Natural Health News

You eat it without knowing. Titanium dioxide is added to thousands of processed foods to make them look brighter, smoother, and more appealing. It’s what gives sandwich cookies their crisp white filling and powdered donuts their snowy coating. You’ll find it in breath mints, gum, coffee creamers, and even children’s chewable vitamins. It serves no nutritional purpose — and yet it’s everywhere. The problem isn’t just that it’s unnecessary. The smallest form of this additive — titanium dioxide nanoparticles — is now being linked to serious metabolic disruption. We’re talking about measurable shifts in blood sugar control, gut hormone activity, and even the way your intestines absorb nutrients.1 And this isn’t rare contamination or occasional exposure. If you eat processed food regularly, you’re likely swallowing trillions of these particles every day. What makes it more dangerous is how quietly it works. Unlike toxic chemicals that inflame or destroy tissue outright, titanium dioxide interferes with how your gut functions at the cellular level, long before you feel anything is wrong. The latest findings are forcing a deeper look at what these particles do once they enter your body — and why their impact goes far beyond what most food safety regulations account for. Titanium Dioxide Hijacks Your Gut’s Hormone Signals A study published in Food and Chemical Toxicology tested how titanium dioxide — the whitening additive found in many processed foods — affects your body at the cellular level.2 Researchers used both intestinal cells grown in the lab and live mice to find out if these tiny particles mess with how your gut talks to your brain and pancreas. Their goal? To see how titanium dioxide affects hunger cues, digestion, and blood sugar regulation. • Mice given food containing titanium dioxide had trouble controlling their blood sugar — The mice were fed chow mixed with 1% food-grade titanium dioxide, which matches how much people, especially children, get from their diets. Over time, their blood sugar went up, and their ability to handle glucose after eating got worse. In simple terms, their metabolism started looking like the early stages of diabetes. • Even though their gut tissue looked normal, the hormone system inside was disrupted — The intestines weren’t visibly damaged. But inside, key hormone-producing cells weren’t working properly. These cells normally release hormones like glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), peptide YY (PYY), and cholecystokinin (CCK), which help control appetite, signal fullness, manage insulin, and regulate how fast your stomach empties. Titanium dioxide interfered with these cells’ development and function. • The gut hormones that regulate appetite and insulin were nearly shut off — Hormones that are supposed to be released after meals dropped significantly in the exposed mice. Without these hormones, the body doesn’t know when to stop eating, how much insulin to release, or how to properly manage blood sugar. The problem isn’t just what you eat — it’s how your body responds to it. • The disruption came from how gut stem cells matured, not from visible damage or inflammation — Stem cells in the gut are supposed to develop into different cell types, including those that make hormones. But titanium dioxide exposure changed that process. Instead of maturing into functional hormone-producing cells, the stem cells were redirected, leading to a breakdown in gut signaling. There was no tissue destruction, just a silent failure in communication. • This breakdown in signaling makes it harder to feel full or maintain stable energy — When GLP-1 and PYY levels drop, your brain doesn’t register fullness, and your pancreas doesn’t get the right message to release insulin. Your digestion speeds up or slows down unpredictably. That means more hunger, energy crashes, and blood sugar swings, all of which raise your risk for chronic disease. Titanium Dioxide Is Widespread in Processed Foods Despite Risks A report from U.S. Right to Know highlighted findings from the Food and Chemical Toxicology study and emphasized how everyday food exposure adds up, especially for children.3 According to the article, many common snack foods, from sandwich cookies to colorful candies, contain titanium dioxide in nanoparticle form. • Children are more vulnerable to harm — This is because of their lower body weight and, often, higher consumption of processed foods. U.S. Right to Know pointed out that food-grade titanium dioxide is banned in the European Union due to safety concerns, but remains widely used in the U.S. without any warning label. • Hormone disruption occurred without obvious physical damage — Unlike toxins that inflame or destroy tissue, titanium dioxide nanoparticles work in a more insidious way. The news piece explained that the damage occurs at the molecular level — blocking your body’s ability to sense food and regulate insulin. • Titanium dioxide has been linked to cancer, gut inflammation, and brain health concerns — Research in animal and cell studies has connected titanium dioxide exposure to DNA damage, which raises cancer risk, intestinal inflammation, metabolic disorders tied to obesity, and even brain diseases like Alzheimer’s. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies it as “possibly carcinogenic to humans,” and in 2021 the European Food Safety Authority declared it unsafe for food use.4 • Despite bans overseas, titanium dioxide is still allowed in U.S. food, with limited oversight — France banned titanium dioxide in 2020, followed by the European Union in 2022. But in the U.S., it’s still legal and often hides on labels under vague terms like “artificial color.” The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers it “generally recognized as safe” as long as it makes up less than 1% of the food’s weight — but doesn’t require labeling of particle size or full disclosure. New York lawmakers are now pushing legislation to ban it and require transparency in food chemicals. Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Shrink Nutrient Absorption and Damage Gut Structure Published in NanoImpact, a related study investigated how chronic exposure to titanium dioxide nanoparticles impacts human intestinal cells using a lab-grown cell model that mimics the small intestine.5 Unlike previous studies that focused on immune or hormonal effects, this one focused specifically on the digestive lining — how nutrients are absorbed and what happens to the gut’s protective barrier after repeated exposure. • Researchers found serious disruptions to nutrient uptake and gut cell structure — The study showed that exposure to titanium dioxide nanoparticles reduced the absorption of key nutrients, including iron, zinc, and essential fatty acids. It also caused the loss of microvilli, the microscopic fingerlike projections that line your intestine and help your body absorb food efficiently. These structural changes appeared after just a few days of exposure, with more damage accumulating over time. • The gut’s “filter system” started to break down, making it more vulnerable to toxins and bacteria — One of the most important findings was the disruption of tight junction proteins — cellular “gatekeepers” that keep harmful substances from leaking through your gut wall. When these are weakened, your gut barrier becomes permeable, allowing partially digested food particles, toxins, and bacteria to escape into your bloodstream. This condition, often referred to as “leaky gut,” has been linked to systemic inflammation, autoimmune problems, and chronic disease. • Key nutrient transporters were downregulated, reducing how much your gut could absorb from food — The study found a significant decrease in the expression of key nutrient transporters. That means even if you’re eating a nutrient-rich diet, your gut isn’t able to pull those nutrients into your bloodstream effectively. It’s not a deficiency of food — it’s a breakdown in the machinery that makes food useful. • The changes occurred without inflammation, making them harder to detect, but just as damaging — There was no cell death, bleeding, or overt toxicity. Instead, the titanium dioxide triggered subtle dysfunctions like changes in cell behavior, suppressed nutrient uptake, and weakened structural integrity. This kind of silent disruption is especially dangerous because it’s easy to overlook until larger problems emerge. • Oxidative stress was a major driver of the structural damage — Titanium dioxide nanoparticles increased the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), unstable molecules that damage DNA, proteins, and cell membranes. The study confirmed that oxidative stress was one of the main biological mechanisms driving the breakdown of microvilli and weakening of tight junctions. When left unchecked, this stress leads to long-term degradation of gut function and makes recovery more difficult. The researchers emphasized that repeated exposure to titanium dioxide, especially from daily processed food consumption, amplifies the negative effects. The more often your gut lining is exposed to these particles, the more structural damage accumulates, and the more likely nutrient malabsorption becomes. How to Avoid Titanium Dioxide in Your Food If your goal is to protect your gut, balance your blood sugar, and avoid harmful hormone disruption, your first step is removing the source of the problem. Titanium dioxide is legal but not safe — and avoiding it takes strategy, not guesswork. Most food labels won’t warn you clearly, and many processed items marketed to children are among the worst offenders. Here’s how to avoid it in your food: 1. Cut out processed snacks, gums, and candies — Titanium dioxide is most common in white or brightly colored sweets like mints, marshmallows, powdered donuts, frosting, and chewing gum. It’s also used in some dairy substitutes and protein bars. If you’re regularly eating foods with shiny, smooth coatings or pure-white fillings, it’s time to check the label — or better yet, avoid those products altogether. 