Recent studies have found an increasing link between our body’s natural circadian clock and the development of metabolic diseases, including type-2 diabetes.
Comparing the pancreatic cells of type-2 diabetic donors with those without the disease, researchers at the University of Geneva and the University Hospitals of Geneva demonstrated that the pancreatic cells of diabetic donors had compromised circadian oscillators.
The circadian system, also known as our ‘body clock’, allows humans to anticipate and adapt to changes in geophysical time. It’s the same system that helps us know when to fall asleep and when to wake up.
The new evidence reinforces the theory that disturbances in our internal clocks can have a significant impact on our overall health. An earlier study, also focussing on the pancreatic cells, confirmed the link between these cells and the circadian rhythm.
“Pancreatic cells are also subject to the rhythm of fasting and food intake, and to a tight hormonal regulation,” says head researcher, Charna Dibner. “Coordinating all levels of regulation therefore allows the optimization of metabolic functions. Clocks deregulation in pancreatic islet leads to a compromised function: they are not anymore anticipating food-derived signals. Indeed, if you eat the same food but at night rather than during the day, you may gain weight much faster, due to a suboptimal response of your metabolism.”
Scientists in the recent Geneva study found they were able to resynchronize the clock using a molecule derived from lemon peel. “As soon as we got the clocks back in sync, we also observed an improvement in insulin secretion,” says researcher Volodymyr Petrenko.
The researchers say they “hope to ultimately be able to provide an innovative solution to an epidemical metabolic problem affecting an ever-increasing proportion of the world’s population.”
