Sync Your Circadian Rhythm to SLASH Diabetes Risk

Two studies on the connection between circadian rhythm and diabetes caught my eye recently.

They tackle the issue from opposite ends of the spectrum—one showing the metabolic benefits of light during the day and the other showing the risks of light exposure at night.

But together, they make one thing crystal clear: managing your circadian rhythm is JUST as critical for your metabolic health as diet.

Let’s take a closer look at why.

The first study highlighted what people who work the night shift are up against when it comes to their risk of developing obesity and diabetes.

Volunteers were put on a simulated day shift or night shift schedule for three days. After their final shift, everyone was kept awake for 24 hours to measure their internal circadian rhythms.

Blood samples revealed that the proteins involved in glucose regulation changed significantly in nightshift workers compared to dayshift.

In fact, in the night shift group there was nearly a COMPLETE REVERSAL of glucose rhythms.

But it gets worse. Processes involved in insulin production and sensitivity—two factors that keep your glucose in a healthy range—were no longer synchronized in the night-shift workers.

The study shows that even just a few DAYS of circadian disruption harms how your body regulates blood glucose and energy metabolism.

We already knew that night shift workers were at a higher risk of diabetes, but this new research gives essential insights into WHY that’s the case.

In the second study, researchers found that being physically active outdoors in NATURE could combat about 13,000 cases of type 2 diabetes, depression, heart disease, and other chronic conditions yearly.

The study doesn’t address why this might be the case, but it’s clear to me that while moving your body more IS vital to reducing your disease risks, it’s just one of the factors involved.

Being outdoors during the day gives the body a couple more critical tools for fighting off diabetes and other chronic diseases—a circadian rhythm reset and a vitamin D top-up.

So, the bottom line is that to give yourself the best chance of staying healthy, you need to follow Nature’s natural day and night rhythm.

P.S. New research reveals a unique way to balance your blood sugar levels… and it has nothing to do with your diet.

SOURCE:

Jason E. McDermott, et al., Molecular-Level Dysregulation of Insulin Pathways and Inflammatory Processes in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells by Circadian Misalignment. Journal of Proteome Research, 2024; 23 (5): 1547 [DOI: 10.1021 /acs .jproteome .3c00418]