Late-night eating and melatonin may impair insulin response
Summary
TLDRDr. Rhonda Patrick discusses how both the timing and composition of meals impact blood glucose levels. She highlights that time-restricted eating, which involves eating within a specific window and fasting afterward, helps optimize metabolism. Circadian rhythms also play a role, as glucose levels are lower in the morning and higher at night. Melatonin, a hormone linked to sleep, affects insulin production by signaling the pancreas to reduce its release. This can lead to elevated blood sugar levels, especially for late-night eaters, potentially impacting brain health even in non-diabetics.
Takeaways
- 🧠 Blood glucose levels are influenced by both **what you eat** and **when you eat**.
- 🍬 Highly refined, processed sugars spike blood glucose quickly, especially without a **fiber matrix**.
- ⏰ **Time-restricted eating** (8-12 hours eating window) helps regulate blood glucose levels and incorporates **circadian rhythm**.
- 🌅 **Morning meals** result in lower post-meal glucose levels compared to evening meals, even with identical caloric and macronutrient content.
- 🌙 **Melatonin**, produced 2-3 hours before sleep, signals the pancreas to **reduce insulin production**, affecting glucose uptake at night.
- 🔄 People who eat late at night may experience **elevated blood glucose** due to reduced insulin production from melatonin's impact.
- 🧬 Genetic studies link mutations in the **melatonin receptor** to **obesity** and **type 2 diabetes**, highlighting the hormone's role in metabolism.
- 🍽 Late-night eating can be particularly problematic for people with **pre-diabetes** or **type 2 diabetes** due to prolonged elevated blood glucose.
- 🧠 **Higher fasting blood glucose** levels, even in the normal range, can be linked to **brain atrophy**, especially in regions like the hippocampus and amygdala.
- 🍷 It's important to finish meals, including sugary drinks like **wine**, at least **3 hours before bed** to avoid late-night blood sugar spikes.
Q & A
What is time-restricted eating (TRE)?
-Time-restricted eating (TRE) involves eating all meals within a restricted time period, typically 8 to 12 hours, and fasting for the remaining 12 to 16 hours. It aligns meal times with the body's circadian rhythms to optimize metabolism.
How does meal timing affect blood glucose levels?
-Meal timing can influence blood glucose levels due to circadian rhythms. Glucose levels tend to be lower in the morning after breakfast and higher in the evening after dinner, even when meal composition remains the same. This suggests that the body's ability to manage glucose fluctuates throughout the day.
What role does melatonin play in blood glucose regulation?
-Melatonin, produced by the pineal gland as the body prepares for sleep, signals the pancreas to stop insulin production. This can cause elevated blood glucose levels if meals are consumed late at night, as less insulin is released to regulate glucose.
Why might eating late at night cause higher blood glucose levels?
-Eating late at night, when melatonin levels are rising, can result in less insulin being released by the pancreas. This leads to higher blood glucose levels because glucose uptake into the cells is reduced during this time.
How does melatonin influence people with diabetes or pre-diabetes?
-Melatonin may play a significant role in blood glucose control, especially for people with diabetes or pre-diabetes. Late-night eating can worsen glucose regulation due to reduced insulin production during melatonin release, increasing the risk of high blood sugar.
What is the significance of the melatonin receptor in relation to obesity and diabetes?
-Genetic studies have shown that people with obesity or diabetes may have mutations in the melatonin receptor. This receptor, when engaged by melatonin, signals the pancreas to reduce insulin production, which could explain why people with these conditions struggle with glucose regulation.
Why is it important to finish meals at least three hours before bedtime?
-Finishing meals three hours before bed ensures that the body is not trying to process glucose when melatonin is signaling the pancreas to stop insulin production. This helps maintain better glucose control and reduces the risk of elevated blood sugar levels.
How does elevated blood glucose affect brain health?
-Chronic elevated blood glucose, even in individuals without diagnosed type 2 diabetes, has been associated with greater brain atrophy, specifically in the hippocampus and amygdala, which are critical regions for learning and cognition.
What is the relationship between glucose levels and cognitive decline?
-Higher fasting blood glucose levels, even in the high-normal range, have been linked to greater loss in brain volume over time. This suggests that maintaining optimal glucose control is important for preserving cognitive function and brain health.
What practical steps can be taken to manage blood glucose levels in the evening?
-To manage blood glucose levels, avoid eating large meals or consuming foods and drinks (like a late-night glass of wine) that raise glucose levels close to bedtime. Instead, aim to finish meals earlier in the evening, around three hours before sleep.
Outlines
🧬 The Impact of Meal Timing on Blood Glucose Levels
Dr. Rhonda Patrick introduces the concept that while diet is crucial for managing blood glucose levels, the timing of meals is equally important. She highlights that time-restricted eating, which involves consuming meals within a limited timeframe (8-12 hours) and fasting for the remaining hours, can affect blood sugar levels. This timing aligns with the body's circadian rhythm, where metabolism is most efficient during specific times of the day, making meal timing a key factor in glucose regulation.
🕒 Circadian Rhythm and Its Effect on Metabolism
Patrick explains how metabolism changes throughout the day. Even when identical meals are consumed for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, post-meal glucose levels are lower in the morning and higher in the evening. This suggests that meal timing significantly impacts how the body processes glucose. The role of melatonin, a hormone linked to sleep, in this process is introduced, suggesting that evening meals might lead to higher glucose levels due to decreased insulin production.
