Above is a link to a research paper published in the Journal of Translational Research by Gombert et al. It's on all things circadian rhythm, light exposure, gut permeability, gut microbiome, and the bidirectional nature of gut-brain communication. I learned so much from the (lengthy) introduction alone, and thought I'd share it as a resource for you.
My take-aways (in combination with other things I've been reading recently):
We need significant contrast of light and dark on a 24 hour cycle- i.e. actually go outside (early) in the day and avoid bright light in the hours before bed. There's benefit to observing sunrise and sunset, and hey they're gorgeous, so why not!
Aside from the "central clock" in our brain that is set based on light coming in the eyes, we have "peripheral clocks" in the skin, blood, and organs that orchestrate various important bodily functions in a rhythmical way (Traditional Chinese Medicine Clock -hmm I can finally begin to understand you!) So neat.
Central and peripheral "clocks" need to work harmoniously for health.
The food we eat and when we eat it matters for appropriate gut lining maintenance. Late night snacks-probably not so good! Eating food that is seasonal and grown near to where you live is another important way of staying "in rhythm."
The above things I'm sure we all know intuitively, but its great to have it all laid out in a research paper. Hope you enjoy.
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