2. Look for short ingredient lists with real foods only — The more processed an item is, the more likely it is to contain titanium dioxide. Aim for whole-food ingredients you recognize. If the label mentions “artificial color,” “color added,” “colored with titanium dioxide,” or “E171” (its label in some international products), steer clear. But beware — not all products have to list it, especially if it’s part of a blend. When in doubt, skip it. 3. Avoid ultraprocessed items, especially those marketed to children — Foods aimed at children, like colorful cereals, gummies, and snack packs, are some of the biggest sources of titanium dioxide. If you’re a parent, I strongly recommend avoiding these items. Even small amounts eaten daily could trigger long-term metabolic effects based on the research. 4. Choose supplements carefully — Many chewable vitamins, probiotics, and over-the-counter pills use titanium dioxide to make tablets look smooth and white. Always check supplement labels, especially if the pill is bright white or has a glossy coating. Opt for capsules, powders, or brands that clearly state “titanium dioxide free.” 5. Buy from brands and stores that ban titanium dioxide — Some natural food brands and grocery chains have banned titanium dioxide from their products altogether. Look for stores with published “no artificial additives” policies, and stick to brands that commit to clean ingredients. It’s one of the easiest ways to shop smarter without needing to decode every label. FAQs About Titanium Dioxide Q: What is titanium dioxide and why is it added to food? A: Titanium dioxide is a whitening agent used in thousands of processed foods to enhance color and visual appeal. It’s commonly found in white or brightly colored candies, frostings, powdered donuts, breath mints, coffee creamers, and even supplements. It has no nutritional benefit and is used purely for appearance. Q: How does titanium dioxide affect my gut and metabolism? A: Research shows that titanium dioxide nanoparticles interfere with hormone-producing cells in your gut.6 These hormones control appetite, blood sugar, and digestion. Disrupting them causes blood sugar spikes, poor insulin signaling, increased hunger, and higher risk for conditions like insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Q: Does titanium dioxide damage my gut without causing symptoms? A: Yes. Titanium dioxide doesn’t visibly inflame or destroy gut tissue. Instead, it silently alters how gut stem cells mature and how nutrients are absorbed. It reduces microvilli, which absorb food, weakens your gut barrier — leading to leaky gut — and triggers oxidative stress that erodes intestinal function over time.7 Q: Is titanium dioxide banned in other countries? A: Yes. France banned it in 2020, and the European Union followed in 2022. The European Food Safety Authority declared it unsafe in 2021. In contrast, the U.S. FDA still allows its use and classifies it as “generally recognized as safe,” with no requirement to list particle size or include it on all labels.8 Q: How do I avoid titanium dioxide in my diet? A: Start by cutting out highly processed foods, especially those with shiny coatings or white fillings. Read ingredient lists and avoid products that mention “titanium dioxide,” “artificial color,” or “E171.” Check supplements, personal care items, and toothpaste as well. Opt for brands and retailers that prohibit titanium dioxide use entirely.

Plastic pollution isn’t just an environmental issue — it’s become a biological one. You’re eating it, drinking it, and breathing it in. And while those particles are too small to see, they’re not too small to affect your health. Your liver is one of the first places these microscopic plastics land, and that’s a problem. This organ is responsible for breaking down toxins, regulating blood sugar, producing vital proteins, and helping your body process fats. When it’s under constant assault, everything downstream, from your digestion to your hormones, starts to suffer. You might not feel it yet. Microplastic exposure doesn’t trigger obvious symptoms right away. But behind the scenes, it’s damaging the very structures your body relies on for energy and repair. That damage starts at the cellular level, inside your mitochondria — the microscopic engines that keep you alive and functioning. When they go offline, everything else follows. Let’s explore new research that reveals how common microplastics interfere with your cellular energy, damage your liver’s internal balance, and trigger a stress response your body can’t keep up with.1 Most importantly, I’ll show you what you can do to start protecting yourself right now. How Microplastics Disrupt Your Liver and Drain Your Cellular Energy In a study published in Particle and Fiber Toxicology, researchers looked at how two types of common microplastics — polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) — affect human liver cells over three days.2 These weren’t lab-made beads. They were actual particles extracted from everyday plastic items like water bottles, ground into tiny pieces small enough to slip into cells. The goal was to simulate the kind of plastic exposure you get in real life and see what it does to your body at the cellular level. • Instead of dying, liver cells started multiplying too fast — When liver cells came into contact with the plastic particles, they didn’t shut down. They actually started growing faster. That sounds harmless or even good, but it’s not. Uncontrolled cell growth is a red flag. It’s a sign that the cells are under stress and not functioning normally. This kind of response leads to problems like abnormal tissue growth or even cancer if it continues long term. And this happened at very low doses — levels of microplastic that could easily show up in your daily water or food. • The cells showed signs of high oxidative stress — Once the plastic particles got inside the cells, they triggered a spike in reactive oxygen species (ROS). Think of ROS like sparks flying inside your body. Too many sparks damage important parts of your cells, including membranes and DNA. In this study, the liver cells exposed to plastic lit up with warning signs — clear proof that they were in a state of internal inflammation and stress. • Their energy production system broke down — Your mitochondria are the tiny power plants in every cell. They create the energy you need to think, move, and function. But in the cells exposed to microplastics, that power system started to fail. The researchers used a dye that shows how strong the mitochondria’s energy output is. The result? A major drop. These cells were struggling to keep the lights on while also trying to handle plastic damage. • Even the mitochondria’s DNA got damaged — Mitochondria have their own unique DNA, which helps them run efficiently. In the plastic-exposed liver cells, that DNA started to break down. This was a clear sign that the cell’s most important machinery was falling apart. Without intact mitochondrial DNA, your cells can’t produce energy, repair themselves, or carry out basic functions. It’s like trying to run a factory with no power and a broken instruction manual. The Cleanup Crew Fails Under Pressure Normally, when your cells detect damage, they kick into a process called autophagy. That’s your body’s internal cleanup crew. It finds and breaks down damaged parts so new ones can be made. But in this case, the system jammed. While the cleanup signals turned on, the final step of breaking down the waste didn’t happen. That means the cells filled up with more and more damaged material, making it harder to recover. • Blocking the cleanup system made things worse — To test whether the broken cleanup process was helping or hurting, scientists blocked it completely. What happened next was telling: damage markers shot up even higher. That confirmed that autophagy had been activated but wasn’t finishing the job. It’s like starting a dishwasher cycle that never drains. The dirty water just builds up. • Microscope images revealed a visual mess inside the cells — Using fluorescent markers, the researchers were able to literally see the damage piling up. Plastic-treated cells glowed more brightly than healthy ones — proof that the cleanup vesicles were building up and not going anywhere. Over time, this internal mess leads to even more stress, malfunction, and loss of control inside the cell. • Plastic from real-world sources caused more harm than synthetic beads — Unlike other studies that used perfectly round plastic particles made in labs, this one used irregular fragments from used PET bottles. These pieces were more jagged, oxidized, and chemically reactive, just like the plastic you’re exposed to in bottled water, household dust, and food packaging. That made them