Researchers may have pinpointed the underlying issue that adversely impacts the well-being of countless shift workers who toil during the night while the rest of the population slumbers.
For individuals working in opposition to their natural circadian rhythms, this lifestyle choice can lead to weight gain, diabetes, cancer, depression, and diminished cardiovascular health, as an array of studies suggests.
A fresh investigation now unveils the critical relationship between the timing of meals and its repercussions on health. The conclusion of this study is founded on observations made in rodents, indicating that alterations in appetite patterns are associated with discord between sleep-wake cycles and day-night signals.
The study, conducted by a team of scientists at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, explores the intricate interplay between hormones linked to sleep-wake cycles and the daily dietary habits of rats. Their findings illustrate that disruptions in circadian rhythms, which encompass physical, mental, and behavioral changes over a 24-hour period, significantly impact the eating behaviors of the rodents.
In order to perturb the natural bodily rhythms of the rats, the researchers administered corticosterone, a hormone analogous to cortisol in humans, synchronously and out of phase with light-dark cues. In rodents, corticosterone levels rise notably before awakening and gradually decline throughout the day.
When rats with undisturbed rhythms encountered poorly timed surges of corticosterone, they consumed a daily amount of food identical to that of rats with synchronized rhythms and a control group that received no hormone infusions. However, a noteworthy aspect emerged: these rats consumed almost half of their daily food intake during periods when they would typically be at rest.
Furthermore, the research suggests that a reduction in genes that restrain appetite likely led to a significantly heightened inclination to eat during the inactive phase of the rats’ daily cycle.
Post Your Comments