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.
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