Eating late for dinner is NOT bad for our health…if you eat breakfast the next day late, research finds

It is well known that eating late at night can lead to weight gain and health complications.

But research has now shown that it’s okay to finish eating by 9.30pm if you also have a late breakfast the next day.

Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, conducted a study of 80,000 British adults. He looked at different meals and the time slots in which people eat.

The full results, compiled by Zoe, a personal nutrition company, will not be released until later this year, but preliminary results show some can’t finish their dinner before 9.30pm – like many on the mainland – as long as they stay healthy and avoid weight problems.

The key is simply to eat a late breakfast, ideally at 11:30 or later, to hit those 14 hours which has been proven to be achievable for most people and good for your metabolism.

In the study, this period of fasting was generally effective for most, regardless of what time of the evening they stopped eating.

The idea that eating earlier is healthier is based on very small studies, mostly in young people, which Professor Spector says did not take fasting or breakfast times into account.

And those studies show little benefit from eating earlier, so he thinks the benefits are overblown.

Professor Spector, author of the book Food for Life: The New Science of Eating Well, is an advocate of a time-restricted diet, which many studies have shown to be beneficial for metabolic health and weight loss.

And in the study, those who ate late and fasted for just 14 hours a day reported having more energy.

Professor Spector suggests that our gut microbes, like us, have a circadian rhythm and need a break from eating, but that people can choose when to take that rest period based on their own daily routine.

He said: “People often eat late because of work and children and they shouldn’t feel guilty about it.

“The most important thing is not to snack at night, not to eat breakfast too early and not to go to bed within two hours of eating.”