Eating cheese at night is mostly known for giving us nightmares, but apparently it can now help us lose weight, too.
New research, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, has found that eating cottage cheese before going to sleep can help shed the pounds, as the low calorie food boosts metabolism, muscles and overall health – even while you are in bed, according to scientists.
The popular theory is a regular late night snack increases the risk of obesity because the body stores it as fat.
But that isnt the case with protein rich products like cottage cheese, explained nutritionist Professor Michael Ormsbee.
His team found consuming two tablespoons of the cheese just half an hour prior to bedtime was actually good for wellbeing, and it offers as an alternative to healthy drinks or powders.
Even for those who have sworn off eating at night, there is no gain in body fat, said Professor Ormsbee.
It is one of the first studies where participants ate a whole food as opposed to a protein shake or supplement.
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Professor Ormsbee, of Florida State University, said: Until now, we presumed whole foods would act similarly to the data on supplemental protein, but we had no real evidence.
This is important because it adds to the body of literature that indicates whole foods work just as well as protein supplementation, and it gives people options for pre-sleep nutrition that go beyond powders and shaker bottles.
Cottage cheese is believed to be ideal before bed because it is abundant in a protein called casein, which releases slowly into the body.
This ensures a steady supply of amino acids through the night. When you eat protein, its broken down into amino acids.
These are then used to help your body with various processes such as building muscle and regulating immune function.
In the study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, 10 active young women in their 20s were given 30 grams of cottage cheese 30 to 60 minutes before going to bed.
They ate it two hours after having dinner at the sleep laboratory where the experiments were carried out.
Upon waking between 5 and 8am their resting energy expenditure – the amount of energy burned while asleep – was measured.
This showed it was just as efficient as when they were given a casein shake to drink before going to bed.
Specifically Professor Ormsbee and his graduate student Samantha Leyh said the cottage cheese had improved their metabolic rate and muscle recovery equally as well.
Professor Ormsbee added: These data suggest the metabolic response from whole-food protein do not differ from the metabolic response of liquid protein.
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Samantha, who is now a research dietitian with the US Air Force, said the results serve as a foundation for future research on precise metabolic responses to whole food consumption.
She said: While protein supplements absolutely have their place, it is important to begin pooling data for foods and understanding the role they can play in these situations.
Like the additive and synergistic effects of vitamins and minerals when consumed in whole food form such as fruits or veggies, perhaps whole food sources may follow suit.
While we cant generalise for all whole foods as we have only utilised cottage cheese, this research will hopefully open the door to future studies doing just that.
Salmon is also said to be a perfect pre-bed food because it is high in protein and healthy omega fats that are good for health.
Having it with a salad adds bulk and fibre for the perfect low-carb option. Like cottage cheese, Greek yoghurt is also high in protein and packs a calcium punch.
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Other low fat cheeses eaten with raw vegetables also do the job – or some tinned tuna.
Professor Ormsbee said his team will start examining more pre-sleep food options by carrying out longer term studies.
He hopes from doing this, hell be able to shed light on the best food choices for overall health, recovery from exercise and the repair and regeneration of muscle.
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He said: There is much more to uncover in this area of study.
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