Jet lag affects much more than your sleep cycle



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Jet lag can dampen the most exciting holidays. Almost everyone who has traveled through time zones knows what it's like. The experience lies somewhere between eating an oatmeal cooked one day and heal a hangover.

These metaphors about food and drink are not just a coincidence. It turns out that jet lag affects more than just our sleep. it also affects our internal organs. Given what is known about the importance of intestinal bacteria (the microbiome) and their relationship to immune function and well-being, it is clear that any discussion of jet lag and How to treat it

Beyond drowsiness at the wrong time, jet lag affects our internal organs: The liver, pancreas, heart and gastrointestinal tract have their own daily rhythms.

The smallest region of the brain, called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, the change of time can affect different organs differently.

The most obvious signs of this is "intestinal delay" – hunger (or no appetite) at the wrong time, constipation or even evidence that the lagut may affect the gut microbiome (those bacteria that colonize our gut) and make us more susceptible to traveler's diarrhea. This is partly because disrupting the daily rhythms of our 100 billion intestinal microbes can adversely affect their immune function.

As with jet lag, there are some things you can do to manage intestinal delay. en route, to avoid the possibility of indigestion of unusual food schedules. This can be difficult for souls deprived of sleep: It is well known that eating is often a way to compensate for lack of sleep. (People who are sleep deprived tend to gain weight.)

For some, eating before you go can prevent hunger before you arrive.

Bowel habits will adjust more quickly if you eat immediately during scheduled meal times. the new time zone. Exercise can also help regulate bowel function, with the added bonus that it can make you feel less sleepy. Whatever you do, drink plenty of water or other liquids: People often dehydrate in flight, which can aggravate constipation, a well-known feature of the intestines. If it persists for more than a few days, mild laxatives may be helpful.

A final warning about advice about jet lag and bowel shift. Despite the incredible influence of the cycle of darkness and light, we are all slightly different. Some people are naturally early birds; others are of course late risers.

In addition, our fabrics have multiple clocks with varying effects, and some of our internal parts take longer than others to adapt to changing times. Given this complex interrelationship involving our brain, our other organs and the rhythms of light and darkness, there is no single advice for travelers. This can take several trips across time zones and experimentation with light exposure, sleep patterns, melatonin and diet before you have figured out what works best for you.

The Washington Post

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