A recent study revealed the possibility of eating late at night without causing weight gain, but with one condition. The study, supervised by Tim Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology at King's College London, confirmed that having dinner at 9:30 PM does not negatively affect health, as long as breakfast is consumed later the next day. Spector and his team analyzed data from 80,000 adults in the United Kingdom, observing their eating times and habits.
It was found that the ideal time to have breakfast after a late dinner is around 11:30 AM or later to allow for a fasting interval of 14 hours, which is beneficial for metabolism. According to the British newspaper Daily Mail, the 14-hour fasting period was effectively maintained by most participants in the study, regardless of their evening eating habits.
Commenting on the findings, Spector stated: "The idea that early dinners are healthier is based on small studies primarily involving young people and did not consider fasting windows or breakfast timing." He explained that "the microbes in our guts have a daily rhythm and need a break from eating, but people can decide when to take that break based on their daily schedules. The important thing is to avoid having breakfast too soon after a late dinner the night before, and to ensure not going to bed until at least two hours after eating dinner."