Contrary to popular belief, the analysis showed that snacking is not unhealthy– as long as the treats are healthy. People who ate top quality snacks like nuts and fresh fruits frequently were more likely to have a healthy weight compared to those who didnt snack at all or those who snack on unhealthy foods. The analysis also showed good quality snacks can also result in much better metabolic health and decreased appetite.
Poor-quality treats, such as highly processed food and sweet deals with, were associated with poorer health markers and left individuals feeling starving.
Research study exposes that lots of individuals negate the health advantages of their primary meals by taking in unhealthy snacks. Although snacking isnt inherently unhealthy, the kind of snacks and their timing are essential.
A research study published in the European Journal of Nutrition shows that many individuals combat the benefits of healthy meals with unhealthy snacks. The kind of treat and its timing, particularly post 9 p.m., can negatively impact health.
A quarter of people are undoing the advantages of healthy meals with unhealthy treats, which increases the risk of strokes and cardiovascular disease.
The findings, published on September 15 in the European Journal of Nutrition by scientists from the Kings College London School of Life Course & & Population Sciences and ZOE, details the snacking habits of 854 people from the ZOE PREDICT research study.
Scientists found that half of the individuals did not match the healthiness of their meals to their treats and vice versa. This distinction has a negative result on health measures, such as blood glucose and fat levels, and addressing this might be a simple diet method to enhance health.
Dr. Sarah Berry from Kings College London and primary researcher at ZOE stated: “Considering 95% people snack, and that nearly a quarter of our calories originate from treats, switching unhealthy treats such as crisps, cakes, and cookies to healthy snacks like fruit and nuts is an actually easy way to improve your health.”
UKs Snacking Trends and Impacts
The analysis showed that the UK is a nation of snackers, with 24% of our day-to-day energy intake from treats such as cereal bars, pastries, and fruit. The average day-to-day snack consumption in people who snack– 95% of the accomplice– was 2.28 treats a day, with 47% of individuals eating 2 snacks a day and 29% of people eating more than 2.
Contrary to common belief, the analysis revealed that snacking is not unhealthy– as long as the snacks are healthy. People who consumed top quality snacks like nuts and fresh fruits regularly were most likely to have a healthy weight compared to those who didnt treat at all or those who snack on unhealthy foods. The analysis likewise showed good quality snacks can also lead to much better metabolic health and reduced cravings.
Nevertheless, a quarter (26%) of the participants reported consuming healthy main meals and poor-quality snacks. Poor-quality treats, such as extremely processed food and sweet deals with, were connected with poorer health markers and left individuals feeling hungry. Unhealthy snacks were linked with higher BMI, higher visceral fat mass and greater postprandial– the duration after eating a meal– triglycerides concentrations, all of which are associated with metabolic disease such as stroke, heart disease, and obesity.
Popular Snacks and Their Health Implications
The most popular snacks taken in were cookies, fruit, seeds and nuts, cheese and butter, cakes and pies and granola or cereal bars. The biggest contribution to calorie intake were pies and cakes (14%), breakfast cereals (13%), ice cream and frozen dairy desserts (12%), donuts and pastries (12%), sweet (11%), cookies and brownies (11%), nuts and seeds (11%).
The timing of the snacking can also be important to your health, as analysis showed snacking after 9 p.m. was associated with poorer blood markers compared to all other snacking times. Snackers at this time tended to consume energy-dense foods which were high in fat and sugar.
Dr. Kate Bermingham from Kings College London and senior researcher at ZOE stated: “This study adds to the existing literature that food quality is the driving consider positive health results from food. Ensuring we consume a balanced diet plan of fruit, veggies, protein, and beans is the very best way to enhance your health.”
Referral: “Snack quality and snack timing are related to cardiometabolic blood markers: the ZOE PREDICT study” by Kate M. Bermingham, Anna May, Francesco Asnicar, Joan Capdevila, Emily R. Leeming, Paul W. Franks, Ana M. Valdes, Jonathan Wolf, George Hadjigeorgiou, Linda M. Delahanty, Nicola Segata, Tim D. Spector and Sarah E. Berry, 15 September 2023, European Journal of Nutrition.DOI: 10.1007/ s00394-023-03241-6.