“Human beings are seasonal, even if we don’t want to admit it in the modern context.”
The conclusion is from an innovative study by the University of Michigan, who found that our Circadian rhythms – Human internal biological watches – today continue to respond to seasonal changes in daylight, despite the various changes in modern life.
Research suggests that daily biological processes such as sleep, metabolism and heart rate are still biologically sensitive variations in sunlight along the stations.
Therefore, no, we are not immune to seasonal changes. “The study shows that our biological seasonal rhythm affects the way we adapt to changes in our daily routines,” says lead author Ruby Kim.
Researchers analyzed sleep data from thousands of medical residents who participated in the Intern Health Study. These interns, whose times change frequently due to hospital revs, used health monitoring devices such as fitbits.
The results showed that their circadian rhythms fitted in response to seasonal changes, even under irregular working conditions – a sign that this biological sensitivity is deeply rooted.
The study also incorporated genetic data from saliva samples. Identified variations in a gene associated with seasonal circadian adjustments. Some individuals with specific genetic markers have had greater sleep disturbance and biological rhythms due to shift work – noting that our ability to adapt to modern hours may be partially inscribed in our DNA.
“Some people may be able to adapt better, but for others it may be much worse,” explains Professor Daniel Forger, senior author of the study. “Many people tend to think about their circadian rhythms as a single clock (…) what we are showing is that There is not really a single clock, but two. One tries to keep up with dawn and the other tries to keep up with dusk, and they communicate with each other. Brain physiology has been working for millions of years to try to follow dusk and dawn. ”
The discovery of the study in NPJ Digital Medicine can help explain conditions such as the seasonal affective disorder And open new ways to understand mental health, metabolic issues and cardiovascular health related to circadian misalignment.
