(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- By overriding the body’s biological clock with
food, travelers may be able to avoid jet lag, a new study reveals.
Humans have a biological clock called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), a group
of cells in the brain’s hypothalamus that sends information about the light-dark
cycle to the dorsomedial nucleus (DMH), another group of cells in the same
region of the brain. The DMH tells the body when to sleep and when to stay
awake. Now, a study reveals a second, food-related biological clock in the DMH
According to Clifford Saper, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman of the Department of
Neurology at BIDMC, travelers may be able to adapt more quickly to new time
zones by putting this secondary, food-based biological clock into action, rather
than just relying on their primary, light-based clock.
Researchers found that one instance of fasting followed by feeding turns on the
clock in the DMH, overriding the primary biological clock and sending the body
into a cycle driven by food availability. “A period of fasting with no food at
all for about 16 hours is enough to engage this new clock,” Dr. Saper was quoted
as saying. “So, in this case, simply avoiding any food on the plane, and then
eating as soon as you land, should help you adjust -- and avoid some of the
uncomfortable feelings of jet lag.”
SOURCE: Science, published online May 23, 2008
