Eating late-night snacks, a habit for many night owls, should be taken with caution. According to a report from Russia's "Medical Forum" news network, scientists from the University of California, USA, have discovered that eating late-night snacks may lead to a decline in memory.
Those who stay up late for work often feel hungry and cold in the early hours of the morning, and at this time, having a late-night snack to replenish energy is very necessary. However, night owls should be aware. According to a report from Russia's "Medical Forum" news network, scientists from the University of California, USA, have discovered that eating late-night snacks may lead to a decline in memory.
Like many animals, humans have an internal biological clock, known as the circadian rhythm, that aligns with the cycle of day and night. To investigate whether changes in mealtime could adversely affect memory, scientists at the University of California conducted a study using laboratory mice. Before the experiment began, the scientists divided the mice into two groups: one group followed a normal eating and sleeping schedule, while the other group was made accustomed to eating at a time when they would normally be sleeping. At the start of the experiment, researchers placed the mice in a box containing two objects and allowed them to remember them. The mice were then placed in a box with one familiar object and one new object, and the time it took for both groups to recognize the object they had seen before was recorded.
The results showed that compared to the mice with a normal eating schedule, eating during their usual sleeping time impaired the mice's memory. They took longer to recognize familiar objects, even though their total sleep duration was the same as that of the mice following the normal eating and sleeping schedule.