even more disruptive once inside the body. • Multiple problems hit the cells all at once — The research showed a chain reaction of damage: oxidative stress triggered mitochondrial breakdown, which then led to damaged DNA, energy failure, and a jammed cleanup process. The cell was under attack from every angle, with no time to recover or repair. For an organ like your liver, which is constantly working to detox your body, this kind of stress isn’t sustainable. • Everyday plastic exposure has real biological consequences — These weren’t high-dose exposures or exotic chemicals. The plastics used in this study are already in your water, food, and environment. That means your liver is likely dealing with this kind of damage on a regular basis. And as this study shows, even small, repeated exposures are enough to push your cells into dysfunction, inflammation, and long-term breakdown. Natural Strategies to Eliminate Microplastics Are Being Explored Studies are now looking at strategies to help the human body filter, trap, and eliminate microplastics before they can spread throughout your other systems. These methods offer a multi-angle approach to help reduce your internal plastic load and support overall health. I’ve recently written a paper discussing these methods in detail, and while it is still under peer-review, I’ve provided the key findings below. • Cross-linked psyllium could help eliminate microplastics — One key system that plays a role in removing microplastics from your body is your gut. A 2024 study showed that acrylamide cross-linked psyllium (PLP-AM) removed over 92% of common plastic types like polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) from water. Because of its high swelling ability and sticky, gel-like texture, cross-linked psyllium could be adapted to work inside the gut, where it may trap plastic particles before they’re absorbed into the body. While the study was conducted in a water treatment setting, the results are also promising for human health.3 • Chitosan, a natural fiber derived from shellfish, also shows promise for clearing microplastics from your body — A recent animal study published in Scientific Reports found that rats given a chitosan-enriched diet were able to eliminate about 115% of the polyethylene microplastics they were fed, compared to just 84% in the control group. This suggests that chitosan not only helps bind and eliminate new plastic particles but might even help pull out some that were already absorbed. However, while it’s generally considered safe and already used in supplements, people with shellfish allergies are advised to steer clear of it.4 Psyllium and chitosan work through physical adsorption, where hydrophobic (water-repelling) and electrostatic forces stick microplastic particles to the fiber, keeping them from being absorbed. However, one drawback with these binders is that they can also soak up nutrients if not timed carefully. Hence, they need to be used strategically to provide the most benefit, such as ingesting them with processed or packaged foods, which are more likely to contain plastics. • Certain beneficial bacteria strains can help clear microplastics from the gut — A 2025 animal study found that two specific strains, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei DT66 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum DT88, were able to bind to and eliminate tiny polystyrene particles in lab tests. These probiotics work by forming protective biofilms that trap plastic particles, making them easier to flush out.5 When combined with dietary fibers like psyllium and chitosan, the result could be a more effective and natural way to sweep microplastics out of the gut before they’re absorbed. • The liver also plays an essential role in clearing microplastics from the bloodstream — Specialized immune cells in the liver, known as Kupffer cells, help trap these foreign particles and route them into bile for elimination via the intestines. However, while this method may work on smaller plastics, larger ones can linger and build up, especially if your liver function is compromised. To support this natural detox pathway, researchers are studying the use of compounds like ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and its variant tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA), which stimulate bile production and improve particle flow out of the liver. • Researchers are also looking at strategies to enhance autophagy to eliminate microplastics — Autophagy is your body’s natural cellular recycling system. Researchers are looking at compounds that can help promote this system, mainly rapamycin and spermidine. Rapamycin works by inhibiting the mTOR pathway, a nutrient-sensing mechanism that normally suppresses autophagy. When mTOR is turned off, cells ramp up their cleanup efforts, forming membranes that can collect and isolate plastic particles for breakdown or removal. Meanwhile, spermidine is a naturally occurring polyamine found in foods that enhances cellular resilience and supports the clearance of toxic substances. In lab and animal studies, the combination of spermidine and rapamycin helped reverse mitochondrial dysfunction and reduce oxidative stress caused by microplastics. The table below summarizes these novel strategies to eliminate microplastics, including their mechanisms of action, how much testing has been done, and important safety considerations. It shows that although several different approaches may be needed, clearing plastics from your body naturally is possible. Of course, reducing your exposure is still the ideal preliminary course of action. How to Protect Your Liver and Mitochondria from Microplastic Damage If microplastics are already damaging your liver cells at the cellular level, then waiting for regulators to fix the environment isn’t enough. You need to start removing the source of exposure and strengthening your body’s defenses today. These steps aren’t about detox gimmicks — they’re about restoring the internal energy systems your health depends on. Think of your liver like your body’s daily janitor. If it’s overworked, nothing else stays clean. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to make smart choices consistently. If you drink bottled water daily or cook with plastics, this is especially urgent. These steps are designed to reduce your exposure and restore your mitochondrial function so your cells start working the way they were designed to. Here’s what I recommend you start doing right now: 1. Stop ingesting microplastics at home by changing how you store, heat, and consume food — Heating plastic, including when microwaving leftovers or leaving bottled water in a hot car, causes microplastics to leach into your food and drink. Toss the plastic storage containers and water bottles. Switch to glass, stainless steel, or ceramic for everything you heat, drink from or store food in. If you use a plastic coffee maker, consider upgrading to a glass or stainless steel French press or percolator. This one shift will significantly cut your daily exposure. 2. Filter your water with a system that removes microplastics and chemical contaminants — Tap water, bottled water, and even many “purified” sources are already testing positive for microplastic particles. Use a high-quality water filtration system that removes particles down to the micron level. Look for a system that also filters out PFAS “forever chemicals” and heavy metals, both of which worsen mitochondrial stress. For those renting or traveling, a high-quality countertop filter is still far better than doing nothing. If your water is hard, boiling it before use dramatically reduces microplastics.6 3. Strengthen your mitochondria by getting rid of vegetable oils — If you want your mitochondria to recover from microplastic damage, stop feeding them toxins. The worst offenders are vegetable oils like canola, soy, corn, sunflower, safflower, and all “vegetable oil” blends. These oils are high in linoleic acid (LA), a polyunsaturated fat that breaks your mitochondria and makes your cells more vulnerable to stress. Replace them with tallow, ghee, or grass fed butter. If you’re cooking at home, this one swap alone could cut your LA intake significantly. 4. Stop wearing and cooking with plastic to lower your exposure across the board — If you’re still using plastic cutting boards, cooking utensils, or wearing synthetic fabrics like polyester, nylon, or acrylic, you’re adding to your microplastic load every day. Those cutting boards shed plastic into your food, and synthetic clothes release fibers into your home and washing machine. Swap plastic boards for wood or glass, and choose stainless steel utensils. When it comes to clothes, opt for organic cotton, linen, or wool. For the synthetic pieces you already own, wash them less frequently, line dry when possible, and use a microfiber-catching laundry bag to trap loose fibers. These small steps keep plastic out of your meals, your bloodstream, and the water supply. 