The Human Body Is Capable Of Predicting Mealtimes
According to an article published in the Hindustan Times, a recent study made at the University of Surrey confirms that the human body has the capacity of predicting the timing of meals and it can even say how frequently the body needs food too. Furthermore, the researchers have also found out that the rhythms in the daily blood glucose get influenced not by just the timing of the meals but also by the quantity of the meals too. This study was featured in the journal called Current Biology.
In one of a kind study, researchers belonging to the University of Surrey guided by Professor Jonathan Johnston have found out that when the circadian system in humans anticipates larger meals they tend to become hungrier and can predict the timings of hunger too. Through circadian rhythms, various psychological changes which include metabolic as well follow a routine of a twenty-four-hour cycle. And these happen to be generally synchronized with the environmental cycles too such as dark cycles and light cycles.
Professor Johnston is of the view that every day around the same time we tend to get hungry. This time may vary from individual to individual though. But it is still unknown that up to how much extent our biology is capable of anticipating mealtimes. Metabolic rhythms do align with the meal patterns and so the regularity of the meals is capable of ensuring how much quantity of meal we are capable of handling at a time.
To study further, twenty-four males underwent an eight-day-long laboratory study with rigid wake-sleep schedules. They also had exposure to dark and light cycles along with food intake as well. Up to six days twelve of the participants took hourly meals in small portions throughout their waking period. While the remaining participants took two big daily meals between seven and a half and fourteen and a half hours after waking.
At the end of six days, each of these participants was given the same schedule for food for the next thirty-seven hours. They got hourly meals in smaller quantities in a process that would reveal the circadian rhythm. The levels of glucose in the body were also measured every fifteen minutes during the observation. The hunger levels were taken hourly at waking hours on the second, fourth, and sixth day during the first stage of research, and then at each hour for the remaining thirty-seven hours.
Upon going through the analysis of the results of six days, the researchers have found that the level of glucose was increased in the participants who ate small meals and it remained higher throughout the day and declined at their last meal. However, for participants who had two big meals their levels of glucose in the body seemed to decline just before the meal times. After observing this study professor Johnston concluded that the human body has a tuning to its rhythm to hunger especially when they expect to have food. And this drive for meals works psychologically for some while some ate trained to make it into a psychological habit.
