Mobile phones have seamlessly integrated into our daily lives, revolutionizing the way we communicate and consume content. However, some experts suggest that the increasing use of smartphones, particularly at night, might have unforeseen consequences on our body’s internal clock and potentially lead to weight gain.
Becky Conway-Campbell, a research fellow at the Bristol Medical School, explains that our bodies operate on intricate sleep-wake cycles, driven by the “master clock” in the brain. This “master clock” controls factors like alertness, mood, body temperature, and appetite. Other internal “peripheral oscillators” are synchronized by neural and hormonal signals, including the release of cortisol, known as the “stress hormone,” during the early morning hours.
Exposure to artificial light, especially from late-night use of blue-light emitting devices like smartphones, can disrupt these circadian rhythms. This disturbance, termed “circadian misalignment,” can lead to various side effects, such as brain fog, lethargy, temperature fluctuations, changes in appetite, and excessive calorie consumption.
To investigate this theory, researchers conducted experiments on rats, giving them cortisol-like hormones when their body clocks were synchronized and when they weren’t. The results showed that rats with disrupted body clocks ate a significant portion of their daily calories during their inactive phase, without a corresponding increase in activity during this period.
This study, published in the journal Nature Communications Biology, suggests that circadian disruption might lead to altered eating patterns and potentially contribute to weight gain.
However, more research is needed to fully understand the impact of these hormonal disruptions in humans and to identify potential strategies for mitigating these negative effects. The prevalence of smartphones and the growing concerns about their influence on our health underscore the importance of further investigating this fascinating connection.
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