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For globe trotters, few experiences rival the thrill of touching down in a new city, the adventures that await just beyond the tarmac. But, then there’s the dreaded jet lag – the physiological price of long-distance travel. However, recent studies out of the US might just have presented the ideal solution. With strategic eating patterns and a dose of sunlight, travelers may soon bid goodbye to jet lag. As one dives into the heart of this research, one thing becomes evident: our body’s internal clocks and the disruption they face during travel plays a pivotal role.
What Causes Jetlag?
Jetlag arises from disruptions to the body’s circadian rhythm – an innate 24-hour cycle governing numerous bodily functions. This rhythm is synced to Earth’s daily rotation. Thus, jet-setting across multiple time zones can wreak havoc on this internal system, leading to insomnia, fatigue, erratic hunger, digestive issues, and even severe headaches.
Determined to find a remedy, researchers at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, and the Santa Fe Institute in New Mexico undertook a comprehensive study.
“Having a larger meal in the early morning of the new time zone can help overcome jet lag,” revealed Yitong Huang, the study’s author from Northwestern University. Huang emphasized the importance of maintaining meal schedules, noting, “Constantly shifting meal schedules or eating at night can cause misalignment between internal clocks.”
Our body’s central time-keeper, the circadian rhythm, influences sleep patterns. Recent studies show that virtually every tissue and cell in our body harbors its own circadian clock, each potentially differing. The brain houses the main clock, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), comprising roughly 20,000 nerve cells, directly linked to our eyes.
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Jetlag arises from disruptions to the body’s circadian rhythm – an innate 24-hour cycle governing numerous bodily functions. (CREDIT: Creative Commons)
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