Late-night eating linked to 30 percent higher risk of liver disease

PEOPLE, who regularly eat late at night, may face a 20 to 30 percent higher risk of liver disease, including fatty liver disease and cirrhosis, a large study led by researchers at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), United States, has found.

Published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the study linked eating after dinner or close to bedtime with an increased risk of liver conditions, adding to evidence that meal timing may influence long-term metabolic health.

Researchers analysed data from nearly 200,000 participants enrolled in three major US studies: the Nurses’ Health Study, the Nurses Health Study I and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Participants provided information about their eating habits, daily routines and other lifestyle factors, enabling researchers to examine the relationship between meal timing and liver health.

The analysis identified an association between late-night eating and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), commonly known as fatty liver disease, as well as cirrhosis, a serious condition marked by extensive scarring of the liver.

Lead author Robert Wilechansky, a hepatologist at OHSU specialising in liver transplantation, said previous studies had linked late-night eating to metabolic problems, but fewer had examined its relationship with fatty liver disease over an extended period.

Fatty liver disease develops when excess fat accumulates in the liver. In some people, it progresses to inflammation and organ damage, although, only a smaller proportion develop advanced scarring or cirrhosis.

The researchers said the findings raise the possibility that allowing more time between the last meal and bedtime could support better liver health.

One possible explanation is the body’s circadian rhythm, its internal biological clock, which regulates sleep, metabolism and other functions over a roughly 24-hour cycle.

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The liver plays a central role in processing nutrients, regulating blood sugar and controlling how the body stores and uses energy. Eating when the body is preparing for sleep may interfere with these processes.

Wilechansky said his interest in the subject was partly driven by research showing that night-shift workers, whose schedules often conflict with their natural sleep-wake cycles, experience higher rates of obesity and cardiovascular disease.

The research team is investigating whether changing meal times could improve health without requiring substantial changes to the types of food people eat.

Study co-author Andrew McHill, an associate professor at OHSU specialising in sleep and circadian physiology, said the timing of daily activities, including eating, sleeping and exercising, could have important health implications. Previous experimental studies have also suggested that eating during the body’s biological night can reduce the efficiency with which food is metabolised, potentially contributing to metabolic problems.