We are often told not to eat between meals and there is a widespread perception that snacking is unhealthy. But, as usual when it comes to food, temptation prevails and the fridge is so close…
O lambiscar is widely practiced (often in secrecy) and there appears to be a widespread perception that “not healthy”.
In the 1970s, Americans got 18% of their calories from snacks; in 2010, this percentage rose to 23%.
However, studies on the impact of snacking in health are contradictory: some show negative effects, while others reveal the opposite.
To clarify, Sarah Berryfrom King’s College London, analyzed data from a study carried out between 2018 and 2019 with around 850 participants, recording their meals and cardiovascular health measures.
The study, recently in Springer Nature Linkconcluded that 95% of participants snacked, with an average of 2.28 snacks daily, representing 24% of total calories.
Contrary to the widespread idea, research suggests that the act of plucking does not cause health problems – quite the opposite.
As long as it is regulated
The results indicated that the number of snacks diaries, in itself, do not negatively influence health. Already quality and time Yes, these are relevant factors:
- snacks little nutritious, such as cookies and chipsespecially consumed after 9 pm, have been associated with negative effects.
- In contrast, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables consumed earlier in the day showed benefitsbeing linked to a healthier weight and body mass index.
Additional studies cited by , reinforce the importance of snacks nutritious before meals.
In one, people who ate nuts before dinner ingested fewer calories in the mealcompared to those who did not snack at all. This suggests that snacks (as long as they are healthy) before meals can reduce hunger and total calorie intake.
Berry also highlights the importance of understanding the reason behind the act of plucking: many do it for entertainment and not for hunger – and that can be problematic.
Richard Mattes, from Purdue University, explained to New Scientist that Planned snacks have better caloric compensationwhile those that are not planned tend to increase total calorie intake.
“When it is planned, then compensation [de calorias às refeições] seems to be stronger. When it is an unplanned eating event, it is generally less well compensated and, therefore, the energy from these types of snacks tends to increase the total daily energy intake”, he explained.
The big conclusion is that snacking can actually be healthyas long as it is done in a healthy and balanced way, with nutritious foods and at appropriate times.
