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Few environmental factors are as reliable as the 24-hour day, and an evolutionary argument can be made for why the diurnal rhythms of the Earth’s rotation are so coupled with human metabolism. Our behavior, our physiology, and our biochemistry reflect the daily cycles of the planet, and people who fall out of sync with these cycles are more likely to suffer from diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Gastrointestinal disorders, depression, and other ailments are also more common among people who don’t have normal sleep habits. But according to new research, it’s not just disrupted sleep that can lead to these myriad physiological symptoms; it’s also the altered patterns of food consumption that go along with keeping such strange hours.
Shift workers who punch in in ...
