Working night shifts plays havoc with the functioning of the body and cause long term health damage, say researchers from the University of Surrey, England.
The specialists have linked working the night shift with an increased risk of developing diabetes of the 2nd type, cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
In the new study, researchers found that shift work causes disturbances at the molecular level. The scale, speed and severity of harm from the night activity was a surprise to researchers.
The human body has its own natural rhythm or so-called biological clocks, which are configured in such a way that a person needs to sleep at night and during the day to stay awake. Biorhythm has a profound effect on the body, altering everything from hormones and body temperature to physical capabilities, mood and brain function.
In the study, researchers watched 22 people working in normal mode. Subjects were asked during the experiment to go on the night shift. A blood test at the beginning of the experiment showed that 6% of the genes contain the instructions in DNA that determine when the body needs to be less or more active. After the subjects started to work the night shift, this genetic mechanism has been lost. This explains why people feel terrible when changing time zones or after work in the night shift.
The experts explained that every tissue in the body has its own circadian rhythm, so the night shift lead to malfunction of organs and cause disorders in the body. According to experts, violation of the circadian rhythm has much more severe and long-term health consequences, than was supposed earlier.
