Wednesday, February 17, 2016

The Cycle of Life

Many people seem to be unaware that just living a life in-congruent to light and temperature cycles set us up for neolithic (post-agriculture) disease.   Immunity has been shown to be directly tied to the normal circadian clocks.

Circadian rhythms are physical, mental and behavioral changes that follow a roughly 24-hour cycle, responding primarily to light and darkness in an organism's environment. They are found in most living things, including animals, plants and many tiny microbes.

Circadian rhythms are produced by natural factors within the body, but they are also affected by signals from the environment. Light is the main cue influencing circadian rhythms, turning on or turning off genes that control an organism's internal clocks.

Circadian rhythms can influence sleep-wake cycles, hormone release, body temperature and other important bodily functions. They have been linked to various sleep disorders, such as insomnia. Abnormal circadian rhythms have also been associated with obesity, diabetes, depression, bipolar disorder and seasonal affective disorder.

Source: National Institute of General Medical Sciences