The body’s circadian rhythms – its 24-hour biological, hormonal, and behavioral cycles – are optimized for daytime eating. Consequently, eating in the late evening or nighttime hours may increase a person’s risk of developing chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes. A recent study found that nighttime eating increased the risk of premature death from diabetes by as much as 131 percent.

The investigation included more than 41,000 adults enrolled in NHANES, an ongoing study that assesses the health and nutritional status of people in the U.S. Researchers gathered information about the participants' eating habits (including timing and food quality) and tracked their health and death rates for about nine years.

They found that compared to eating before 10 p.m., - Eating between 11 p.m. and midnight increased the risk of premature death from diabetes by 131 percent. - Eating between midnight and 1 a.m. increased the risk of premature death from any cause by 38 percent. - Eating between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. increased the risk of premature death from cancer by 109 percent.

When they considered the frequency of eating late, they found that eating at night at least once increased the risk of premature death from all causes, including diabetes. Food quality influenced death risk, too, with high-calorie foods increasing the risk of premature death from all causes by 21 percent and from diabetes by 97 percent. Participants who ate late tended to have higher HbA1c, fasting glucose, and oral glucose tolerance test results, indicative of poor glucose metabolism.

These findings suggest that late-night eating, particularly high-calorie foods, increases the risk of early death from all causes, especially diabetes. Shift work, jet lag, parenting, and modern lifestyles contribute to late-night eating, increasing disease and early death risk. Learn more in this clip featuring Dr. Satchin Panda.