5. Consider natural progesterone to counter the hormonal effects of plastic exposure — Many plastics act like estrogen in your body, disrupting your hormonal balance and making it harder for your cells to function normally. If you’re dealing with symptoms like mood swings, weight gain, or chronic fatigue, you could be dealing with estrogen dominance. Natural progesterone helps restore balance. It works as a direct counter to the estrogenic effect of plastics and helps your body regain a healthier hormonal rhythm. FAQs About Microplastics and Mitochondria Q: What did the new study reveal about microplastics and liver health? A: The study published in Particle and Fiber Toxicology found that two common microplastics triggered stress responses in human liver cells. These plastics caused oxidative stress, mitochondrial breakdown, DNA damage, and a failed cellular cleanup process called autophagy, even at low doses that mimic real-world exposure. Q: Why are mitochondria so important, and how do plastics affect them? A: Mitochondria are your cells’ power plants. They create the energy needed for your body to function. The study showed that microplastics disrupted mitochondrial energy production and damaged their DNA. This leaves your cells low on energy and unable to repair themselves properly, increasing long-term risk of disease and degeneration. Q: Are real-world plastics more dangerous than synthetic lab-made ones? A: Yes. The researchers used plastic fragments extracted from used PET water bottles, which are more irregular and chemically reactive than clean lab-made beads. These real-world plastics caused more severe damage, suggesting that the types of plastic you’re actually exposed to in daily life are even more harmful to your cells. Q: How does microplastic exposure interfere with my body’s natural detox system? A: Your liver relies on a process called autophagy to clear out damaged cell parts. The study found that microplastics triggered this cleanup response but blocked it from completing. Damaged material piled up inside the cells, leading to even more stress and dysfunction over time. Q: What are the most effective ways to lower my microplastic exposure? A: Start by eliminating heated plastic food containers, using a water filter that removes microplastics, and removing vegetable oils from your diet to protect mitochondria. Wear natural fibers like cotton and wool, and avoid plastic cutting boards and utensils. These daily actions reduce your body burden and support long-term liver and cellular health. Test Your Knowledge with Today’s Quiz! Take today’s quiz to see how much you’ve learned from yesterday’s Mercola.com article. What role does excess iron in the brain play in Alzheimer’s disease? It reduces blood flow to brain cells It triggers oxidative damage and promotes toxic plaque buildup Excess iron fuels oxidative damage, disrupts antioxidants like glutathione, and accelerates amyloid plaque formation that harms neurons. Learn more. It hampers antioxidant protection systems such as glutathione It improves memory retention in older adults

Menopause marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years and the beginning of a new physiological chapter. This transition, which typically unfolds between the ages of 45 and 56, is defined by a gradual shift in hormonal patterns that affect nearly every system in the body. Alongside these changes, the risk of chronic conditions, including heart disease, begins to climb.1 During this period, women are more likely to be counseled on diet, exercise, or cholesterol than on the daily rhythms that restore cardiovascular stability, while sleep is often overlooked. However, as hormones fluctuate, sleep quality tends to decline, with many women struggling to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake feeling rested. These changes are commonly viewed as side effects of shifting hormones, but their impact reaches beyond nightly discomfort. Research is beginning to show that sleep quality during menopause plays a measurable role in cardiovascular outcomes. One large study of midlife women has now brought that link into sharper view, positioning sleep as a key factor in shaping long-term heart health.2 Sleep Joins the Ranks of Top Predictors in Menopausal Heart Health In the featured study, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Baylor University examined how lifestyle factors affect heart health in women going through menopause. Drawing on data from the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN), the team followed 2,924 women over time, beginning at an average age of 46, to see how daily behaviors shaped risk for cardiovascular events and death.3 • Participants were evaluated using the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Life’s Essential 8 — This system evaluates eight core areas of cardiovascular health, namely diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, sleep, body mass index (BMI), blood lipids, blood glucose, and blood pressure. Each category is scored from 0 to 100, with a combined total score that reflects overall heart health. Researchers calculated scores at the start and again years later to track how changes in these areas influenced long-term outcomes. • Researchers tracked outcomes over time to link habits to risk — Over the course of the study, 213 women had a cardiovascular event and 161 died. Researchers compared these outcomes with each woman’s health scores to see which habits were protective and which increased risk. By looking at both the starting scores and how they changed over time, the study identified patterns that revealed how cardiovascular health progressed through and after menopause. • Only a small fraction of women reached ideal scores — Just 21% of the women consistently achieved ideal overall scores on the LE8 scale. Most fell short in one or more areas, and those who started with low scores or whose scores declined over time were found to be more likely to develop heart disease or die. This pattern held across the entire study population, underscoring the importance of midlife as a window for preventive action. • Some health factors had stronger protective effects — Women with higher scores in blood pressure regulation, glucose control, and avoidance of nicotine had consistently better cardiovascular results. These areas have long been recognized as important to heart health, and the study reaffirmed their importance during the menopausal transition. However, the data also pointed to another area that had not been given equal weight in most preventive strategies — sleep. • Sleep quality is a significant predictor of long-term heart health — Women who entered midlife with higher sleep scores or who improved their sleep during the study period were less likely to experience major heart-related events or die from any cause. This association held even when adjusted for other risk factors, and its impact was strongest in the context of long-term outcomes rather than early-stage vascular changes. In particular, sleep was not strongly tied to carotid artery thickening, a subclinical marker of vascular aging, but showed a clearer relationship to more advanced events. • Midlife sleep targets are specific and actionable — The sleep component of LE8 is based on a target of seven to nine hours of sleep per night, averaged across time. Ziyuan Wang, Ph.D. candidate at the University of Pittsburgh and first author of the study, noted that the link between sleep and heart health, as well as longevity, should be explored further in clinical trials. Senior author Samar R. El Khoudary, Ph.D., M.P.H., professor of epidemiology at Pitt’s School of Public Health, also added, “With heart disease being the leading cause of death in women, these findings point to the need for lifestyle and medical interventions to improve heart health during and after menopause among midlife women.”4 Sleep is a core determinant of future health. While familiar metrics like blood pressure remain central to cardiovascular care, this study highlights the need to treat sleep as equally vital, particularly for women navigating the hormonal and physiological shifts of menopause. Earlier Studies Show Sleep Problems in Menopause Predict Future Heart Disease Even before the 2025 study, researchers had already uncovered strong links between sleep and cardiovascular health in midlife women using the same SWAN cohort. These earlier studies helped establish sleep as more than just a symptom of hormonal change, pointing instead to its role as a long-range determinant of heart outcomes across the menopausal transition. • Menopause often brings chronic sleep disruption — A 2017 review published in Current Sleep Medicine Reports compiled findings from multiple SWAN publications to document how sleep changes across the menopausal timeline. Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, and waking too early were common, and these disturbances often persisted into postmenopause.5 The review also detailed how sleep disturbances often track with vasomotor symptoms such as night sweats and hot flashes. Women with frequent vasomotor symptoms were more likely to report poor sleep, and those sleep problems tended to become more persistent as menopause progressed.6 • Sleep trajectories predict future heart risk — Another study, this time published in Circulation in January 2024, tracked women’s sleep over time and found that persistent insomnia symptoms significantly increased the risk of cardiovascular events. Women with long-standing sleep trouble were 71% more likely to develop heart disease than those with consistently low symptoms. Those who also had short sleep duration (averaging five hours per night) faced even greater risk. Women with both persistent insomnia and short sleep had a 75% higher risk of heart problems than those who slept longer and had fewer symptoms. These findings held even after accounting for hot flashes, snoring, and depression.7 The consistency across timelines, study methods, and outcome measures reinforces that sleep during midlife plays an active role in shaping a woman’s cardiovascular health well beyond the menopausal transition. Not Just Sleep Quantity — Quality and Timing Matter for Your Heart Additional evidence supporting the role of sleep in cardiovascular health during menopause comes from a detailed analysis of 291 women in the AHA Research Goes Red Weight Study. Participants ranged from pre- to postmenopausal and were scored using the LE8. However, this study broadened the lens to examine how other dimensions of sleep, like quality, insomnia symptoms, apnea risk, and chronotype, relate to cardiovascular outcomes. • Poor sleep was widespread across multiple dimensions — Half the participants reported sleeping fewer than seven hours per night. Nearly 80% had poor sleep quality, one-third were at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea, more than half reported symptoms of insomnia, and 12% were classified as having an evening chronotype (night owl). Peri- and postmenopausal women were more likely than premenopausal peers to report poor sleep quality across the board. • Poor sleep quality tripled the odds of poor cardiovascular health — Women with poor sleep quality had three times the odds of scoring low on overall LE8 cardiovascular health metrics compared to women with better sleep, even after adjusting for age, race, education, and menopause status. High-risk sleep apnea and evening chronotype also raised the odds of low cardiovascular scores nearly threefold. • Specific sleep problems linked to specific LE8 categories — Poor sleep quality increased the likelihood of low scores on the diet component of LE8. Insomnia symptoms were associated with lower BMI scores. Women at high risk for sleep apnea were significantly more likely to show poor results in the blood pressure, blood glucose, and BMI categories. Most strikingly, women suspected of having sleep apnea had more than 11 times the odds of a poor BMI score. These results demonstrate that limiting sleep assessments to nightly duration misses much of the cardiovascular burden linked to sleep dysfunction. Problems with quality, regularity, breathing, and circadian preference carry their own distinct and measurable risks. How Hormonal Imbalance Disrupts Sleep and Strains the Heart The sleep difficulties that emerge during menopause reflect a deeper internal imbalance, one driven by the loss of progesterone alongside persistent or excessive estrogen activity. This hormonal environment destabilizes sleep, heightens stress sensitivity, and increases cardiovascular strain. • Menopause may reflect estrogen excess, not deficiency — Although estrogen levels decline in blood during menopause, tissue levels often remain stable or even increase due to local production via aromatase. This creates a state of functional estrogen dominance, especially in women who experience chronic symptoms like poor sleep, weight gain, or inflammation.8 • Estrogen disrupts mitochondrial energy production — Rather than promoting balance, unopposed estrogen impairs mitochondrial function and shifts cells toward aerobic glycolysis. This weakens energy production and raises oxidative stress, which interferes with metabolic and neurological processes that support sleep integrity.9 • Thermoregulatory dysfunction fragments sleep — Hot flashes and night sweats are tied to hypothalamic instability, which is worsened by low progesterone and excess estrogen. Even minor temperature fluctuations trigger sympathetic nervous system activity, raising heart rate and shattering sleep continuity.10 • Progesterone loss removes a key neural stabilizer — Progesterone supports deep, restorative sleep by activating GABA receptors that calm brain activity. As progesterone falls during perimenopause, women often experience delayed sleep onset, increased nighttime awakenings, and heightened emotional reactivity at night. Unlike estrogen, progesterone has a direct sedative effect that helps initiate and maintain sleep.11 Understanding the hormonal roots of sleep loss during menopause reframes the issue from one of aging or “poor habits” to one of shifting internal control. To learn more about this, read “Menopause and the Influence of Estrogen Dominance” and “Out of Touch on Menopause.” How to Improve Your Sleep During the Menopausal Transition Hormonal changes during menopause impair the brain’s ability to regulate temperature, reduce serotonin production, disrupt melatonin release at night, and cause cortisol to remain elevated later into the evening. These shifts make it harder for you to fall asleep, reach deep rest, and stay there through the night. The strategies below support the signals your body relies on to stabilize rest, recover overnight, and protect long-term heart health. 1. Get bright sunlight within 15 minutes of waking up — Morning light is your body’s primary cue that the day has started. It anchors your circadian rhythm, boosts serotonin, and helps regulate cortisol so it doesn’t stay elevated into the night. Go outside without sunglasses or windows between you and the light; even five minutes makes a difference. If you wake up before sunrise, consider using a dawn simulator or bright light lamp to mimic the effect. 2. Avoid blue light completely after sunset — Melatonin levels are already lower in menopause due to hormonal changes.12 Exposure to blue light from screens suppresses it even further, keeping your brain alert and delaying the natural transition into sleep. Shut off all screens at least an hour before bed. If that’s not possible, wear amber-tinted glasses or adjust device displays to emit the warmest, dimmest light. This helps your system recognize nightfall and begin slowing down. At night, use blackout curtains, cover LEDs, and avoid night lights. The room should be fully dark — enough that you can’t see your hand in front of your face. 3. Keep your sleeping environment cool — During menopause, the body’s internal temperature regulation becomes more sensitive and unstable. Your core temperature needs to drop to initiate and maintain deep sleep, and a warm room makes that harder. Set your bedroom to 60 to 68 degrees F (15 to 20 degrees C). Choose breathable, moisture-wicking bedding that doesn’t trap heat. Supporting this thermoregulation helps your body move into slow-wave sleep, which is essential for metabolic and cardiovascular recovery. 4. Eliminate sources of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from your room — Unplug devices near your bed, turn off your Wi-Fi router, and put your phone in another room or on airplane mode. If you’re willing to go further, consider turning off the bedroom circuit breaker at night. Less background stimulation means fewer signals pulling your nervous system back into alert mode. 5. Consider taking progesterone — I take three hormones that I believe most adults can benefit from — progesterone, DHEA, and pregnenolone. For perimenopausal and menopausal women, progesterone may be especially useful. In one study, progesterone supplementation significantly improved night sweats and sleep quality among perimenopausal women.13 If you’re considering this option, I explain how to use progesterone safely and effectively in the section below. For additional strategies to get high-quality sleep at night, read “Sleep — Why You Need It and 50 Ways to Improve It.” Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Sleep and Cardiovascular Health in Menopause Q: How is my heart health affected by poor sleep in menopause? A: Poor sleep during menopause increases your long-term risk of heart disease, stroke, and other serious cardiovascular events. Large studies show that women with poor sleep quality or declining sleep patterns during midlife are significantly more likely to experience these outcomes later in life, even when other health factors are accounted for. Q: What kinds of sleep problems are most common during menopause? A: Studies show that midlife women frequently experience short sleep duration, poor sleep quality, symptoms of insomnia, and increased risk for sleep apnea. These issues become more common during the menopausal transition and are especially prevalent among peri- and postmenopausal women. Q: Can improving my sleep during menopause actually lower my risk of heart disease? A: Yes. Women in midlife who improved their sleep over time had lower rates of cardiovascular events and death compared to those with persistent or worsening sleep problems. Researchers emphasize that midlife sleep is a modifiable factor with long-term impact. Q: How do specific sleep issues during menopause affect my cardiovascular health? A: Research shows that different sleep disturbances are linked to specific areas of cardiovascular health. For instance, poor sleep quality is associated with worse diet scores, insomnia with higher BMI, and sleep apnea with elevated blood pressure and glucose levels. Q: What steps can I take to sleep better during menopause? A: Getting morning sunlight, eliminating blue light after dark, keeping your bedroom cool and dark, reducing EMF exposure, and supporting progesterone levels are all strategies that help restore natural sleep signals. These approaches target the root disruptions that occur during menopause.

