Having dinner before five in the evening does wonders for your figure and health

Some people have got into the habit of scrupulously counting calories and dividing foods into harmful and healthy ones, often forgetting about the main rule of biology. A large-scale analysis of medical data has shown that the arrow of the scales and general well-being depend not only on the contents of the plate, but also on the meal schedule. It turns out that a simple shift in the meal schedule for the first half of the day works more effectively than many trendy diets and allows the body to restore order in its metabolism.

Having dinner before five in the evening does wonders for your figure and health
The authors of the publication have done a tremendous job combining data from forty-one clinical trials. The focus of attention turned out to be interval feeding (TRE), when a person eats only in a certain time window, and drinks water for the rest of the day. Such a system really helps to lose weight, reduce waistline and reduce blood pressure. The main advantage of the technique is that it does not require excruciating starvation or giving up your favorite dishes. The volunteers lost weight not because of a lack of food, but because of the synchronization of nutrition with the internal clock. During the pause periods, the body switches from processing glucose to burning fat reserves and ketones, which heals the entire system. Early meals were recognized as the most effective option. Those participants who managed to eat their daily ration before 17:00 showed the best health indicators. They lost fat faster and their insulin returned to normal compared to those who liked to eat a hearty meal in the evening. Biology explains this by circadian rhythms. In the morning and afternoon, our body is set up to process energy: insulin sensitivity is at its peak. By evening, the metabolism slows down, preparing for bedtime. A late dinner knocks down these settings, forcing internal organs to work overtime when they should be resting. Therefore, the transfer of the main calorie content to the first half of the day gives such a powerful effect. The experts also checked how long the food window should last. It turned out that the hard limits (less than 8 hours) they remove centimeters at the waist well, but they can increase “bad” cholesterol. A standard 8-hour window (such as eating from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) reduces triglyceride levels more gently and safely. The only negative that should be considered is the possible loss of muscle mass along with fat. With this scheme, the body gets rid of everything superfluous, so it is important to ensure that there is enough protein. In general, closing the kitchen early is recognized as a simple and free strategy for those who want to get in shape and improve their metabolism without pills.

Published

January, 2026

Category

Medicine

Duration of reading

2-3 minutes

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