Sabina Hajdarovic
Circadian rhythm is arguably a common topic that comes up frequently in conversations. When our sleeping schedules are off or disrupted, it does often take a toll on how the rest of our day goes. Much of research has explored the negative impact that various disruptions can have on one’s circadian rhythm.
Dr. Cavanaugh presented his research on the consequences of circadian disruption in Drosophila melanogaster. He manipulated the presence of light by using incubators that change light to study different sleeping patterns and activity in the fruit flies. He found that behavioral rhythm persisted without environmental cues (i.e. presence/absence of light), showing that circadian rhythm is endogenously driven. However, the flies had an overall reduced life longevity - a major consequence to circadian misalignment. He explains that circadian misalignment in humans can be induced by jetlag, shift work, irregular schedules, and negative health outcomes to name a few precursors.
An article published by The New York Times titled, “When We Eat, or Don’t Eat, May Be Critical for Health” by Anahad O’Connor entails how eating patterns should align with our circadian rhythms. He indicated that the average person eats over 15+ hours each day, from the time they wake up to the time they fall asleep. O’Connor explains that the circadian rhythm coincides with one’s metabolism and hormone signalling. It is best to eat earlier in the day when the pancreas increases its insulin production at a faster rate. Additionally, the “lack of sunlight prompts the brain to release melatonin,” (O’Connor, 2018) thus late night snacking can disrupt and give mixed signals to the body’s metabolism and core clock. A time restricted diet can significantly improve one’s health and life longevity, partially because it aligns with your circadian rhythm (your body clock). O’Connor refers to an experiment conducted by Dr. Peterson, who split prediabetic men into two groups. One group ate in 12 hour daily windows for five weeks, while the other group ate in 6 hour daily windows for the same time period. The latter group who had an shorter time restricted diet had better health outcomes of lower blood pressure, oxidative stress, and insulin levels. Therefore, an early time restricted diet better coincides with the natural circadian rhythm of the body within a 24 hour daily period. This research supports Dr. Cavanaugh’s argument that a poor circadian rhythm can negatively impact health consequences and life longevity.
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