Laurence Dollimore
A SHOCKING study has warned that changing the clocks in autumn and spring can carry serious health risks to the population.
The study was carried out by the world’s leading chronobiologists, including Dario Acuna, Physiology Professor at the University of Granada, which released the results in a press release.
According to the research, the changing of the clocks ‘alters the circadian system which regulates and keeps the functions of the body under control.’
The study, published in the prestigious European Journal of Internal Medicine, is now part of an international consensus on the impact of time change on the human body.
According to the findings, switching time by an hour creates a sudden change in a person’s rhythm, since we all naturally keep to a 24-hour cycle.
“The 24-hour system is controlled by the light and dark we experience, which in turn regulates the nocturnal production of melatonin,” said Acuna.
“This is the true synchroniser of these rhythms.”
He adds: “We must bear in mind that the state of our health is based on the maintenance of the rhythmic changes of all the functions of our body, from the sleep / wake rhythm to the rhythm of brain neurotransmitters or even hormonal rhythms.”
If the night time production of melatonin is interrupted, it can lead to a process called ‘internal desynchronisation’.
This prevents the biological clock from being able to ‘maintain order’ in the body.
It takes the average person three to five days to adjust their body clock and return to normal.
Acuna warned: “That is enough time to produce mild, moderate or severe discomfort, including cognitive disorders (loss of attention or memory), sleep disturbances, cardiovascular problems and even favouring conditions for tumour growth.”
According to the study, the changing of the clocks in spring leads to a 24% increase in severe cardiovascular events among women.
The conclusions by the experts suggest that seasonal time change be permanently stopped.
It comes as the European Commission is currently working towards that goal, hoping to end the twice annual event by 2021.
