Many of us can be easily classified as morning or evening people. Morning-type people tend to get up early and are generally more alert in the morning—for this reason, they are called “larks.”
Evening “owls” on the other hand, tend to be more alert in the evening, they are able to sleep late in the morning, and they prefer activities later in the day.
This diurnal preference has a major impact on our sleep patterns, physiology, health, and psychology.
Scientists found specific bacterial groups that differ between the early risers and late sleepers.
It is already known that there are some genetic differences between larks and owls, but research on fruit flies in our laboratory inspired us to test the impact of gut bacteria on human chronotypes.
In the study, the team analyzed fecal samples collected from 91 individuals in order to extract and sequence the bacterial DNA.
They found that a comparison of the gut bacteria in larks vs. owls revealed two major bacterial groups whose abundance differed between the chronotypes.
The researchers also compared the diet of the different chronotype groups and found that high-fiber foods (fruits, vegetables) and drinking water were prominent in diets of larks, while simple sugar and high protein (and sugary drinks) were associated with owls.
This difference may underlie the distinction in the gut bacterial communities.
The team says many night owls that need to start work or school in the early morning times suffer from various health issues such as obesity, higher cardiovascular risk, and high-stress levels.
The current study provides the first step towards the development of specific diets that will alter the gut bacterial community and ameliorate the negative health and functional correlates of late chronotypes.
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The study was conducted by Prof. Tamar Shochat et al and published in…
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