bits & bites
cleaneating.com 21
bits & bites
Counter Cancer with the Dinner Clock
Dining earlier could be the answer to preventing certain
cancers, according to a new study in the International
Journal of Cancer. The research has found that eating two
hours before going to bed or eating before 9 pm reduces
the risk of both prostate and breast cancer by approximately
20%. This compared with individuals who ate after 10 pm
or one hour or less before sleeping. Researchers at the
Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) interviewed
a control group of women and men as well as breast and
prostate cancer patients on their meal and sleep patterns.
They found that cancer risk decreased as time between meal
and sleep increased. The cause could be due to the circadian
disruption of a later eating hour, this being any change to
the regular biological patterns (mental and physical) that our
bodies have been designed to follow in a 24-hour period.
These disruptions in our circadian sleeping and eating
patterns cause changes in glucose, insulin, leptin and cortisol
rhythms, leading to increased levels of inflammation andcardiometabolic risk. ISGlobal researcher Dora Romaguera,
is quick to point out: “Further research is needed in order to
understand the reasons behind these findings, but everything
seems to indicate that the timing of sleep affects our capacity
to metabolize food.” TRY FOR YOURSELF: Set up a routine
dinner hour for you and your family, allowing at least 2 hours
before bedtime. And take it to the table: Sitting down for
dinner is important for proper digestion and social well-being.Biohacking: bio·hack·ing: noun/
Merriam-Webster added “biohacking” to
its dictionary in September, recognizing
the growing popularity and interest in
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experimentation done on one’s own body.”
Examples range from the extreme (implanting
microchips that measure blood glucose) to
the everyday (sipping on Bulletproof coffee).cleaneating.com
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