HEALTH

THE WORST FOODS TO EAT AT NIGHT

We all are aware that eating immediately before going to bed is an easy way ticket for gaining weight and sleeping poorly, plus it can seriously damage tissues in your throat. I’m sure most of us are familiar with acid reflux, which occurs when digestive juices back up into the chest or throat and cause a burning sensation. There’s also something called “silent reflux,” which is different from common heartburn (I have been faced with such condition before and the feeling was awful). It has the same causes but without the usual symptoms. Instead of indigestion, sufferers get sore throats, chronic coughs, and difficulty swallowing. Nearly 50 per cent of people have silent reflux but don’t know it, said aryngologist Jamie Koufman, M.D., who has been studying and treating the condition for about 30 years in America. “The single greatest risk factor is, by far, the time that people eat dinner,” she said. She recommends having supper no later than three hours before bed. But even if you manage to do that, be aware that late-night snacking can have the same ruinous effect. A lot of people can actually do without food at night. But if you must eat, here are few kinds of food you should never have a grab on.

Citrus: Citrus is also highly acidic. A glass of orange juice or green apples are not your best choices, but some people can eat red apples without problems, it depends on the person. The fact is that Oranges, green apples, lemons are highly acidic, and therefore, should not be consumed at night and worst, on an empty stomach.

Alcohol: Alcohol relaxes the valves that connect the stomach and the throat. When you consume alcohol, what happens is that your body will be unable to keep food where it belongs. Alcohol doesn’t really do well to your body system. Jamie says, ’’If you have alcohol just before bed, you’re pretty much asking to have reflux’’. In other words, it is not advisable to consume in whatever case. 

Nuts: Fat is fat, whether saturated or unsaturated. So despite the fact that nuts generally contain a healthy dose of the latter, they should be avoided before bed. Cashews, walnuts and peanuts are the worst, while almonds are not quite so bad, according to experts.

Coffee: Coffee is usually inherently acidic, but the caffeine it contains can also generate stomach acid. If you must drink coffee at night, decaf is a better choice because it generally has lower acid levels than the regular. So what options are left when the midnight hunger strikes? Well, whatever is low in acid is a good choice for you. This could be taking cereal with milk, consuming banana or taking a cup of tea, preferably a chamomile tea.

Chocolate: we all love chocolates and a whole lot of us cannot do without it. It is important for us to know that some flavours are high in fat which comforts and relaxes the valves too, and it contains caffeine and a lesser known stimulant called theobromine, essentially making it a triple magic, and this are found in chocolates. Foods like shawarma and pizza are not a good alternative either.

Rifkatu Yusuf.