Researchers link late-night eating with higher liver disease risk

Researchers linked eating after dinner or around bedtime with a higher risk of liver disease in a study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. ScienceDaily reported that the analysis included nearly 200,000 participants from three nationwide studies and found a 20% to 30% higher risk of liver disease among those who ate late. MedPage Today reported specific estimates of a 28% increased risk for cirrhosis and a 36% higher risk for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, or MASLD.

The study relied on participants’ reports of eating habits and was observational, so it cannot show that late eating causes liver disease. ScienceDaily reported that researchers are recruiting participants for a clinical study to monitor meal timing and assess whether shifting food consumption earlier improves liver health in people with underlying fatty liver disease.