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British researchers have identified the role of insulin in maintaining the proper functioning of the biological clock. The hormone acts as a signal allowing different cellular processes to work online with each other. ( pixabay )
Knowing the right time of day to eat can help improve the health of people who work or who suffer from jet lag.
In a study published in the newspaper CellResearchers from the Medical Research Council and the University of Manchester have identified how insulin indicates the right meal times based on the circadian rhythm of the body.
By understanding how the hormone works, scientists may be able to develop new ways to mitigate the effects of the disturbances of the biological clock on health. Some of them include eating at the right time or taking medications designed to trigger insulin production.
"We already know that modern society poses many problems for our health and well-being – things that are considered mundane, such as shift work, lack of sleep and jet lag, disrupt our biological clock," he said. Dr. David Bechtold, a lecturer in Manchester and one of the authors of the study.
"It is now clear that circadian disorders increase the incidence and severity of many diseases, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes."
Cellular clocks of the body
The circadian rhythm, commonly known as the biological clock, refers to the body's cellular processes that occur throughout a 24-hour cycle. It helps the body know when to sleep, what levels of hormones to regulate and how it should react to different medications.
The body is able to synchronize the circadian rhythm with its environment by exposing it to the light of day and eating at the right time. This is important to help keep the body healthy in the long run.
However, people working on changing schedules or traveling in different time zones often experience disruption of their circadian rhythm. They are also prone to eating at unusual times, which can seriously affect their biological clock and their health.
We do not know much about how the body clock reacts to mealtimes. If health professionals discover this secret, they could explain to their patients how to mitigate the effects of circadian rhythm disturbances.
The role of insulin in setting circadian rhythm
To understand the functioning of the biological clock, Bechtold and his colleagues conducted experiments on cells in culture, and then replicated them on mice.
They discovered that insulin helps to adjust the different circadian rhythms of individual cells and tissues by producing a certain type of protein called PERIOD. The results showed that the period plays a key role in defining the circadian clocks of every cell in the body.
The researchers provided insulin to the mice while they were supposed to rest to simulate a "bad" biological time. This affected the normal circadian rhythms of the mice and hindered the ability of the animal body to differentiate between day and night.
The study shows how eating at the wrong time can disrupt people's body clocks. To maintain normal bodily functions, Bechtold and his team believe that it is important to respect the proper pace of meals and to expose the body to enough light. These can help combat the negative effects of shift work on health.
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