Night Eating Can Make You Fat
American Journal of Physiology Biography
Maybe you try counting sheep or reciting the lineup of the New York Yankees to fall asleep, but to no avail. Bored, you make a trip to the fridge for a late-night snack. Sound familiar? If so, you may be the victim of a nighttime eating syndrome that could be making you fat. Scientists think
this disorder is caused by distturbed biological rhythms
resulting from low levels of the sleep hormone melatonin and by problems with the fat-regulating hormone leptin.
University of Tromso scientists found low levels of melatonin-triggered by overactive adrenal glands-in women who often ate at night but wern't hungry in the morning. Giving melatonin supplements to nighttime eaters may help these people control nighttime eating and thereby control weight.
Am J. Physiol. , 282: E366-E369, 2002.
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