🌙 Melatonin’s Role in Insulin Production
The discussion shifts to how melatonin, produced before sleep, signals the pancreas to reduce insulin production. This can lead to elevated glucose levels if food is consumed late at night, as the body cannot process the glucose efficiently. Melatonin binds to receptors in the pancreas, instructing it to stop producing insulin, which can result in prolonged high blood sugar if meals are eaten too close to bedtime.
📊 Research Insights on Melatonin and Glucose Control
Patrick references studies by Dr. Sachin Panda and others, which show that melatonin's effect on insulin regulation is significant. Individuals who eat late into the night may experience higher blood glucose levels compared to those who finish their meals earlier. The connection between melatonin receptor mutations and diabetes or obesity is also discussed, emphasizing the complexity of melatonin's role in metabolic health.
🧠 Elevated Blood Sugar and Brain Health
High blood sugar levels, even in individuals without diabetes, can negatively impact brain health. Research shows that people with slightly elevated fasting blood glucose may experience brain atrophy over time, particularly in areas related to learning and memory, such as the hippocampus and amygdala. This underscores the importance of managing blood glucose not just for metabolic health, but for cognitive well-being as well.
🍷 Practical Takeaways for Managing Blood Glucose
Patrick concludes with practical advice: finishing meals at least three hours before bedtime can help align with the body’s natural insulin production schedule, improving glucose regulation. She emphasizes avoiding late-night eating or consuming foods and drinks that raise blood sugar levels, like a glass of wine, to maintain better overall health.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Blood Glucose Levels
💡Dietary Composition
💡Time Restricted Eating
💡Circadian Rhythms
💡Postprandial Glucose Levels
💡Melatonin
💡Insulin
💡Pre-diabetes
💡Brain Atrophy
💡Fasting
Highlights
Dietary composition, particularly processed sugars, is commonly associated with raising blood glucose levels.
In addition to what you eat, when you eat also significantly impacts blood glucose levels.
Time-restricted eating involves consuming all meals within a window of 8 to 12 hours.
Transcripts
doctor under Patrick here when most
people think about what raises blood
glucose levels they think about dietary
composition or what you eat and
rightfully so if you eat a meal that
consists of highly refined processed
sugar lacking a fiber matrix it will
quickly spike your blood glucose levels
however what most people do not realize
is that in addition to what you eat when
you eat is also a very important
determinant of your blood glucose levels
time restricted eating is a topic I've
covered a lot it refers to eating all
your meals within a restricted time
period such as 8 to 12 hours and then
fasting for the remaining 12 to 16 hours
obviously time mr.kidding has an
intermittent fasting component to it but
it also has a circadian component to it
because you try and eat all your meals
during a time when your metabolism is
optimal metabolism changes throughout
the day for example when healthy adults
eat identical meals in terms of both
their caloric content and macronutrient
content for breakfast lunch and dinner
their postprandial glucose levels are
the lowest in the morning after
breakfast and the highest in the evening
after dinner even though the meals are
100% identical
this may have something to do with
melatonin the hormone that's produced
from the pineal gland that plays a role
in initiating sleep if our circadian
conditions are optimal meaning we aren't
bathing ourselves in bright blue light
before bed our bodies naturally start to
produce melatonin around 2 to 3 hours
before we go to sleep melatonin has been
shown to bind to receptors on the
pancreas and this signals to the
pancreas to stop producing insulin that
means that our blood glucose levels will
remain elevated because glucose is not
getting taken up into our cells I
previously had a discussion with the
expert on time restricted eating dr.
Sachin panda and he discussed how
melatonin plays a role in blood glucose
regulation so this is where it becomes a
little bit complicated because as you
said there is day and night transition
and we know that in the evening as our
body prepares to sleep a melatonin level
begins to rise and that melatonin
usually rises 2 to 3 hours before our
habitual sleep
time so if somebody is going to bed
around 11:00 then that melatonin is
beginning to rise around nine o'clock on
an average for some people it might rise
around four hours early and some people
it will rise exactly at bedtime and when
melatonin rises there is new data
showing that melatonin can bind to its
receptor in pancreas and this and gasma
and melatonin with the pancreas receptor
essentially tells differently as okay
it's time to sleep Don you don't have to
bother releasing insulin so in that way
what happens if somebody is having a big
meal when there is high melatonin and
that may not be enough insulin released
from pancreas and glucose may stay high
in the blood circulation for a long time
and this study this kind of studies came
to publication because almost 10 years
ago large genome-wide Association
studies found that people with obesity
or diabetes might have a mutation in
melatonin receptor and that was
confusing because what is monitoring to
do with obesity and diabetes and you
fast forward 10 years people went back
to the drawing board and looked at where
the receptor is expressed and what it
does when molybdenum is engaged and then
the found out that there is this effect
of melatonin on insulin so that's why
people who are eating late into the
night may not get the best benefit in
terms of glucose control because that
Lucas might remain slightly higher then
if they had the same dinner two hours up
here this is obviously very relevant for
people with pre-diabetes or type 2
diabetes but it's also important for the
general population for example one study
showed that people with fasting blood
glucose levels between high normal and
slightly pre-diabetic may experience
more brain atrophy with age specifically
they experienced a greater loss in brain
volume in the hippocampus and the
amygdala regions of the brain that are
involved in learning met
and cognition so elevated blood sugar
levels even in the absence of clinically
diagnosed about type-2 diabetes may
affect brain health this really drives
home the importance of finishing that
last meal or anything else that may
drive up your blood sugar levels like
that late night glass of wine up to
three hours before bed to better align
with when our bodies are sending signals
to shut down insulin production
I'm dr. Rhonda Patrick and I'll catch
you next time
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