A study found that just three night shifts may increase your risk of various ailments including diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic disorders.
Researchers at Washington State University in the United States discovered that night shifts can disrupt the body’s protein cycle that regulates blood glucose levels.
It also impairs energy metabolism and inflammation, which influences the development of chronic metabolic disorders.
In the study published in the Journal of Proteome Research, the scientists described a master biological clock in the brain, which causes the body to follow day and night cycles.
Professor Hans Van Dongen stated, “When this gets dysregulated, it leads to stress that causes long-term health consequences”.
Furthermore, Van Dongen observes that just three night shifts are enough to disturb the rhythm and increase the health risks, implying that early intervention to prevent diabetes and obesity is possible.
Using blood samples, the team identified proteins found in blood-based immune system cells, some of which had rhythms that were closely related to the master biological clock and did not change in response to the night shifts.
However, the majority of other proteins exhibited modification. Analyzing proteins essential in glucose regulation, the scientist found a nearly complete reversal of glucose cycles in night-shift workers.
In addition, they discovered that mechanisms related to insulin synthesis and sensitivity were out of sync among night-shift workers.
Furthermore, past research has indicated that shift work has an additional negative effect on blood pressure, raising the risk of heart disease and stroke, which is higher among night shift workers.
