A new study has shown that disruption of the body’s natural circadian rhythm can lead to a number of illness and wellbeing issues. They specifically include an increase in obesity and the risk of both diabetes and heart attacks. The study, which was published in the journal Current Biology, makes it clear that it’s not only what we eat that is important to our health, but also the time that we eat as well.
The study concluded definitively that insulin activity is controlled by the body’s circadian biological clock, often known as the circadian rhythm. The research was completed by a team at Vanderbilt University in the United States. The authors were keen to point out that keeping your circadian rhythms regular appears to be just important as eating healthily to ensure that you keep your body in the best shape possible.
The study adds to an increasing body of knowledge that has shown a variety of links between the operation of the body’s biological clock and a number of aspects of metabolism. However, this study is very important as it had been previously assumed that the variations were in response to insulin, which is one of the most important hormones to metabolism. However, this is the first time this is has been determined that insulin action follows a 24-hour cycle and what happens when the body’s circadian clock is disrupted.
Insulin is made in the pancreas and it plays a very important role in regulating the speed at which the body metabolises fat and carbohydrates. When we eat, our digestive system breaks down the carbohydrates in our food into the simple sugar, which is absorbed into the blood stream. When the circadian rhythm is disrupted is can stop the body’s ability to produce insulin which leads to a higher risk of diabetes.
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