Late-night snacking could be linked to an increased risk of liver disease, according to a new study involving nearly 200,000 people.
Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University found that people who regularly ate late in the evening or around bedtime had a 20% to 30% higher risk of liver disease compared with those who avoided eating late.
The findings were published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
The study examined data from three large nationwide research projects: the Nurses’ Health Study, the Nurses’ Health Study II and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Researchers compared participants’ eating habits and lifestyle factors with reports of liver conditions, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, commonly known as fatty liver disease, and cirrhosis.
Fatty liver disease develops when excess fat builds up in the liver. In some cases, it can lead to inflammation, liver damage and cirrhosis, a condition involving severe scarring of the liver.
Researchers said the findings may be connected to the body’s circadian rhythm, the internal clock that helps regulate sleep, metabolism and other biological processes.
The liver plays an important role in processing nutrients, regulating blood sugar and managing how the body stores and uses energy. Eating when the body is preparing for sleep may interfere with some of those processes, researchers said.
“Confining your calorie intake to several hours before bedtime might be beneficial,” said lead study author Dr. Robert Wilechansky, a hepatologist at Oregon Health & Science University who specializes in liver transplantation.
However, researchers cautioned that the study does not prove late-night eating directly causes liver disease. The research was observational and relied on participants’ reports of their eating habits, meaning other factors could help explain the connection.
Additional research is needed to determine whether changing meal times can improve liver health.
Wilechansky is involved in a clinical study at Oregon Health & Science University that will examine whether shifting food consumption earlier in the day leads to measurable improvements in people with underlying fatty liver disease.
For now, researchers say allowing more time between the last meal of the day and bedtime could be one potential way to support metabolic and liver health, although further studies are needed to confirm the benefits.
