 |
| A walk at dawn may be the healthiest way to start the day as 30 minutes outside in the morning light can help lower body fat |
Scientists have found that getting up early and enjoying the early morning light helps lower body fat because the 'blue light' of the morning kick starts the body's metabolism
Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise, goes the old adage.
But now scientists have discovered that getting a good dose of early morning sunshine really does improve health by lowering body fat.
Even just 20-30 minutes of morning sunlight is enough to keep off the pounds, scientists believe, in the first study to link weight to light.
It is thought that early morning light triggers certain genes which are linked to the internal body clock and kick-starts the metabolism.
"Light is the most potent agent to synchronize your internal body clock that regulates circadian rhythms, which in turn also regulate energy balance," said study senior author Dr Phyllis Zee, Professor of Neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
"If a person doesn't get sufficient light at the appropriate time of day, it could de-synchronize your internal body clock, which is known to alter metabolism and can lead to weight gain.
"The message is that you should get more bright light between 8 a.m. and noon."
Many people do not get enough natural light in the morning, Dr Zee said, because western lifestyles are predominantly indoors.
Office and home environments are usually only about 200 to 300 lux – the measurement of light.
Even on a cloudy day, outdoor light is more than 1,000 lux of brightness. It is difficult to achieve this light level with usual indoor lighting, the scientists noted.
The researchers recommend that morning light could be factored into weight management programmes.
"Just like people are trying to get more sleep to help them lose weight, perhaps manipulating light is another way to lose weight,” said co-lead author Kathryn Reid, research associate professor of neurology at Northwestern.
The study looked at 54 people of an average age of 30. They wore a wrist monitor that measured their light exposure and sleep parameters for seven days in normal-living conditions. Their caloric intake was determined from seven days of food logs.
They found that those who were regularly exposed to more morning light had lower BMIs. The effect counts for roughly 20 per cent of Body Mass Index, which is a measure of body fat based on height and weight.
Previous research at Northwestern and elsewhere shows light plays a role in regulating metabolism, hunger and satiety.
As part of a healthy lifestyle, people should be encouraged to get more appropriate exposure to light, the researchers concluded.
Workplaces and schools should have windows. Employees should be encouraged to go outside for lunch or breaks, and indoor lighting should be improved in the school and workplace
"This is something we could institute early on in our schools to prevent obesity on a larger scale," Dr Zee added.
0 comments:
Post a Comment
I'd love to hear your comments, do share your thoughts with me...