Calculating some nutritional values, it will be understood that eating at night is not always advisable. For example, the fruit is often said to cause heartburn, digestive problems, and sleep disturbances.
In this article we find out if these claims are true.
The one consumed at night seems like a healthy dessert. Apples, bananas and others contain valuable vitamins, as well as minerals and fiber, making them more nutritious than chocolate, cookies and other similar sweets. But at night, the fruit is also said to have downsides. Let’s find out about them. Fruit consumed at night can cause sleep problems. A 2016 study would first point out that a diet rich in sugar is likely to trigger sleep problems.
Nutritionist Alex Evans also confirms this to The Guardian. This would happen because foods rich in sugar cause an increase in blood sugar levels and, therefore, provide us with short-term energy. These energy levels that rise at night could prevent us from falling asleep.
Fruit also contains sugar, fructose, but this would have the same effect as white and industrial sugar. Therefore, it is better, like bananas, at the end of the day. Pineapple, figs, pomegranate, mango, grapes, and nuts are also included.
However, there is no need to worry too much. For example, bananas at night would be especially recommended because of their high potassium content, which could prevent nighttime leg cramps.
If we are in the habit of eating apples and bananas at night and have never had trouble sleeping, there is no reason to avoid this late night snack.
At night it could cause digestive problems
Eating fruit at night could also cause digestive problems, but this would also be true at any other time of the day. This would be due to the high fiber content of the fruit. When intestinal bacteria destroy fiber, gas is produced as a byproduct. This would not only apply to fruit, but also to raw vegetables, sprouts and legumes.
However, the time of day when we eat fruit is completely irrelevant. The most important would be the amount of fruit we eat and the structure of our individual intestinal flora. If we suffer digestive problems when consuming raw fruits and vegetables, we should eat them only in small amounts, rarely and chew them well. In this way, our intestinal flora will also gradually adapt.
However, some fruits should be avoided, especially on an empty stomach.
Does eating fruit cause heartburn?
Citrus fruits, in particular, can cause heartburn at night and this can make it difficult to fall asleep.
Fruits that are especially high in sugar or acid, such as citrus, kiwi, pineapple or sour apples, would cause our stomach to produce more acid and this can trigger heartburn. The associated belching can make it difficult to fall asleep, especially at night.
Therefore, people suffering from heartburn should avoid fruit at night. However, it is not correct to say that the fruit causes heartburn, it only causes it in those who suffer from sphincter muscle disorder.