ISLAMABAD, JULY 28 (ONLINE): Like to snack? If you do, you\u2019re not alone. A 2022 survey by Food Insight found that 73 percent of us report snacking at least once a day. (Are there really people out there who eat no snacks?) On average, 24 percent of adults\u2019 daily calories are consumed during snack time, per the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).<\/p>\n
The good news? Between-meal noshing may actually benefit your health, at least if you\u2019re choosing the right kinds of foods, according to a new study presented at Nutrition 2023, the annual flagship meeting of the American Society for Nutrition.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur study showed that the quality of snacking is more important than the quantity or frequency of snacking, thus choosing high quality snacks over highly processed snacks is likely beneficial,\u201d said Kate Bermingham, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at King’s College London, in a press release. \u201cTiming is also important, with late-night snacking being unfavorable for health.\u201d<\/p>\n
High Triglycerides Can Increase the Risk of Heart Disease and Metabolic Syndrome
\nTo explore the health effects of snacking, researchers used data from 1,001 people in the United Kingdom enrolled in the ZOE PREDICT project, a group of large in-depth nutritional research studies designed to help experts understand how and why people respond differently to the same foods.<\/p>\n
Participants were between 34 and 58 years old, with an average age of 46. The average body mass index (BMI) was 25.6, and 73 percent of the participants were female. Almost all the participants, 95 percent, were snackers and ate an average of a little more than two snacks a day.<\/p>\n
Investigators analyzed the participants dietary patterns over two to four days, and snacks were given a quality score according to their health value. High quality snacks included items such as nuts, seeds, or fruits. Highly processed foods like candy or cookies, were considered lower quality. The timing of people\u2019s snacks was also tracked, and foods eaten after 9 p.m. were considered late-night snacks.<\/p>\n
Researchers then looked at indicators of cardiometabolic health including weight, blood glucose, insulin, and triglycerides to see how they correlated with snack quantity, quality, and timing.<\/p>\n
Having high triglycerides can be part of metabolic syndrome, and it\u2019s estimated that about 1 in 4 adults are affected, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.<\/p>\n
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\nEating Healthy Snacks and Avoiding Late Night Snacking Improved Health Measures<\/p>\n
Key findings from the analysis included:
\n\u2022\tPeople who ate high-quality snacks were more likely to have healthier triglycerides and blood sugar levels than those who ate highly processed snacks.
\n\u2022\tLate-evening snacking, which lengthens eating windows and shortens the overnight fasting period, was associated with unfavorable blood glucose and lipid levels.
\n\u2022\tImportantly, the amount of snacking (calories consumed) and how many snacks a person ate per day didn\u2019t appear to adversely affect health outcomes nearly as much as snack quality.
\n\u201cThese findings make sense: Any time high quality food is consumed, there is a benefit,\u201d says Erin Rossi, RD, a registered dietitian with Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Human Nutrition in Ohio who was not involved in the research. \u201cThis could be increased fiber or protein to help with feelings of fullness, or fruits and vegetables to help stay hydrated,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD, JULY 28 (ONLINE): Like to snack? If you do, you\u2019re not alone. A 2022 survey by Food Insight found that 73 percent of us report snacking at least once a day. (Are there really people out there who eat no snacks?) On average, 24 […]<\/p>\n
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