-loading calories throughout the day.
“So when most of your calories are landing late at night, it is coming at a time where your biology is saying, I am done for the day, and I’m not burning no more. Versus when you front load your calories, big breakfast, solid lunch, small dinner, you are eating at a time when your melatonin is low. Therefore, your insulin is sharp, your mitochondria are active, and your whole body is in daytime burning mode,” she elaborates.
In her concluding note, she makes a subtle appeal to everyone, saying, “Do remember that your fat cells do have melatonin receptors, and they completely behave differently at different times of the day. Therefore, my dear friends, front-loading of calories is not a new hack. It is circadian biology. It is your melatonin guiding your metabolism. So eat with your body clock and not against it, and just see the difference.”
The overall discussion highlights the importance of eating in sync with the body’s natural clock for better metabolic health.