Late night snacking may contribute to cancer, scientists claim

New research indicates that prolonged periods of fasting may have health benefits

Some research indicates there may be a link between late night snacking and ill health (Rex images)

Late night snacking may increase the risk of getting breast cancer, scientists claim.

University of California researchers found that an increase in overnight fasting reduces the glucose levels of some women, in part helping to reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Scientists believe that reducing glucose and blood sugar levels could help reduce women’s chances of developing the disease and the latest research indicates that by eating less late at night women have better control over these levels.

“Increasing the duration of overnight fasting could be a novel strategy to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer,’ co-author Catherine Marinac.

The San Diego School of Medicine researcher continued: “This is a simple dietary change that we believe most women can understand and adopt. It may have a big impact on public health without requiring complicated counting of calories or nutrients.”

The report, published by the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention and presented at the American Association for Cancer Research’s annual meeting in Philadelphia yesterday, studied data from just over 2,000 women.

Scientists are paying increasing attention to glucose as it is believed to provide the fuel for rapidly dividing cancer cells.

However, a spokesperson for Cancer Research cautioned the results.

The national charity’s health information officer Tom Stansfield warned against drawing too many conclusions from the study.

“This study doesn’t add to what we know about breast cancer risk. It didn’t actually look at cases of breast cancer, instead it studied eating patterns of American women and how these affected their blood sugar levels," he told The Independent.

He continued: "And most of the results could have been down to chance. Decades of research have shown that you can stack the odds against breast cancer in your favour by keeping a healthy weight, drinking less alcohol and being physically active.”

US researchers want to trial a larger examination of night-time eating habits in the hope of drawing more conclusive proofs.