Why some people should eat TEN meals a day instead of three, according to a dietician
- People who fill up quickly and want to gain weight can benefit from this
- Those with stomach problems such as nausea or bloating should also try six meals
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Although the vast majority of people eat three meals a day, experts have suggested that some may be better off with six to 10 smaller meals.
People who experience early satiety or fullness after eating a small amount of food, or those trying to lose weight, should try to eat six to 10 meals a day, according to a recent report from nutritionists.
Those with gastroparesis, a rare condition in which the stomach becomes paralyzed, meaning digestion is slower, are also advised to do so.
And patients with conditions that cause gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting or bloating, are also recommended to eat more often.
Studies have shown that smaller, recurring meals reduce these symptoms.
Although the vast majority of people eat three meals a day, experts have suggested that some may be better off with six smaller meals
More meals are also thought to increase feelings of fullness, improve metabolism and help people lose weight.
Dietitians have long debated how many meals a person should eat per day.
But at one recent commentary from Mississippi-based expert Lindsey DeSoto, the conclusion seems clear: for most people, three meals are fine.
A wealth of epidemiological evidence over the years has shown that, overall, three balanced meals per day are most strongly associated with healthy weights and lower disease risk.
But Ms. DeSoto says there are specific cases, like those noted above, where little and often is better.
Metabolism is the conversion of food into energy in the body. Eating more often stimulates your metabolism, preventing it from entering the starvation response.
When you don’t eat for hours, your body’s natural response is to slow down its metabolism to conserve energy.
For people with gastroparesis, eating smaller meals can aid digestion because the stomach can break down less at one time, making it more manageable.
A study of 305 patients with gastroparesis found that those who ate an average of just 1.4 meals per day had higher symptom scores for stomach fullness, excessive fullness after a meal, bloating and constipation.
The advice was based on a 2017 study published in Nutrition in clinical practiceconducted by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.
However, the researchers noted that the evidence for smaller, more frequent meals is “sparse.”
Another purported benefit of eating less and more often is also thought to keep blood sugar levels stable, which regulates energy levels throughout the day and prevents you from giving in to sugary cravings.
Some experts believe athletes will also benefit from smaller, more frequent meals.
As long as protein levels are adequate, it can help maintain lean muscle mass, according to the International Society of Sports Nutrition.