Article 5
Late-Night Snacking May Affect Liver Health: Does Meal Timing Matter?
Eating late in the evening may be associated with a higher risk of liver disease, according to a long-term analysis led by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology in October 2026. Researchers analysed dietary and lifestyle information from nearly 200,000 participants across three large studies: the Nurses’ Health Study, Nurses’ Health Study II, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Late-night eating, defined as eating after dinner or after bedtime, was associated with a 20%–30% higher occurrence of liver disease, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and cirrhosis, compared with not reporting this eating pattern.
The findings highlight the potential importance of meal timing in addition to food quality and quantity. The liver follows the body’s circadian rhythm, which influences how efficiently nutrients are processed at different times of the day. Eating during the biological night, when the body is naturally preparing for sleep, may disrupt normal metabolic processes and could contribute to adverse liver outcomes. However, the study was observational and relied on self-reported eating habits, so it cannot establish that late-night eating directly causes liver disease. The researchers emphasise that further studies are needed to determine whether shifting food intake to earlier hours can improve liver health. In the meantime, avoiding unnecessary late-night snacking and allowing several hours between the last meal and bedtime may be practical steps to consider as part of a healthy lifestyle.