![]() ![]() For example, some cholesterol-fighting statins are most efficient when taken in the evening so they can best hit their target, the HMG-CoA reductase enzyme. That means the time of day that drugs are administered could matter. What’s more, some 1,000 FDA-approved drugs target genes that are controlled by our internal clocks. Ongoing studies may soon show how this translates to human eating habits. ![]() Those who nibbled on the same diet throughout the day and night became morbidly obese. When the mice ate a high-fat diet during their nighttime active phase, they stayed relatively trim. Several years ago, a study looked at the feeding behavior of mice, which are nocturnal animals. The timing of meals can also impact your health: When you eat may be more important than what you eat. Our bodies are so finely tuned to these cycles that disruptions caused by artificial light increase our risk of obesity, chronic inflammatory diseases and cancer. Nearly every biological function is intimately linked to our internal clocks. Why should teens listen to their parents’ pleas to go to bed? Because human growth hormone is secreted only once a day, linked to sleeping at night. Why are heart attacks and strokes two to three times more common in the early morning? Chalk that up to our internal clocks, which coordinate an increase in blood pressure in the morning to help you wake up. This controls when particular processes will occur in your body, such as the release of hormones like sleep-promoting melatonin. Over the course of a day, this slow dance results in the timely expression of genes. Every 24 hours or so, dedicated clock proteins interact with one another in a slow dance. Nearly every cell in your body contains a molecular clock. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |