Exposure to natural light beneficial to treat and prevent type 2 diabetes

It has always been said that exposure to natural light, to the sun has greater health benefits than the same exposure but to artificial light.An investigation concludes that exposure to natural light could help treat and prevent type 2 diabetes. This new investigation has just been presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Hamburg that is celebratedthese days.

«The mismatch of our internal circadian clock with the demands of a society that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, is associated with a greater incidence of metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes - says Ivo Habets, ofThe University of Maastricht (Netherlands), co -director of research.

Natural light is the best indicator of the circadian clock, but most people are at home during the day and, therefore, subject to constant artificial lighting.Reason why researchers were interested in knowing if the increase in daytime exposure to natural light would improve blood glucose in people with type 2 diabetes.

«This metabolism usually follows a 24 -hour rhythm, in which the body goes from using carbohydrates as a source of energy during the day to use fat at night, he explains.We had previously demonstrated that people with the greatest risk of type 2 diabetes are less capable of making this change and we wanted to find out if exposure to natural light would facilitate change in people who already suffer from diabetes ».

research

To do this, Habets and their colleagues from the Netherlands and Switzerland made a series of metabolic tests to a group of people with type 2 diabetes when exposed to natural light and when exposed to artificial light, and compared the results.
The 13 participants were exposed to two lighting conditions during the office schedule (from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) randomly and crossed: natural light from windows and artificial LED lighting.There was an interval of at least four weeks between the two interventions, each of which lasted 4.5 days.

Blood glucose levels were maintained within the normal range for longer in the intervention with natural light than in the intervention with artificial light.The respiratory exchange index was lower during the intervention with natural light than during the intervention with artificial light, which indicates that participants were easier to go from using fatty carbohydrates as a source of energy when they were exposed to natural light.The restless energy expenditure and central body temperature followed similar patterns during the 24 hours in both light conditions.

The results demonstrate the best glycemia control during the invention of natural, and suggest that such exposure is beneficial for metabolism, so it could help in the treatment and prevention of type 2 diabetes and other metabolic conditions, such asObesity, says Habets.

«Our studies show that the type of light to which it is exposed is important for metabolism.Working in an office with hardly any exposure to natural light has an impact on metabolism and the risk or control of type 2 diabetes, so you have to try to make the most of natural light and, ideally, go out outdoorswhenever possible ».
"It is still necessary to continue investigating to determine to what extent the artificial light affects the metabolism and the amount of time that must be passed with natural or outdoors to compensate it," he says.

I have always had my doubts regarding this issue as to how our brain perceives the daytime light.That is, for example, that when I come to light of day I always do it with sunglasses, so the perception of light that reaches my brain is different than if it were in the eyes discovered I do not know if my organism goesto receive those benefits that the article speaks.
I do not know, I have always been a bit vampire because of living at night more than day and the circadian rhythms in recent let's say 15 years I have had more decompensated than compensated.But thanking your post and the article, I have remembered another one that I read some years ago in which it was recommended that when one would take to the street it was better for the organism to do it in the eyes discovered.I imagine that based on some study in which it was evident that the daytime light active in a different way from the one who does not try to avoid it with sunglasses, for example.
This is something that costs me a lot, the sunglasses are almost part of the head when I come to daylight.Anyway, sorry for thinking out loud;)

I have a lot of photophobia.In summer I drive with sunglasses and visor cap.Thus, disguised as Guiri.
I adore the sun, I love being outdoors at day but my skin does not tolerate it and my eyes either.
That's why I like winter more than summer, light is less harmful and I can walk without risk of burns, erythemes and others.

And by vitamin D ..

Yes, the vitamin D I think it is vital.Well, I must stop metabolizing a few tons.Maemía!Let's see if I start going out because when I usually go for a walk.But what laziness!

@Crash will send you hydroferol once a month.That is vitamin D.
I am brunette all summer, I take the sun very much in a controlled way and in winter it lowers me a lot.

ruthbia said:
@crash will send you hydroferol once a month.That is vitamin D.
I am brunette all summer, I take the sun very much in a controlled way and in winter it lowers me a lot.

The same thing happens to me and from October I have to drink hydroferol every 15 days

I have already begun to go out to walk because of the vitamin D, I have to change dynamics or else this does not advance.I do not know whether or not they will give me hydroferol, what I am clear is that if I do not need it I will not take it.