New research shows that strolling through a well-lit neighborhood during the night could result in diabetes.
According to Chinese researchers, artificial outdoor nighttime lights change the human circadian rhythm and make it harder to control blood sugar levels. Streetlights, cars, and well-lit stores might all be detrimental to metabolic control. The researchers warn that the results have repercussions for shift employees who work late into the night.
Diabetes likely to occur in people exposed to light at night
The finding has repercussions for those who enjoy using their cell phones or iPads in bed. The results are based on an analysis of approximately 100,000 Chinese women and men. Diabetes was 28% most likely in those subjected to the most light.
Researchers indicated in a media release that despite more than 80% of the global population being subjected to light pollution at night, the problem had recently received relatively limited attention from scientists. The study published in Diabetologia predicts that close to nine million cases in Chinese people result from light exposure at night.
There is mounting proof that 24-hour-a-day living is ruining human health by preventing melatonin from being produced. The brain hormone is a substance that occurs naturally and aids in controlling the circadian clock and the body’s defence mechanisms. Prolonged exposure to artificial outdoor lighting in homes was linked to increased blood sugar, insulin sensitivity, and the incidence of diabetes. Additionally, it was linked to beta cell dysfunction.
Many people live in light-polluted areas
The authors claim that because artificial light is so common, a large portion of the population gets exposed to it. The fact that over 99% of people in the United States and Europe live in light-polluted environments demonstrates its universal nature.
Researchers also point out that exposure to artificial lighting at night is an unavoidable risk factor in contemporary civilizations. Moreover, people of remote regions, such as parks and suburbs located several hundred miles from artificial lighting, are also impacted, in addition to those living in large cities.
