Loss of appetite during meals, weight gain, blood sugar spikes… It is believed that snacking is responsible for all our ailments. At least, that’s what we’ve always heard. But a handful of scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital, King’s College London, Stanford and Harvard appear to have pooled their knowledge to prove us wrong in a PREDICT study. The latter states loud and clear that snacking, this activity we love to practice when we watch a good movie or when we are bored, it wouldn’t be that bad for your health.
To reach this conclusion, the scientists monitored the eating habits of about 1,000 selected people.
“Using participant data, the researchers examined the relationship between the quantity, quality and timing of snacks with blood lipid and insulin levels, both indicators of cardiometabolic health.” reads the press release.
Snacking is fine, and it’s even better to do it at the right time
According to the results obtained, it it would be possible to have a snack between meals, but not at any time of the day. Of course, everyone can do what they want, but the science team realized that snacking after 9pm is generally more harmful to health than others. These are more associated with a spike in blood sugar and high blood sugar and fat levels.
Have fun while staying reasonable
Snacking is a habit, of course, but it is also an instinctive behavior that can have different meanings. The lack of energy, of some vitamins, can in fact lead us to naturally turn to one type of food rather than another. It is therefore easier to adopt a sensible diet than to try to counteract these instinctive habits.as Kate Bermingham, a postdoctoral researcher at King’s College London explains.
She says : “Our study showed that the quality of snacks is more important than the quantity or frequency of snacking, so choosing good quality products over ultra-processed products is likely to be beneficial”.
Healthy snacks, you know them well, these are obviously fruit, nuts, yoghurt such as skyr or even cheese, the fermentation of which can be beneficial for the digestive system. But what if you’re in a place, like the movie theater, where healthy options aren’t always available? Isa Robinson, nutritionist interviewed by Stylist UK to the solution:
“If you just need something to energize you for an hour or so, a bag of popcorn can be really handy. Otherwise I’d be wary of air foods like this, as they fill the stomach, but don’t offer much longevity.”.
Obviously a little ice cream every now and then, sweets or chips have never hurt anyone as long as they are consumed in a reasonable and reasoned way. Then listen to your body, it will know how to lead you to the snack it needs.
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Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
