Aunt Lin is 57 years old this year. Half a year ago, she was found to have high blood lipids. The doctor advised her to adjust her diet. After half a year, she will check her blood lipids again. If they have not decreased, medication will be considered.
After returning home, Aunt Lin searched online for dietary plans to reduce blood lipids. She happened to come across an article that said skipping dinner can help lose weight and lower blood lipids, so she immediately started implementing it.
After persisting for almost half a year, Aunt Lin felt good about herself. Unexpectedly, one day, after eating a little chili, she suddenly felt unbearable abdominal pain and nausea. After going to the hospital for examination, she was diagnosed with complex ulcers in the stomach and duodenum. After understanding her history, the doctor stated that the culprit causing the ulcers was skipping dinner.
Isn’t skipping dinner supposed to help with weight loss and reducing blood lipids? Why did ulcers occur? What is going on here?
1. Does dinner determine lifespan? The less you eat, the longer you live?
This statement is not groundless. In recent years, studies on various animal models have shown the benefits of calorie restriction diets in delaying aging and reducing the occurrence of age-related diseases.
A study on fruit flies published in Nature Communications pointed out that calorie restriction diet is crucial for extending lifespan and protecting the brain, with the OXR1 gene playing a key role.
The study mentioned that the expression level of OXR1 decreases with age. Intermittent calorie restriction diet can enhance the expression level of the OXR1 gene, promoting its protective role.
Similarly, a recent study published in a Nature journal sub-publication also indicated that dietary restriction (DR) can delay aging, but the specific mechanisms are still unclear. The study mentioned that under dietary restrictions, OXR1 maintains reverse transcriptase to delay brain aging.
In humans, proper dietary restrictions can help reduce weight and lower the risk of certain diseases. However, excessive dietary restrictions can lead to inadequate nutrient intake, decreased bone density, weakened immune function, and other issues.
The specific reduction in calorie intake needs to be adjusted based on individual circumstances. Each person has different basal metabolic rates, levels of physical activity, and health conditions, so blindly following trends should be avoided.
2. What happens to people who don’t eat dinner in the long run?
Many people trying to lose weight think they can achieve it by skipping dinner, but is this method really effective?
A research team from Southern Medical University spent a year conducting a tracking experiment on 139 obese individuals to uncover the truth. The results showed that skipping dinner is difficult to sustain. Even with full guidance and supervision by professionals, 15% of the participants dropped out midway, let alone trying to adhere on their own, which would result in an even higher failure rate.
Moreover, studies have found that skipping dinner does not significantly differ in its weight loss effects compared to evenly eating less. For some individuals with poor sugar metabolism, skipping dinner can lead to even poorer weight loss outcomes and negative health effects.
1. Gastrointestinal disorders
After eating, the digestive system speeds up peristalsis, increasing the secretion of bile and gastric acid to aid in digestion. Skipping dinner keeps the body in a prolonged fasting state, causing irregular stimulation to digestive fluids like gastric acid and bile, leading to conditions like gastritis and gastric ulcers.
Additionally, our gastrointestinal tract operates rhythmically. Skipping dinner triggers hunger signals in the brain, stimulating the digestive system under pressure. This stress response affects the rhythmicity of the digestive system, leading to issues like constipation and diarrhea.
2. Increased risk of cardiovascular diseases
A study conducted a 19-year follow-up on the relationship between dinner eating times and the risk of hemorrhagic stroke, coronary heart disease, and cardiovascular disease mortality. The results showed that those who skipped or irregularly ate dinner had a higher risk of developing these diseases.
3. Poor sleep quality
Throughout the day, individuals engage in work or study activities, expending a significant amount of energy. Skipping dinner to endure hunger pangs at night can significantly affect sleep quality, sometimes leading to insomnia.
4. Emotional instability
Skipping dinner keeps the body in a prolonged fasting state, leading to decreased blood sugar levels and the release of cortisol to regulate blood sugar. This, combined with stress responses, can cause feelings of low mood, fatigue, mental discomfort, irritability, and loss of control.
3. These four “dinner” habits are like chronic suicide. Have you fallen prey?
Dinner is important, but it must be done right. Many people still make mistakes with their dinner habits. Here are some incorrect ways of having dinner:
1. Skipping staple foods
A longitudinal study on 430,000 people over 25 years, published in The Lancet Public Health journal, revealed that mortality risk is lowest when carbohydrate intake accounts for around 50% of total energy. Intakes below 40% or above 70% increase the risk of death, shortening life expectancy. Therefore, it’s essential to consume carbohydrates in moderation during dinner for good health.
2. Eating too late
Eating dinner too late significantly increases the risk of obesity. During nighttime sleep, the body’s activity level decreases and digestive efficiency lowers. Prolonged food retention in the intestines increases the absorption of fats and sugars, ultimately leading to obesity.
3. Overeating
Many people indulge in high-protein, high-fat foods during dinner, burdening the digestive system. Coupled with reduced nighttime activity levels, excessive nutrient intake accumulates in the body, increasing the risk of obesity and various diseases like colorectal cancer.
4. Consuming overly spicy, sweet, or sticky foods
Excessively spicy foods can cause a burning sensation in the gastrointestinal tract, affecting normal sleep and possibly inducing gastroesophageal reflux and constipation. Overly sweet foods burden the gastrointestinal tract, and surplus sugars can convert into fats in the body, leading to obesity. Sticky foods can make stomach digestion overly active, increasing the incidence of acute and chronic gastritis.
All three meals a day are crucial for health, and skipping any meal is not advisable. Therefore, it is essential to maintain the correct mindset towards meal consumption.
References:
[1] “Journal Nature Sub-issue | Eating less live longer: Latest research reveals the reasons why dietary restriction delays brain aging and extends lifespan.” iNature 2024-01-13
[2] “What happens if you don’t eat dinner for a year? Southern Medical University conducts a real-life experiment.” Life Times 2022-05-29
[3] “Does dinner determine weight and lifespan? These eating habits are harmful; many people still like them…” Science Popularization China 2021-05-27
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