(Defeat Diabetes® News) -- Researchers have recently uncovered the existence of a "food-related" body clock.  This finding provides a potential explanation for how animals adapt under extreme conditions, and how humans might be able to adjust their schedules when their primary body clock is disrupted, such as with jet lag.

 

Past research has suggested that many animals have an internal body clock, or circadian rhythm, which naturally seems to occur in humans as a light-based timekeeper (our bodies seem to know the time of day based on the presence or lack of light, with many mechanisms functioning accordingly). More specifically, "the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), a group of cells in the brain's hypothalamus, serves as the body's primary biological clock. The SCN receives signals about the light-dark cycle through the visual system, and passes that information along to another cell group in the hypothalamus known as the dorsomedial nucleus (DMH). The DMH then organizes sleep-wake cycles, as well as cycles of activity, feeding and hormones." This process works almost flawlessly under conditions where food is very accessible.

 

The findings of the recent study suggest that when food is not available during "normal" feeding times, the body adjusts in a way that actually overpowers the light-based body clock. Dr. Clifford Saper, lead researcher for the study, says that "In order to survive, animals appear to have developed a secondary "food-related" master clock. This new timepiece enables animals to switch their sleep and wake schedules in order to maximize their opportunity of finding food." This "food-related" master clock is present outside of the SCN, and apparently present in "oscillator cells in the brain as well as in peripheral tissues like the stomach and liver."

 

By disabling a primary gene in the known body clock BMAL1 in mice, "we discovered that a single cycle of starvation followed by refeeding turns on the clock [food-related], so that it effectively overrides the suprachiasmatic nucleus and hijacks all of the circadian rhythms onto a new time zone that corresponds with food availability," says Dr. Saper.

 

The applicability of this study to humans may be most profound in people that often change time zones or have irregular working schedules (throwing off the light-based body clock). Examples are travelers, international businessmen, and shift workers. Many people are familiar with "jet-lag," in which during a dramatic time zone change, the body needs at least a few days to function normally again. It's suggested by the study that by fasting, it may be possible to get one's body clock functioning properly more quickly by turning on the food-related clock. "A period of fasting with no food at all for about 16 hours is enough to engage this new clock. So, in this case, simply avoiding any food on the plane, and then eating as soon as you land, should help you to adjust – and avoid some of the uncomfortable feelings of jet lag," says Dr. Saper.

Author's note: While this study shows a potential way to reduce the discomfort and inconvenience of jet lag and related body clock disruptions, the method cannot be recommended for people with certain conditions, especially diabetics. It is essential in the management of diabetes to maintain a regular and healthy eating schedule, making blood sugar levels more predictable and manageable. For a diabetic, fasting can be very dangerous, and should certainly not be done on a consistent basis.

 

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  This regimen should not be begun by diabetics before consultation with their physicians. Food ingestion may need to be modified, insulin or medication adjusted, or this method may not be appropriate.