Is work on health negatively affects at night

at night, the work has long been associated with increased risk of obesity, diabetes and cancer. The head of a recent study Parveen Bhatti (Parveen Bhatti) believes that the new findings provide an explanation. According to himOxidative DNA damage during night shift work.In the body of those who work the night shift, reduced ability to eliminate DNA damage. This is evident in the content of the chemical 8-oxo-dG. It is excreted in the urine when the body repairs damaged DNA.

"We believe the reduced excretion of 8-oxo-dG reflects the deterioration in the ability to repair DNA, - Bhatti said. - Over time, these DNA damage increases the risk of cancer and other diseases. "

Such a process can be induced melatonin deficiency. This hormone helps regulate body's internal clock. Our brain produces melatonin in response to darkness.

For those who work at night, melatonin levels are usually lower.

But not everything is clear. "The results are interesting, - says Katherine Reed (Kathryn Reid), a professor of neurology at Northwestern University in Chicago. - But they do not prove the connection of shift work with direct DNA damage. And it is unclear how this relates to melatonin. No evidence of a causal relationship. "

Bhatti and his colleagues examined the performance of 50 participants, who work at night. They noticed that the night shift at the level of the participants dropped 8-oxo-dG in urine. On the nights when they slept, the level of this substance was higher. The researchers also found that with decreasing 8-oxo-dG correlated and reduced levels of melatonin.

Bhatti himself believes that it is in melatonin. But as long as the data is not enough. It is necessary to investigate how the reception of melatonin affect biomarker 8-oxo-dG.

Currently there are no unambiguous results, you should not take melatonin supplements in the hope of preventing DNA damage.

Treat supplements cautiously. It is not known exactly how much they contain the hormone. In addition, melatonin can cause drowsiness. And it only hurts to work at night.

While Bhatti advises those who work at night, especially careful to monitor their health. Eat balanced, Give up smoking and exercise regularly.