Your circadian rhythm is set by the oscillation of a core circadian clock. Just like the sun rises and sets every day, you have a daily rhythm inside of you, controlling a lot of your cellular functions.
Researchers have recently discovered just how much your health and wellbeing is entrenched in this system of oscillating proteins, rising and falling over a 24-hour period. Disrupting your circadian rhythm can cause weight gain, mood disorders, heart disease, diabetes, and dementia.
Your genetic variants play a big role in why and how you are susceptible to chronic diseases due to circadian rhythm disruption. Some people are more resilient than others.
Recent articles on Circadian Rhythm Genes:
Blue-blocking Glasses: Why? Which ones? - The biggest overall action you can take for your health, in my opinion, is to optimize your circadian rhythm. Yes, that is a big statement when there are so many other things you can do Read more…
Bipolar disorder, depression, and circadian clock genes - Depression and bipolar disorder are often thought of as being caused by a lack of neurotransmitters. Many of us first learned about neurotransmitters by watching TV commercials for SSRI’s like the ones for Zoloft. New Read more…
Heart disease, cancer, diabetes: A gene that ties together the “Big 3” - When it comes to chronic diseases, the Big 3 are heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Heart disease is the number one killer in the US, with cancer a close second. Diabetes numbers are increasing Read more…
Circadian Lifehacks Website: Circadian Rhythm Articles and DIY Tips - Digging into the science and research connecting genetic variants with health for the past four years, I have found a common thread that connected a lot of chronic conditions that affect so many people today. Read more…
Leveraging your gut microbiome to change your gene expression - I thought about titling this article ‘going to the dark side’ but decided that bathroom humor should be left behind…. (get it, behind :-) Enough of the puns and onto the important science stuff that you Read more…
Are you exhausted by shift work? It could be genetic. - Shift work and ‘social jetlag’ are linked to an increased risk for several chronic diseases. Shift work is usually defined in studies as working a late or early shift more than two times per week, Read more…
Early to bed, early to rise – helps with weight loss and diabetes - This one simple change can help you lose weight and prevents diabetes! Ok, enough with the smarmy copywriting hooks… I’m going to depart from my usual format of talking about a specific genetic variant and Read more…
Insomnia: A combo of genetics and environment? - Everyone at some point knows the pain of a sleepless night. For some, though, this is an all too frequent occurrence. A few quick facts: 10% of adults (and 22% of the elderly) have insomnia Read more…
Changing Your Circadian Gene Expression with Polyphenols - This is a bit of a departure from my usual article. It is a paper that I recently wrote for a class that I’m taking for my Master’s in biology. Thought I would share it Read more…
How light at night could double your risk of cancer. - The World Health Organization listed ‘light at night’ as a possible carcinogen in 2007. That is an eye-opening statement for something that affects almost all of us. From streetlights to the lamp in the living Read more…
Circadian Rhythm Connections, Part 2: Weight Loss and Meal Timing - There are five key elements to weight loss from a circadian point of view: Timing of Meals; Light Exposure; Sleep; What to Eat, When; and Genetic Variants. All of these can come together in our Read more…
Circadian Rhythm Genes: Mood Disorders - Roosters crowing at the first crack of daylight. Morning glories unfurling their blooms as the sun rises in the sky. Lightning bugs flickering just as dusk falls. Most people intuitively understand that plants respond to Read more…
Lithium: A mineral that affects mood, Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, and telomeres - I’ve written before on the topic of supplemental lithium orotate for mood, anxiety, and irritability. (Read the previous article here: A little lithium and B12 makes the world a happier place — for some.) What about Read more…
Genetics of Seasonal Affective Disorder - The Winter Blues… described as a low feeling, generally apathetic, blah, usually accompanied by changes in sleep. It is fairly common in northern latitudes, affecting almost 10% of some populations. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is Read more…
Weight Loss: Optimizing your diet based on your genes - Diet gurus, talking heads on TV, government food pyramids, and your friend who lost 20 pounds… What do they all have in common? They all know the perfect diet that will whip you into shape Read more…
Circadian Rhythms: Genes at the Core of Our Internal Clocks - Circadian rhythms are the natural biological rhythms that shape our biology. Most people know about the master clock in our brain that keeps us on a wake-sleep cycle over 24 hours. This is driven by Read more…
Color TV has made us fat: melatonin, genetics, and light at night - Color TV has made us fat! Nope, not just because of the commercials advertising Taco Bell at night nor the fact that we are laying on our couches watching those commercials. The flickering blue light Read more…
PPARG: A genetic variant that can protect against obesity and type-2 diabetes, but only if you eat the right diet. - The PPARG (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma) gene has been associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome, and risk for type-2 diabetes. This gene is involved in the regulation of fatty acid storage and in glucose metabolism. PPAR-gamma Read more…