A new study led by a team of scientists from Washington State University, USA, has shed new light on clues as to why night workers may be at increased risk of certain types of cancer. compared to those who work normally during the day.
In the following article, let’s learn about this research and find ways to prevent your own cancer risk.
Evidence shows that working at night is associated with an increased risk of cancer
The findings suggest that working at night has the potential to disrupt the body’s natural circadian rhythms. Specifically, it affects the activity of some cancer-related genes, making night workers more susceptible to DNA damage, and at the same time causing the body’s DNA repair mechanism to be misaligned to cope with the disease. those injuries.
“There is growing evidence that cancer is more common among night workers, prompting the World Health Organization’s international agency for cancer research to WHO) classifies night work as possibly carcinogenic. However, it remains unclear why night work increases cancer risk, which our study sought to address.”
Working at night changes the body’s biological clock
We have always understood that the body’s circadian clock belongs to the brain center, but almost every cell in the body also has its own biological clock. This means that the activity levels of these genes also change with the time of day or night. The researchers hypothesized that the expression of cancer-related genes might also be rhythmic, and that night work might disrupt the rhythms of these genes.
In this study, scientists conducted a simulation experiment with shift work with 14 participants. Half of them completed a three-day simulation night shift schedule, while the other half completed a three-day simulated day shift schedule.
After completing their simulated shift, all participants were kept in a continuous routine process. Under this procedure, they would be kept awake for 24 hours under constant light and room temperature exposure and fed identical snacks every hour. Every three hours, the researchers took out a blood sample.
Analysis of white blood cells taken from blood samples showed that the circadian rhythms of many cancer-related genes were altered during night work conditions. Notably, genes involved in DNA repair exhibited a different circadian rhythm than those who worked the day shift. The researchers then looked at what the consequences of changes in the expression of cancer-related genes might be. They found that white blood cells isolated from the blood of the night participants had more evidence of DNA damage than the day shift participants.
DNA can be damaged if you often have to work at night
Furthermore, after the researchers exposed isolated white blood cells to ionizing radiation at two different times of the day, the cells that were irradiated in the evening showed increased DNA damage. increased in night shift conditions compared to day shift conditions. This means that the white blood cells from the night shift participants are more vulnerable to external radiation, a risk factor for DNA damage and cancer.
“Taken together, these findings suggest that the night-shift schedule times the expression of cancer-related genes in a way that reduces the efficiency of the body’s DNA repair process when they are needed most. ,” said co-author Jason McDermott. The researchers’ next step is to conduct the same experiment with actual shift workers, who consistently work day or night shifts for years to determine if night workers have DNA damage. repaired builds up over time, which can increase the risk of cancer.
How should you prevent cancer?
If you can’t change your job, you can still plan to prevent cancer today by establishing the following habits:
Make sure you get enough sleep
To ensure health, experts recommend sleeping 7-8 hours. Give yourself a comfortable and quiet sleeping space, you can wear headphones, use dark curtains or cover your eyes when sleeping. At the same time, you should also limit the use of products containing stimulants such as cigarettes, coffee, tea, alcohol … to sleep easier.
Arrange meals reasonably
A meal after a shift is a necessary meal to balance nutrients for the body. However, you should also not eat too full because it will easily affect sleep later. The main meal after waking up should be the most energizing meal of the day. In this meal, you should add protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, rice, noodles, and vegetables and fruits that should not be lacking.
In addition, you should also add a small snack between shifts to ensure that the body does not lack nutrients.
Proper workout
Experts recommend that we exercise at least 30 minutes a day. Therefore, you should make a suitable exercise schedule so that your health and weight are always maintained stable. The ideal time for you to exercise is before going to work, or you can also exercise after work, but you should not exercise past bedtime.
Changing jobs is a matter of many considerations, but you still have many measures to prevent dangerous diseases by establishing a scientific lifestyle, diet and exercise regimen. easyhealthylive.com is an application that can help you make this easier and more convenient by connecting you with the most experienced coaches. Especially with easyhealthylive.com, you will be more flexible in your practice time, more active in your work schedule. Load up the Basic package now with only 500,000 VND (110 LEEP Coins) to practice with easyhealthylive.com.
Reference source
Working in night shifts may increase cancer risk, reveals study https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/working-in-night-shifts-may-increase-cancer-risk-reveals -study/articleshow/81493673.cms Accessed March 15, 2021
John Alen was born in 1971 and is a doctor in the healthcare and psychology fields with many years of experience. He is currently working at easyhealthylive.com, a leading health and psychology blog. Having studied at Y1 National Medical University named after IM Sechenov, John Alen is using his knowledge and experience to help improve the physical and mental health of people in the United States.
