Eating food at night can affect brain: Study

Eating food during hours when people are usually asleep can negatively impact the hippocampus -- the part of the brain where memories are formed, a new study says.

Scientists at the University of California in Los Angeles published the findings of the study, which was conducted on mice, in the journal e-Life.

Several mice, which instinctively sleep during the day and eat at night, were all put in a new environment and then given a mild electric shock. When put back in their original place of habitat the next day, those who had eaten in the day were less likely to react, while the mice that had eaten at night as normal showed a "fear response," indicating they remembered the shock.

Researchers believe this may be because the mice who ate when they were supposed to be sleeping had reduced levels of a protein called CREB, which is key for the body’s internal clock and the brain’s ability to form memories.

Dawn Loh, the lead author of the research, said that her team “provided the first evidence that taking regular meals at the wrong time of day has far-reaching effects for learning and memory.”

“Since many people find themselves working or playing during times when they’d normally be asleep, it is important to know that this could dull some of the functions of the brain,” she said.

Although the scientists stress that their findings have not been confirmed in humans, they insist that the results could be important for those who stay up late, including shift workers.

It has already been proven that eating during normal sleeping hours can impact health by raising blood sugar levels, which can lead to diabetes and heart problems.

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