You won’t always feel heart disease coming. In fact, many people don’t know there’s a problem until it’s too late. That’s because the real danger often lies in the type of plaque building silently in your arteries, not just how much of it is there. Soft, unstable plaques, especially the kind that don’t contain calcium, are the most dangerous. They’re more likely to rupture, triggering sudden clots that block blood flow to your heart. These aren’t just rare medical anomalies. They’re increasingly common in people who appear otherwise healthy on the surface. What drives the formation of these high-risk plaques isn’t random. Diet plays a central role in shaping both the structure and behavior of what accumulates in your arteries. The foods you eat influence inflammation, gut health, metabolic balance, and the stability of the plaque itself. The wrong combination — like low fiber intake, frequent processed meat, and blood sugar instability — creates a perfect storm. If you’ve been told your blood pressure is “a little high,” your triglycerides are “something to watch,” or you’re just getting older, don’t dismiss those signs. They’re often the red flags of underlying arterial inflammation and metabolic dysfunction that starts in your gut, spreads through your bloodstream, and quietly raises your cardiac risk. What’s inside your arteries has more to do with what’s on your plate than you might think. Let’s break down what the newest heart scan data reveals, and why the absence of symptoms doesn’t mean the absence of risk. Low-Fiber Diets Silently Load Your Arteries with Dangerous Plaque Research published in Cardiovascular Research analyzed coronary artery scans from 24,079 middle-aged Swedish adults with no known cardiovascular disease to find out how dietary habits affect heart plaque.1 Using imaging, researchers were able to not only see the presence of plaque but also assess how dangerous it looked based on its size, structure, and whether it was calcified or soft. The study focused specifically on how low-fiber diets, marked by high intake of processed meat and sugar-sweetened beverages, compared to fiber-rich, plant-heavy diets in relation to plaque risk. • Those with the worst diets had the most dangerous plaque features — Researchers divided participants into dietary score groups based on their intake of anti-inflammatory foods like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. The lowest-scoring group (those with the poorest diet) had more plaque, more blocked arteries, and higher calcium levels in the arteries compared to those with the best diets. Even more concerning, this group was also much more likely to have high-risk plaques — soft, unstable deposits that block blood flow and are more likely to rupture. These individuals didn’t just have more buildup; they had the kind of buildup most likely to trigger heart attacks. • Heart plaque risks rose as diet quality declined — The odds of having dangerous coronary plaque jumped dramatically in those with the lowest diet quality scores. Compared to the healthiest eaters, those in the lowest tier had: ◦ 23% higher odds of having soft, non-calcified plaques ◦ 37% higher odds of having calcified plaques with mild artery narrowing ◦ 67% higher odds of having non-calcified plaques causing major blockage ◦ Up to 97% higher odds of having the most dangerous high-risk plaques in unadjusted models This means you’re significantly more likely to develop the worst kind of plaque just by following a low-fiber, highly processed diet. • Diet influenced how many segments of the heart had plaque — Researchers also tracked how many segments of the coronary arteries were affected. The worst diets were linked to more widespread plaque, meaning more branches of the heart’s vascular system were impacted. The scan data showed more advanced blockages and greater overall burden among those eating the least fiber-rich foods. The problem wasn’t limited to a single artery. It was systemic. • Specific arteries were more vulnerable to poor diet — Plaques showed up most often in the right coronary artery and left anterior descending artery — two key areas that supply large portions of the heart. These are the arteries you don’t want compromised. The diet’s impact wasn’t evenly spread across the heart, suggesting some regions are especially vulnerable to poor dietary patterns. Diet-Driven Plaques Showed Up in People with No Known Heart Problems One of the most important parts of the study is that all participants were considered “healthy” with no diagnosed heart disease. This means people are walking around with ticking time bombs in their arteries without any clue. They likely feel fine. Their doctor might say everything looks good. But the damage is already underway.2 • Inflammation and diet were directly linked — People with the lowest dietary scores also had the highest levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), a common marker of systemic inflammation. This confirms that inflammatory foods don’t just affect your gut or blood sugar — they light a fire in your cardiovascular system that alters how plaques form in your arteries. • Biggest plaque risks tracked with waist size, blood pressure, and triglycerides — Waist circumference, high blood pressure, and high triglycerides were the strongest links between bad diets and dangerous plaques. In fact, waist size alone explained up to 56.7% of the increased risk for high-risk plaque types in low-quality diets. Triglycerides explained up to 39.8%, and high blood pressure up to 32.1%. These three markers acted like biological bridges, translating your food choices directly into plaque formation. • The damage is likely cumulative and starts long before symptoms appear — The findings support the idea that dietary damage builds up slowly and silently. Even small changes in diet quality showed noticeable differences in plaque type and location. And while this was a cross-sectional study, meaning it only took a snapshot in time, the associations were strong enough to suggest that poor diet is a key driver of dangerous, symptomless atherosclerosis. How to Repair the Damage and Protect Your Heart with Fiber You don’t have to guess whether your diet is putting your heart at risk. The damage shows up in your arteries long before you ever feel a symptom. If you’ve been eating a highly processed, low-fiber diet — or struggling with bloating, constipation, or blood sugar swings — it’s time to step back and rebuild your gut and heart health from the ground up. I’m not going to tell you to just “eat more fiber” and hope for the best. That kind of advice ignores one of the most common problems I see: a damaged gut microbiome that can’t handle fermentable fiber in the first place. You’ve got to fix the root before layering more fiber on top of dysfunction. Here’s where to begin. 1. Start by checking your gut’s current condition — If you regularly feel bloated after meals, struggle with gas, go days without a bowel movement, or swing between constipation and loose stools, your gut is telling you something. These are signs your microbiome is imbalanced, your gut lining is inflamed, or both. Adding a bunch of fiber at this stage is like pouring fuel on a fire. 2. Avoid fermentable fibers until your digestion calms down — You’ve probably heard that fiber “feeds good bacteria,” but that only works if your microbiome is balanced to begin with. When it’s not, fiber feeds the overgrowth, especially oxygen-tolerant bacteria that thrive in a leaky, inflamed gut. That’s the fiber paradox — and it leads to more endotoxin, more inflammation, and even more plaque-promoting damage. For now, skip the leafy greens, raw vegetables, beans, and whole grains. Focus on easy-to-digest carbs like fruit and white rice. These provide clean fuel that doesn’t ferment too fast or feed the wrong bacteria. 3. Reintroduce the right types of fiber slowly and strategically — Once your bloating has subsided and your digestion becomes more regular, you’ve likely turned a corner. This is your green light to start feeding your fiber-fermenting bacteria again, but only with specific foods, in small doses. Start with resistant starches like cooked-and-cooled white potatoes, green bananas, or white rice that’s been chilled. These feed butyrate-producing bacteria — the kind that nourish your colon cells, lower inflammation, and promote metabolic health. Then add small amounts of garlic, leeks, and onions, which are rich in prebiotic compounds. 