This has nothing to do with diet and exercise.
If you tried to lose a few pounds, but neither diet nor exercise helped, a new study found a way out, reports the Chronicle.info with reference to TSN.
To study the condition of 14 men and women overweight between the ages of 40 and 75, the researchers placed them in a special closed chamber where their respiratory rate was measured for 40 hours. This measurement allowed them to determine factors such as the rate and time of calorie burning during wakefulness and sleep.
The period was split into two separate sessions, depending on light exposure. One imitated natural light: a bright day and a dim evening, and the other changed this sequence. In both sessions, participants were in the dark at night and fed regularly, maintaining a constant calorie and macronutrient content.
Blood samples were taken before breakfast and dinner, then at 30-minute intervals for four hours after both meals for triglycerides, insulin, melatonin, and glucose levels (all of which play a role in metabolism).
Experimental results
The study showed that spending time in bright light led to a decrease in blood glucose levels before dinner compared to to spend the day in dim light. In contrast, bright light in the evening led to a decrease in metabolic rate during sleep, meaning that participants ate the same amount of food but burned fewer calories while sleeping.
“Changing indoor lighting conditions so that they mimicked the cycle of natural light and darkness, promising to improve metabolic health,” says the study author.
At the very least, avoiding bright light in the evening can significantly affect glucose metabolism, which will reduce the risk of weight gain.