Reset your jet-lagged body clock with food
As someone who used to travel to California once a month and suffer jet leg each time – finding myself confused and indecisive in scientific meetings – I’m always interested to hear about new ways of tackling its effects.
I wish I’d known that overcoming jet lag may be as simple as changing the time you eat.
Researchers have discovered that postponing meals smooths out how our blood sugar levels fluctuate throughout the day.
And this, in turn, helps to synchronise our internal body clock.
They believe their findings may also benefit dozing shift workers. Lead author Dr Jonathan Johnston, from the University of Surrey, said: “Altering meal times can reset the body clock, regulating sugar metabolism in a drug-free way.
“This will help us design feeding regimes to reduce the risk of developing health problems such as obesity and cardiovascular disease in people with disturbed circadian rhythms.” University of Surrey researchers examined the impact of altering meal times on the body clocks of 10 volunteers, who were given breakfast, lunch and dinner.
In the first stage of the study, breakfast was provided 30 minutes after waking, with later meals being given at subsequent five-hour intervals.
The second stage of the study involved giving volunteers their breakfast five hours after waking.
At each stage, blood and fat samples were taken to track volunteers’ body clocks. Results reveal that postponing meals by five hours alters blood sugar rhythms by the same amount of time.
The researchers claim their findings demonstrate how controlling blood sugar levels could help to synchronise our body clock with the time at your destination. So shift workers and those who travel on long-haul flights may wish to delay their meals.
Dr Johnston said: “It has been shown that regular jet lag and shift work have adverse effects on the body, including metabolic disturbances.”
So next time you fly long-haul, try to delay eating by five hours.
You could also try having certain helpful foods such as cherry juice, which contains melatonin and aids sleep. Kiwi fruit is high in the mood hormone serotonin, which converts to melatonin in the body. Eggs are a rich source of vitamin B12, which regulates melatonin signalling in the brain and can induce alertness.
Green leafy vegetables contain calming magnesium, which regulates our sleep-wake cycle. Whole grains stimulate the release of insulin, which manages our blood sugar levels and therefore our alertness. Camomile tea is a very calming drink that has been shown to reduce insomnia.
Useful to know.