4. Support the bacteria that make butyrate, your gut’s anti-inflammatory fuel — Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) made when fiber is fermented by the right kind of bacteria. It fuels colonocytes (cells that line your colon), tightens your gut barrier, and reduces systemic inflammation — the exact mechanisms that protect your arteries from plaque buildup. Once you tolerate fermentable fiber, emphasize foods that increase butyrate naturally. That means adding in prebiotic foods slowly, staying consistent, and avoiding things that kill off good microbes like alcohol, vegetable oils high in linoleic acid (LA), and processed junk. 5. Build your tolerance and personalize your fiber intake — Not everyone needs the same amount or type of fiber. If you’re healing from gut damage, your tolerance will change over time. This is where personalization matters. You’ll need to listen to your symptoms and track how you respond to new foods. Increase variety slowly, one ingredient at a time. Keep portions small at first. If you tolerate cooled potatoes, try a spoonful of lentils. If leeks go down well, try adding cooked organic oats. Give your microbiome time to adjust and rebuild the bacterial species that protect your heart and gut. Fiber isn’t the enemy, but it’s not always your friend either, especially if your gut is compromised. Get your digestion back on track first, then add in healthy, fiber-rich foods. You’ll not only avoid the kind of plaque that triggers heart attacks — you’ll also feel stronger, lighter, and more stable in the process. FAQs About Low-Fiber Diets and Heart Health Q: What did the heart scan study reveal about low-fiber diets? A: A large Swedish study using advanced heart scans found that people who ate the least amount of fiber and the most processed meat had significantly more dangerous types of plaque in their arteries. These soft, non-calcified plaques are more likely to rupture and trigger heart attacks, even in people without any known heart disease. Q: Can heart disease develop even if I feel fine and have no symptoms? A: Yes. The study involved over 24,000 adults who appeared healthy but still had high-risk plaque silently building in their arteries. These individuals had no diagnosed heart conditions, showing that dangerous plaque buildup occurs long before any symptoms appear. Q: What are the biggest risk factors that made the plaque worse? A: The worst plaque risks were seen in people with larger waistlines, higher blood pressure, and elevated triglycerides. These markers, especially when combined with a low-fiber, inflammatory diet, acted like biological messengers that translated poor food choices directly into dangerous plaque formation. Q: Should I just eat more fiber to fix the problem? A: Not necessarily. If your gut is already damaged, jumping into a high-fiber diet will backfire. You need to check for signs of poor digestion, like bloating, constipation, or loose stools, before adding fermentable fibers. The first step is restoring gut balance with easier-to-digest foods before reintroducing specific fibers in small amounts. Q: What are the best steps to protect my heart and repair my gut? A: Start by cutting out inflammatory foods and focusing on simple carbs like fruit and white rice if your digestion is impaired. Once symptoms improve, introduce resistant starches and prebiotic-rich foods slowly. Support the bacteria that produce butyrate — an anti-inflammatory compound that protects your colon and your arteries — by personalizing your fiber intake and staying consistent.

It’s not just what you put in your body that’s vital for optimal health — according to recent studies, when you eat is just as important. Based on these new findings, getting most of your calories late in the day damages your blood sugar control — even if your weight and total calories stay the same. Late eating interferes with glucose handling (how your body processes sugar) and raises your risk for insulin resistance, worsening your metabolic health over time. So, if you’ve noticed brain fog, low energy after meals, or stubborn belly fat, poor glucose handling could be the reason — and something as simple as eating your dinner earlier could be a simple but powerful solution. Why Eating Late in the Day Is Not a Good Idea A recent study published in eBioMedicine looked into a question that affects nearly every one of us — Does the timing of your meals — relative to your body’s internal clock — change how well you process sugar? As discovered by scientists at the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke (DIfE), the answer is yes.1 The research didn’t just link late eating to higher blood sugar. It also found that how far your meals are from your natural sleep rhythm directly impacts your insulin sensitivity, which is your body’s ability to respond to and manage glucose effectively. • The researchers used data from the NUtriGenomic Analysis in Twins (NUGAT) study from 2009 to 2010 — The research involved 92 adult twin pairs, both identical and fraternal. By using twins, the study authors controlled for genetic background, which allowed them to focus on the effects of lifestyle and internal rhythms. • The participants underwent detailed metabolic phenotyping — Data was collected through physical examinations and evaluation of their medical history. They were also given a glucose tolerance test, a standard lab procedure that measures how well your body manages a high-sugar load. • Participants’ food intake and chronotypes were also evaluated — Every participant kept a handwritten food log for five consecutive days, noting not only what they ate, but exactly when they ate it. Using a questionnaire, their internal “chronotype” was also calculated — meaning whether they were naturally an early riser or night owl. This helped determine the actual biological impact of late eating, rather than just looking at clock time. • What they discovered is significant — Participants who ate later in their biological day — closer to their personal sleep midpoint — had lower insulin sensitivity, making it harder for their body to maintain stable blood sugar levels. This effect showed up even when the total calories and food types were similar across participants. “Later eating timing in relation to an individual internal clock is associated with lower insulin sensitivity. Shifting the main calorie intake to earlier circadian times may improve glucose metabolism, but genetic factors could influence the feasibility and effectiveness of eating-timing based interventions,” the researchers concluded.2 Your Internal Clock Determines How Your Body Handles Food Insulin sensitivity is central to your ability to manage blood sugar. When it drops, glucose stays in your bloodstream longer, triggering inflammation and oxidative stress. Over time, this leads to prediabetes, weight gain around the midsection, and eventually, full-blown Type 2 diabetes. This research adds another layer — it’s not just what and how much you eat that matters — it’s also when you eat it. And that “when” isn’t based on a universal clock, but rather on your internal one. • The human body operates on a 24-hour circadian rhythm — When you hear the words circadian rhythm, you would think about sleep — however, sleep isn’t the only area of your health involved. The circadian rhythm is a master control system that manages when your organs perform best. Your pancreas, which releases insulin, is more active and responsive in the earlier part of the day. Your liver, which helps clear glucose, works more efficiently in the morning. However, when you eat late, your body’s glucose-clearing machinery is winding down — even if you feel awake and alert. That mismatch throws off everything from blood sugar to fat storage to energy levels. • When you eat your meals doesn’t just affect glucose — it also sends signals to your internal clocks — Food intake acts as what the researchers call a “zeitgeber,” or time cue.3 Just like sunlight helps reset your brain’s master clock, your meals help sync the clocks in your organs. • Eating too late, and inconsistently, desynchronize those clocks — As Medical Xpress puts it, “Decoupling meal times from the natural light-dark rhythm, e.g., when working at night, can lead to an internal clock disorder and negative metabolic changes.”4 It leads to what’s called circadian misalignment, which throws off hormone release, digestion, and metabolism all at once. The result — sluggish energy, disrupted sleep, and elevated glucose levels, even if you eat healthy, balanced meals. This study shows that if you’re trying to improve your energy, digestion, weight, or blood sugar, don’t overlook when you eat. Even if you don’t change your total calories, aligning your meals with your body’s rhythm could dramatically improve how your body handles food. And that makes it easier to reach your health goals without added stress or extreme diets. Eating Late Changes How Your Body Stores and Uses Food An earlier research published in Nutrition and Diabetes provided similar results. Conducted by researchers from the Diabetes Research Center at NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia, the study zeroed in on how meal timing — not just food quality or quantity — directly alters your body’s metabolic performance. However, what sets this paper apart is that it provides a specific time of the day considered late eating — by which, when you consume high amounts of calories, it affects