Women who prefer a nocturnal lifestyle tend to have unhealthy diets, higher body fat percentages, and a greater risk of developing diabetes, reports infohub.kz.
The findings, published in the journal Frontiers, showed that participants with an evening chronotype ('night owls') consumed more food and carbohydrates in the late evening and nighttime. The study involved 287 women aged 18 to 45 as part of the PROMISE project.
Analysis indicated that night owls had a higher body mass index, higher percentages of visceral and abdominal fat, and elevated levels of triglycerides, insulin, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), pointing to an increased risk of prediabetes and obesity.
Experts, including endocrinologist Sura Alkaisi from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) and bariatric surgeon Mir Ali from MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center, stress the importance of considering chronotype when designing diets. To improve metabolic health, doctors recommend limiting carbohydrate intake in the evening.