长期夜间断食似乎有助促进新陈代谢

If your phone needs a software upgrade, you would likely run the installations when it's fully charged. Otherwise, your phone and its software would take longer to sync.

如果你的手机需要升级软件，你应该会在手机完全充电后再安装。否则，手机和软件同步会耗费更长的时间。

A new study finds human energy systems operate in a similar fashion: Our metabolisms likely function best in the morning when our bodies are fresh and fully charged.

一项新的研究发现，人体内的能量系统也在以相似方式运作。人体的新陈代谢在清新而充沛的早晨可以发挥出最佳效能。

The research, based on a seven-year dietary analysis of 50,000 adults, found that body weight, measured by body mass index, corresponds with when we eat and how often we eat.

在对5万名成年人长达7年的饮食分析的基础上，研究发现体重指数（BMI）与进食时间和进食频率相关。

Specifically, people who eat larger breakfasts and adopt an 18-hour overnight fast, say from 1 pm to 7 am, have the lowest body weights. Those who ate more than three meals, or three meals plus snacks, had higher BMIs.

具体而言，早餐吃得多、18小时（下午1点-早上7点）空腹的人，体重指数最低。一天吃三顿以上，或者三餐加零食，体重指数会更高一些。

Those who ate later in the day, after 6 pm, compared to having the largest meal at breakfast or lunch, had higher body weights.

那些在下午6点以后进食的人比早餐或午餐吃得很多的人体重指数要高。

The Loma Linda University researchers hypothesize that 18- to 19-hour overnight dietary fasts reboot our metabolisms to help our bodies burn calories efficiently.

洛马林达大学的研究员们假设，18-19小时空腹可以重新发动人体的新陈代谢，以帮助高效燃烧卡路里。

Lead author Dr Hana Kahleova, director of clinical research at the nonprofit Physicians Committee, says this process ensures our energy intake correlates with energy output, instead of energy reserves — or enlarged fat cells.

这项研究的第一作者，非营利性医师委员会临床研究主任，Hana Kahleova博士表示，这一过程确保摄入的能量与消耗直接相关，脂肪不会被储存或增加。

Contrary to popular belief, these extended overnight fasts seem to help boost metabolic function.

与普遍流行的观点相反，长期的夜间断食似乎有助于促进新陈代谢。

Kahleova also finds meals consumed in the evening, compared to those eaten in the morning, result in a hyperglycemic response, or elevated blood sugar, which happens when insulin can't process glucose into energy. Like a clog in a machine, extra glucose slows our bodies' metabolic process down.

Kahleova还发现，与早餐相比，晚餐会让血糖升高更明显（胰岛素无法将葡糖糖转换为能量）。如同机器堵塞，额外的葡萄糖会降低人体的新陈代谢速度。

What does this mean for you?

Depending on your goals and health status, you may consider rearranging your meals so you consume more calories in the morning when insulin function is most efficient.

你可以根据你的目标和健康状况，考虑一下重新安排你的膳食。你可以在早晨胰岛素效能最高时，摄入更多的卡路里。

So, let's say you consume 1,500 to 1,800 calories a day. Instead of splitting 500 to 600 calories evenly at each meal, you could experiment with eating 600 to 700 calories for breakfast, 600 to 700 calories for lunch and a light 300- to 400-calorie dinner.

假设你每天摄入1500-1800卡。你可以试一下早餐600-700卡、午餐600-700卡、晚餐300-400卡，而不是每餐500-600卡平均分配。

If you're looking to lose 10 pounds or reverse the early stages of Type 2 diabetes, the 18- to 19-hour overnight fast might work well for you. This could mean eating a larger breakfast, a medium-sized lunch and no dinner at all.

如果你想减重10磅或处于2型糖尿病早期，18-19小时的隔夜断食也许会很有帮助。可以选择更丰盛的早饭，中等分量的午饭，并且不吃晚饭。

Instead of intermittent fasting, or alternating days of eating low-calorie meals with standard fare, you could experiment with skipping one meal each day. This enables your cells to recharge and use all the available fuel, ensuring insulin function remains at its peak the next morning.

选择每天少吃一顿饭，而不是无规律断食或低卡餐与普通餐换着吃。这样可以使细胞恢复能量，耗尽所有可用燃料，并确保胰岛素可在第二天早晨维持最高效能。

Of course, this semi-intermittent fasting approach isn't for everyone. People who maintain highly active lifestyles, for instance, and need adequate fuel to power morning runs or help muscle fibers recover from intense evening workouts like weightlifting might not benefit. Still, the concept provides a glimpse into how our bodies utilize fuel efficiently.

当然，这种半间歇性断食并不适合所有人。比如，对那些日常生活高度耗能的人来说，这种断食可能没有益处；他们需要充足的燃料，来为晨跑提供动力、或使肌肉纤维从高强度的夜间锻炼（如：举重）后得到恢复。不过，对于人体如何有效利用燃料，这一概念提供了一种新的思路。

A moderate application

A more moderate application of this research may be to institute celebratory brunches or breakfasts instead of holiday dinners and evening birthday parties to support long-term weight maintenance.

研究结果可以适度应用于庆功宴的时间选择：为长期控制体重，可以用早午餐或早餐来取代假日晚餐和生日晚会。

After all, previous research has shown that breakfast increases satiety, reduces total energy intake and sets us up to make better food choices throughout the day, likely because we start out with better breakfast options like fiber- and nutrient-dense foods.

毕竟，已有的研究表明早餐可以增加饱腹感，减少能量总摄入，并让我们全天都可以更好地选择食物。这可能是因为我们的早餐吃得好，如富含纤维、营养丰富的食物。

As Kahleova said, the ancient advice to eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper has new science behind it.

如Kahleova所言，“像国王一样吃早餐、像王子一样吃午餐、像穷光蛋一样吃晚餐”，这则古老的建议被新的科学发现所支持。

She prescribes this approach, along with plant-based eating patterns and daily exercise, as a blueprint for those struggling with extra weight and sluggish metabolisms. The approach, she finds, works remarkably well for those eager to reach and maintain a healthy body weight.

她建议，体重超重和代谢缓慢的人可以采用这种膳食方法，并以素食为主、坚持日常锻炼。这种方法非常适合那些渴望达到并保持健康体重的人。