There is a Russian proverb: "Eat your breakfast alone, share your lunch with a friend, and give your dinner to your enemy." In reality, this is telling people how to eat three meals a day for good health.
Physiologists believe: it is best to eat two meals a day
Eating two meals a day is based on the physiological characteristics of the human body. The body must wait until the stomach has completely digested all the food and produces hunger again before it can eat. Food usually stays in the stomach for 6-8 hours, which means that the interval between two meals must be about 8-10 hours. Eating two meals a day allows the stomach to get adequate rest and prepare for the next digestion: storing enzymes, secreting mucus, repairing the gastric mucosa, and restoring the contractile function of the digestive system.
When the stomach is digesting food, especially protein-rich food, cells produce a lot of hydrochloric acid, mucus, and gastric enzymes. Although these are the main components for breaking down compounds such as protein, they can damage the stomach wall. Therefore, compared with other digestive organs, the stomach needs a longer rest time.
The human body automatically adjusts to adapt to different eating habits. Any slight change will make the body feel rejection or discomfort. Generally, a person needs 3 months to adapt to a new eating habit.
Physiologists believe that the perfect time for food intake should be like this: breakfast between 7 AM and 10 AM. The second meal should be preferably 6 hours later, that is, between 1 PM and 3 PM.