your insulin sensitivity.5 • The participants were mainly diabetics and obese individuals — The study followed 26 diabetics between ages 50 and 75, all of whom were living with obesity and either diet- or metformin-managed prediabetes or early-stage Type 2 diabetes. The participants ate similar daily calories, and their weight and body fat levels were closely matched. • What separated them was the clock — One group was classified as “late eaters” who consumed 45% or more of their calories after 5 p.m. The other group was composed of “early eaters,” who ate their meals earlier. • The late eaters consumed more calories after 5 p.m. — According to the authors, “Late eating is associated with greater consumption of calories mostly from carbohydrates and fats and may lead to prolonged evening postprandial glucose excursions contributing to worse glucose tolerance.”6 • They also consistently showed higher glucose levels — These were measured through an oral glucose tolerance test. The results were consistent even after controlling for calorie intake, macronutrient balance, weight, and fat percentage. That means your dinner timing, not just your food choices, plays a serious role in how efficiently your body clears sugar from the bloodstream. • Interestingly, both groups had similar fasting glucose, insulin, and C-peptide levels — This means that at first glance, you wouldn’t necessarily spot a problem. But when their bodies were challenged with a glucose load, the late eaters failed that test, and their blood sugar stayed higher, longer — a mark of diminished insulin sensitivity. • These findings are particularly relevant for shift workers — Those who work the nightshift often have irregular sleep and eating schedules — making them more likely to experience metabolic problems. According to Dr. Blandine Laferrère, an endocrinologist in the Diabetes Research Center at NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia and the study’s senior author: “Late eating is associated with poorer glucose tolerance and is not explained by a higher BMI or body fat, nor by greater caloric intake or worse diet composition. The data are pretty clear.”7 So What’s Actually Happening in Your Body When You Eat Late? According to the researchers, meal timing influences more than just digestion. It affects hormonal rhythms, fat metabolism, and your body’s energy expenditure.8 So if you’re dealing with low energy, stubborn belly fat, or worsening blood sugar — even if your calorie intake is on point — your evening meal pattern could be working against you. • A 2022 study highlights the effects of late eating on your hormones and fat metabolism — A randomized controlled clinical trial from Spain found that when two groups of people were given the same amount of calories at different times of day, those who consumed their meals at a later time had increased hunger and changes to their appetite-regulating hormones. They also burn less calories when they are awake and had altered fat metabolism that leads to higher fat storage.9 • Today’s modern lifestyle triggers you to consume more calories at night — One major finding is that late eaters consume significantly more carbs and fats late in the day. This suggests that their bodies have become naturally wired to crave more energy-dense foods at night. • Humans were adapted to be active during the day and rest at night — This goes back to the caveman lifestyle, where early men gathered their food during the daytime, then rested at night. But because of modern lifestyles saturated with artificial light and late-night snacking, you override those natural instincts. This leads to a mismatch between your food intake and your metabolic rhythm that sets the stage for long-term health problems. • The authors emphasize that meal timing needs to be a standard part of metabolic care — Laferrère said, “I would urge physicians to assess the dietary behaviors of patients with obesity and prediabetes or diabetes … At the very least, ask your patients about what they eat and what time they eat, and suggest they eat most of their calories earlier in the day. It’s not just about the calories they consume, but also when they consume them.”10 Implementing Healthier, Well-Timed Eating Strategies Is Key to Better Blood Sugar Control These studies make it clear that the timing of your meals — from breakfast to late-night cravings — has a significant impact on not just your blood sugar levels, but your risk of diseases like diabetes as well. If you want to improve your eating habits, I recommend these strategies: • Make breakfast a priority — This meal gets things going and sets the tone for your blood sugar control. However, skip the sugary cereals or pastries — they lead to a quick spike and then a crash in your blood sugar. Instead, I recommend healthy choices like whole wheat toast with an organic pastured egg or a bowl of yogurt (ideally homemade using raw, grass fed milk) with ripe fruit and a sprinkle of cinnamon — also valued for its benefits for diabetics. • Skip the late-night snacks — Your body isn’t as efficient at processing food late in the day, so you’re more likely to have excess sugar in your bloodstream. To avoid late-night eating, set a regular dinner time to help regulate your hunger cues. Schedule your dinner time a few hours before bedtime so your body will have time to digest. I recommend eating without distractions as well — When you eat while watching TV or using your phone, it’s easy to overeat. • Establish a relaxing bedtime routine — Reading, meditating, or taking a warm bath helps curb your urge to snack. If you still feel hungry, try sipping a glass of water or herbal tea. Check out my article “Top 33 Tips to Optimize Your Sleep Routine” for more useful bedtime tips. • Distribute your carbs wisely — Carbohydrates are your body’s main source of energy, but some carbs are digested faster than others. To do this, make sure to: ◦ Choose whole grains — Whole grains have more fiber, which helps regulate blood sugar. ◦ Eat plenty of ripe fruits and well-cooked vegetables — These are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which help slow down the absorption of their natural sugars. ◦ Watch your portions — Even healthy carbs raise blood sugar if you eat too much at once. ◦ Balance your meals with protein and healthy fats — Include at least 0.8 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass, and ensure one-third of your protein intake is collagen-based. For healthy fats, choose grass fed beef tallow, ghee and coconut oil. Eliminate vegetable oils, processed foods, and restaurant foods that are loaded with linoleic acid (LA). • Small changes make a big impact — Remember, consistency is key. It’s challenging to make significant changes to your diet, so I recommend starting small and making small steps instead of big leaps. For example, focus on improving one meal first, then gradually work on other meals. • Track your progress — A food journal or app will help you stay motivated and see how far you’ve come. My Mercola Health Coach App, which will be released soon, has a Food Buddy feature to help guide your food choices and keep track of your health goals, so stay tuned. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Your Meal Timing Q: Why is eating late in the day harmful for blood sugar control? A: Eating late disrupts your body’s ability to process glucose efficiently. Studies show that consuming a large portion of your calories after 5 p.m. leads to higher post-meal blood sugar levels and lower insulin sensitivity — even if your calorie intake and body weight stay the same. Q: Does it matter what time I eat if I’m eating healthy foods? A: Yes, timing matters just as much as food quality. Even if you’re eating clean meals, having them late in your biological day — especially close to your natural sleep cycle — impairs your glucose metabolism and increases fat storage. Q: How does my body’s internal clock affect how I handle food? A: Your body runs on a circadian rhythm that controls when organs like your pancreas and liver function best. Eating during peak activity hours (earlier in the day) improves glucose clearance and insulin response. Late eating misaligns your internal clocks, leading to sluggish energy and poor metabolic outcomes. Q: What are some signs that poor glucose timing is affecting my health? A: Common signs include brain fog, low energy after meals, difficulty losing belly fat, and frequent sugar cravings. These symptoms could indicate reduced insulin sensitivity and poor blood sugar control — especially if your largest meals are late in the day. Q: What’s the simplest change I can make to improve my blood sugar? A: Start by shifting your main calorie intake earlier — aim to eat most of your carbs, fats, and proteins before late afternoon. Prioritize a protein-rich breakfast, eat dinner earlier, and avoid late-night snacking. This one change will dramatically improve how your body stores and uses energy.