What is the truth about eating after 6:00pm?

Meraid

Actually, it is not as simple as calories in and calories out. I had an interesting discussion with my fitness crazy, doctor, brother who explained to me that the pancreas secretes one of the hormones that is responsible for the breakdown of fat. It is called HGH or human growth hormone. It is usually at it's peak while we sleep or after exercise, because the pancreas only produces it when our blood sugar is low. The pancreas also produces insulin to move blood sugar into cells. It will not produce HGH when it is producing insulin. I understand that insulin has a half life of about 6 minutes and the pancreas continues to produce it until blood sugar is lowered. My brother has been taught that a meal before bed will significantly reduce the amount of HGH that the body produces and as a result reduce the amount of fat that is broken down (lipolysis). I would be interested in any more information corroborating or disputing this information. Thanks.

Well in 12th grade your hormones are still pretty mixed up.

Well that's pretty accurate. That's about grade 12 bio/ 1st year uni. I learned about it in my grade 12 bio. I hadn't heard about that last point though. All I knew about was HGH is released when blood sugar is low and insulin when it is high. Both are part of the cycle and stop when the blood sugar level is normal. Maybe I'm just mixing up my hormones though, but I thought that even before you eat a meal, your body knows and starts producing insulin before you even eat to prepare for the sugars.
I honestly could be mixing up my hormones altogether, so I can't remember the class very well xD

I don't see how that relates :X I meant I might be thinking of the wrong hormone that works opposite to insulin, since we're talking about digesting fat and controlling blood sugar yet using one hormone. I didn't mean anything about your actual hormones being mixed up in grade 12 ! That's just where I learned it xD