2023-10-02 03:23:09
Research results have shown that living in sunlight can prevent and treat type 2 diabetes. The photo shows citizens doing yoga at the wellness festival held at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul last August. /yunhap news
Research has shown that exposure to sunlight, not only when resting but also while working, is helpful in preventing and treating type 2 diabetes. This is because exposure to natural light helps align the biological clock, which affects hormone secretion.
A research team from Maastricht University in the Netherlands presented research results showing that exposure to natural light can help treat and prevent diseases such as type 2 diabetes and obesity by promoting smooth metabolism at the annual meeting of the European Society of Diabetes held in Hamburg, Germany on the 1st. (local time) announced. The research team said, “The body’s use of nutrients follows a biological rhythm, in which carbohydrates are used as an energy source during the day and converted to fat at night,” adding, “For people at high risk of type 2 diabetes, this conversion does not occur quickly, but natural light “Once exposed, the transition becomes smoother.”
The research team conducted a comparative experiment to determine how type 2 diabetes patients responded when exposed to natural light and artificial light. To this end, 13 participants, with an average age of 70 years old, were gathered at a research facility and their blood sugar levels were observed while controlling light exposure, diet, and activity patterns for regarding 5 days.
Thirteen participants were randomly exposed to natural light and LED lights shining through windows during working hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Natural light was usually brightest at 12:30 p.m., with an average of 2,453 lux (1 lux = the brightness of a candle). Artificial light was illuminated at a constant intensity of 300 lux. From 11 PM to 7 AM, they slept in a dark space with less than 5 lux and were provided with standardized meals.
On the fourth day of the experiment, metabolic temperament and resting energy expenditure (REE) were measured every 5 hours, and core body temperature was observed in real time. On the fifth day of the experiment, the subjects fasted and a muscle biopsy was performed to evaluate the expression of genes known to be involved in the circadian clock. Afterwards, a mixed meal test (MMT) was performed to evaluate insulin production measures.
The results of the experiment showed that the participants’ blood glucose levels stayed within the normal range for longer when exposed to natural light. When exposed to natural light, it becomes easier to convert energy sources from carbohydrates to fat. Additionally, Per1 and Cry1, genes that help regulate circadian rhythms, were more active in natural light than in artificial light. Blood sugar control is better when exposed to natural sunlight.
The research team said, “Natural light is the most powerful environmental signal that affects the biological clock,” and added, “If you work in an office without natural light, you are exposed to the risk of type 2 diabetes, so you should make sure you get as much sunlight as possible.”
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