Research

Hormonal

Shift work, particularly night shifts, disrupts circadian-aligned metabolism, leading to impaired glucose tolerance, elevated triglycerides, and increased cardiovascular risk due to nocturnal eating and sleep deprivation.

If you work night shifts, prioritize lighter, lower-fat meals during the night and save heavier, nutrient-dense meals for your post-shift sleep period or morning. Avoid high-sugar snacks and large meals late at night to reduce the risk of glucose intolerance and elevated triglycerides.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Shift workers show a lowered glucose and lipid tolerance following the change from day to night working... nocturnal eating and the length of time since waking were both positively associated with increased triglyceride concentrations.
Arne Löwden et al. · Scandinavian Journal of Work Environment & Health · 2010

Why this rating

Based on a comprehensive review of multiple field studies and laboratory protocols, though causality is sometimes confounded by lifestyle factors.

Source

Eating and shift work – effects on habits, metabolism and performance

Arne Löwden et al. · Scandinavian Journal of Work Environment & Health · 2010

DOI 10.5271/sjweh.2898

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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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