AVOIDING bright lights at night might just be the easiest way to dodge diabetes, according to a Flinders University study.
The research, published in The Lancet Regional Health - Europe, suggests that our nightly light habits could be sneakily upping our blood glucose levels.
Type 2 diabetes, that tough condition making insulin its nemesis, is often tied to lifestyle factors like lounging around too much and loving junk food.
But who knew that a bedside lamp might also be a culprit?
"We found that exposure to brighter light at night was linked to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes," revealed A/Prof Andrew Phillips.
His team tracked 85,000 participants, who wore wrist devices for a week to measure their light exposure.
They were then tracked for the following nine years, when the connection was uncovered.
"Night-time light exposure disrupts our circadian rhythms, messing with insulin secretion and glucose metabolism, which can ultimately lead to the development of type 2 diabetes," explained Phillips.
The takeaway is that dimming the lights between 12:30am and 6:00am might just be your ticket to a diabetes-free future, and yet another reason to turn off those phones.
So, swap that late-night screen glow for some soothing darkness, and your pancreas might thank you.
To learn more about the study, CLICK HERE.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 26 Jun 24
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