Dr. Sarah Berry

There's lots of science out there about the different, you know, foods that we might snack on, but not really much looking at snacking habits. And there's a lot of controversy out there about whether we should be grazers, and we are a nation of grazers. You know, we...

There's lots of science out there about the different, you know, foods that we might snack on, but not really much looking at snacking habits. And there's a lot of controversy out there about whether we should be grazers, and we are a nation of grazers. You know, we...

Well, I certainly graze, but many people we know, like you said, 80 to 90% of people do have multiple eating events throughout the day. Are you taking these away from you for self-control?

Well, I certainly graze, but many people we know, like you said, 80 to 90% of people do have multiple eating events throughout the day. Are you taking these away from you for self-control?

And what we have never really fully understood is, is snacking per se bad? Are you having multiple eating events? So eating six times a day, which we nearly do in the UK and the US. Or is it about the type of food we're snacking on? So should we revert back to having the three main meals, the breakfast, the lunch, the dinner? Or is it okay to have multiple meals as long as it's healthy food?

And what we have never really fully understood is, is snacking per se bad? Are you having multiple eating events? So eating six times a day, which we nearly do in the UK and the US. Or is it about the type of food we're snacking on? So should we revert back to having the three main meals, the breakfast, the lunch, the dinner? Or is it okay to have multiple meals as long as it's healthy food?

So we looked at this in our cohort of 1,000 individuals where we take lots of measures related to what they're eating, when they're eating, how they're eating it, as well as lots of different health outcomes. And what we found was that the frequency of eating within reason was not a problem. So if people were grazing, having multiple eating events,

So we looked at this in our cohort of 1,000 individuals where we take lots of measures related to what they're eating, when they're eating, how they're eating it, as well as lots of different health outcomes. And what we found was that the frequency of eating within reason was not a problem. So if people were grazing, having multiple eating events,

As long as they were eating healthy foods, it didn't matter having multiple eating events. So snacking per se wasn't a problem as long as they were healthy foods.

As long as they were eating healthy foods, it didn't matter having multiple eating events. So snacking per se wasn't a problem as long as they were healthy foods.

Yeah, I mean, I will always, as a cautious scientist, caveat it within reason. But our research showed people having six eating events a day, i.e. six different occasions that they're eating food or three eating events, as long as they were eating or snacking on healthy foods, it did not impact their health outcomes.

Yeah, I mean, I will always, as a cautious scientist, caveat it within reason. But our research showed people having six eating events a day, i.e. six different occasions that they're eating food or three eating events, as long as they were eating or snacking on healthy foods, it did not impact their health outcomes.

Yeah, so we also looked at timing because I think that's something that we haven't given enough attention to in nutrition science. And it's a really exciting new area of research that we're starting to understand the timing of when we eat is really important. And what we found was, interestingly, 30% of people were snacking after nine at night.

Yeah, so we also looked at timing because I think that's something that we haven't given enough attention to in nutrition science. And it's a really exciting new area of research that we're starting to understand the timing of when we eat is really important. And what we found was, interestingly, 30% of people were snacking after nine at night.

And we found that if you snack late at night... I feel attacked. And this is a lot in line with, you know, other published research from very tightly controlled clinical trials. We found that if you snack late at night, that that was associated with unfavourable health outcomes.

And we found that if you snack late at night... I feel attacked. And this is a lot in line with, you know, other published research from very tightly controlled clinical trials. We found that if you snack late at night, that that was associated with unfavourable health outcomes.

So worse adiposity, so worse kind of fat around your belly, for example, higher levels of inflammation, worse levels of blood lipids, so, you know, cholesterol, that sort of thing. And we found that this was even if you were snacking on healthy snacks.

So worse adiposity, so worse kind of fat around your belly, for example, higher levels of inflammation, worse levels of blood lipids, so, you know, cholesterol, that sort of thing. And we found that this was even if you were snacking on healthy snacks.

And this isn't especially surprising because there's this whole new area in nutrition called chrononutrition, which is all about the timing of eating. And we now are really starting to understand that every cell in our body has its little body clock, has a clock. Every cell has a clock. And that clock is shaped by when we eat as well as the light day cycle.

And this isn't especially surprising because there's this whole new area in nutrition called chrononutrition, which is all about the timing of eating. And we now are really starting to understand that every cell in our body has its little body clock, has a clock. Every cell has a clock. And that clock is shaped by when we eat as well as the light day cycle.