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To slim down, it helps to get up early and see the light, study says
To maximize your chances of fighting flab, new research offers some simple advice: Wake up early and go outside.
People who loaded up on light exposure at the beginning of the day were most likely to have a lower body mass index, according to a study published this week in the journal PLOS ONE. That relationship between morning light and BMI was independent of how many calories the study participants consumed.
It may sound crazy, but there is sound scientific evidence to back up the link. Circadian rhythm plays an important role in regulating metabolism, and studies have shown that exposure to morning light can influence body fat and the hormones that regulate appetite.
When the researchers limited their analysis to BMI and light exposure between the hours of 8 a.m. and noon, they found no significant correlation. This suggested that light exposure throughout the day helps regulate body weight, the researchers wrote.
But there’s clearly something special about morning light. They’re not sure what it is, but one possibility is the fact that morning light contains more wavelengths in the blue portion of the spectrum. “Blue light has been shown to have the strongest effect on the circadian system,” the study authors wrote.
It shouldn’t be too hard to get yourself exposed to 500 lux. A typical office is about that bright. If you go outside, you’ll get more than 10,000 lux in full daylight, and if it’s overcast you’ll still get more than 1,000 lux.
Although more study is needed, of course, the researchers concluded that “light is a powerful biological signal and appropriate timing, intensity and duration of exposure may represent a potentially modifiable risk factor for the prevention and management of obesity in modern societies.”
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