Eating dinner very late at night? You might be inviting serious gastrointestinal problems into your GI tract

ace of the growing problems with today’s lifestyle is the irregularity in meal timings. More and more people are having dinner late at night, even after 10 PM. This causes several problems, including acid reflux, indigestion, gas, bloating, and other issues.

The problem with late eating is that people tend to go to bed soon after having their dinner. This means that gravity is not given the necessary time to facilitate digestion. With the stomach and the food pipe at the same level, acid from the food can travel upwards in the body, causing acid reflux, Dr Saswata Chatterjee, Consultant, Gastro Science, CMRI Kolkata, told Moneycontrol.

What makes the situation worse is if the dinner is heavy or very spicy. Such foods require the body to produce more acid for digestion. This causes the oesophagus and stomach lining to be exposed to acid for longer periods, increasing the possibility of more serious conditions like chronic gastritis and even peptic ulcers, Dr Chatterjee added.

Acid reflux, if not treated properly, can progress to esophagitis, strictures, Barrett’s oesophagus and precancerous changes. Additionally, eating late can also adversely affect sleep, as going to bed on a full stomach makes it difficult for the body to digest food, the expert noted.

According to Healthline, the best time to have dinner is around 2-3 hours before bedtime. This not only allows the body sufficient time to digest the food to a considerable extent but also aligns well with the body's circadian rhythm.

This will help you control your weight, avoid overeating, and, as pointed out above, prevent acid reflux.

Some studies also suggest that dinner should be had before the body starts producing melatonin. The release of this substance is related to the body's circadian rhythm, which responds to a decrease in natural light. From this perspective, eating before the Sun goes down may be a useful trick to ensure good sleep and digestion.

However, not everyone can afford to eat so soon; in such cases, a 2-3 hour gap between your last meal and bedtime is reasonable. Do try to ensure that your last meal of the day is not too heavy.

Those who suffer from Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) should not consume dinner less than three hours before dinner. Therefore, if you plan to set your bedtime at 10 PM, dinner should be completed by 7 PM.

Acid reflux is a condition wherein acid produced by the stomach travels upwards in the body, into the oesophagus.

This condition can lead to diseases such as esophagitis, strictures and Barrett’s oesophagus.

Dinner should be done around 2-3 hours before bedtime.

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