Han Ji-min, “I hate the pale face”… Eating ‘this’ at night makes me swell?

Actress Han Ji-min confessed that she was worried about her haggard face.

Han Ji-min recently appeared on SBS’ ‘Whenever I Can’ and talked about a special concern. He said, “It wasn’t like that at first, but for a while now, when I get tired, I lose a lot of fat on my face.” He said, “So I was a little swollen today,” after eating a late-night snack the night before filming for the broadcast appearance. Let’s take a look at the effects on the body if you eat a late-night snack to prevent swelling like Ji-min Han.

Why do we lose facial fat as we age?

First, many people worry about their faces becoming haggard as they age. When you are young, your face is round and plump, but as time goes by, the volume of facial fat, muscles, and ligaments decreases. The face loses weight more easily than other parts such as the stomach and chest. This is because there are more beta receptors that help break down fat than elsewhere in the body, and the fat particles themselves are small. Loss of facial fat is a natural occurrence due to aging, but it can be a cause for concern as the face becomes saggy and lacks three-dimensionality compared to when you were younger.

What would happen to your health if you had a late-night snack like Han Ji-min? Most late-night snack menus for bloating are salty. When sodium concentration in the body increases, the face may appear swollen. This is because sodium attracts moisture in intracellular fluid through osmosis and accumulates it, causing edema. However, it is only a temporary phenomenon, and you should be careful because swelling of the face, hands, and feet can harm your health if you continue to eat late at night.

Excessive sodium intake and late-night snacking habits increase blood pressure and cause obesity

Excessive sodium intake is a major cause of increased blood pressure and also causes obesity. Sodium speeds up gastrointestinal tract movement and promotes food digestion. It can make you feel hungry frequently or cause inflammation, which increases the likelihood of you looking for something to snack on. Salty and spicy foods stimulate the brain and make us think ‘delicious’, which can lead to overeating. In fact, according to a study conducted at a university in the UK, even if you eat the same amount of food, consuming 1g more salt increases the likelihood of gaining weight by 20%.

Late night snacks themselves are the main culprit in causing obesity. Hormonal changes can increase your appetite. A research team at Brigham and Women’s Hospital affiliated with Harvard Medical School analyzed the effects of late-night snacks on hormones in overweight or obese people. As a result of the study, participants who ate a late-night snack had an average of 6% lower levels of appetite-suppressing hormones for 24 hours than those who did not eat a late-night snack. Appetite-enhancing hormone levels were about 12% higher.

If you are worried about losing facial fat, it is better to frequently eat foods that prevent aging and replenish moisture rather than having a habit of enjoying late-night snacks. Foods with anti-aging effects include fish, nuts, and olives that are rich in unsaturated fatty acids. Unsaturated fatty acids help prevent aging by reducing free radicals that cause cell damage. Moisture not only expels toxins and waste products, but also maintains the balance inside and outside of cells, supports skin elasticity, and strengthens the skin barrier. If necessary, undergoing surgery may also be helpful.