Night eating damaging to sun’s next of skin

EATING late at night should be avoided if you plan on sunbathing the next day, research has suggested.

A study found the skin has a biological clock which can be disrupted by late-night snacking, leaving it less able to repair itself from damage caused by the sun.

Levels of a natural chemical which helps skin to heal were found to be lower when meal times were out of sync, according to a study by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre.

Mice that were given food during the day – an abnormal eating time for the nocturnal animals – sustained more skin damage from ultraviolet light than mice that only ate at night. This occurred, at least in part, because an enzyme that repairs UV-damaged skin shifted its daily cycle in response.

Neuroscientist Dr Joseph Takahashi, who carried out the research, said: “This finding is surprising. I did not think the skin was paying attention to when we are eating”.