Research shows that it does not only matter what we eat for our health, but also when we eat it. Nutritionist Gerda Pot: “A calorie is not the same calorie at all times.”
What do you mean by ‘a calorie is not always the same calorie’?
“That it matters when you eat. At one moment the body handles a calorie differently than at the next. This has been shown by various studies, including mice.”
“Mice are nocturnal animals by nature. Eating during the day, so during their night, makes mice much fatter than if they were to eat the same amount of calories at night (their ‘day’, ed.).”
How is that possible?
“It has everything to do with the biological clock. It ensures that the physiological processes run smoothly by controlling all kinds of clocks in our organs. For most people, the biological clock does not run exactly at a 24-hour rhythm. to run the step with the world around us, which maintains a rhythm of exactly 24 hours, he has two so-called timer: daylight and food. “
“When you eat at unusual times, the same thing happens as when you ‘ingest’ light at abnormal times. Your biological clock gets confused.”
Then what goes wrong?
“All sorts of processes are disrupted. For example, the clocks of the liver and pancreas that regulate blood sugar levels can become out of sync. And organs that are involved in digestion. They are not yet ready for their consumption when food arrives. task. The result: digestion is less efficient. “
“We get a third of our daily calories from snacks. This confuses the biological clock. ”
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“That effect is significant, it appears my own research. H.Although people who eat at irregular times usually consume fewer calories, they are more likely to be overweight. “
So we should eat regularly?
Three times a day at roughly the same times. That keeps the biological clock in order. It also ensures that we do not eat for longer periods. Today we get a third of our daily calories from snacks. confused. In addition, the body is then not given time to do necessary ‘maintenance’ and clean up the mess. “
When is the best time to have the main meal?
“If you look at the glucose levels during the day, you see that in the morning we mainly burn sugars more efficiently. From that you could deduce that the best thing to do in the morning is to take your carbohydrates. So breakfast like a king.”
Does that apply to everyone?
“At what time you should eat for the most efficient combustion differs from person to person. It depends, for example, on whether you are a morning or evening person. Research has shown that the largest meal is best eaten around noon. In the evening we usually burn food more slowly and less efficiently. “
Gerda Pot is a nutrition scientist and researcher in chrononutrition at the Louis Bolk Institute and King’s College London.
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