Disruption of the body clock can be detrimental to health: here is everything you need to know

Washington DC: A recent study suggests that the time spent eating is an important knowledge for the human body, which influences the health of people. In addition, researchers have identified insulin as a primary signal that helps communicate meal times to cell clocks located throughout our body, commonly known as the biological clock.

The team behind the research believes that this improved understanding could lead to new ways to alleviate the health problems badociated with disturbances of the biological clock.

The biological clock – also called circadian rhythm – is a 24-hour biological cycle that occurs individually in every cell of the body, causing the daily rhythms of our physiology, from sleep to hormonal levels, to the response to medications . according to the study published in the Journal of Cell.

Our biological clock is synchronized with the surrounding environment by exposure to the light of day and at mealtimes. This synchronism is important for long-term health, and it is well known that disrupting your circadian rhythm by working in shifts or crossing time zones can be detrimental to your health. health.

Importantly, it is thought that eating at unusual times, as often happens during shift work and jet lag, is a major cause of disturbance of the body clock.

However, previously, it was unclear exactly how the biological clock detects and reacts to meal times, making it difficult to provide medical advice or interventions that could alleviate the problem. problem.

Researchers have now identified insulin as a primary signal that helps communicate meal times to our cell's cell clocks and thereby boost circadian rhythm. The team's experiments on cultured cells, replicated in mice, show that insulin, a hormone released when we eat, adjusts the circadian rhythms of many cells and tissues individually, stimulating the production of A protein called "period", a vital cog in every time. circadian clock of the cell.

Dr. John O'Neill, Principal Investigator, said, "At the heart of these cell clocks is a complex set of molecules whose interaction provides accurate 24-hour synchronization." What we have shown here is that 'insulin, released when we eat, can act as a synchronization signal for the cells of our whole body'.

The researchers found that when insulin was fed to mice at the "wrong" biological moment – when the animals were resting normally – it disrupted normal circadian rhythms, thus causing less distinction between day and night.

Dr. Bechtold, researcher, said, "We already know that modern society poses many problems for our health and well-being – things that are considered mundane, such as shift work, sleep deprivation and jet lag. Disrupt our biological clock It is now clear that circadian disorders increase the incidence and severity of many diseases, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. "

Dr. Priya Crosby, the lead author, pointed out, "Our data suggests that eating at the wrong time could have a major impact on our circadian rhythms." There is still work to be done here, but it is likely that we will special attention at mealtimes and exposure to light The best way to mitigate the negative effects of shift work Even for those who work in a more traditional way, paying attention to eating time is a way important to help maintain a healthy biological clock, especially as we get older. "