We
humans have internal clocks; we experience daily changes in our energy, mood,
appetite and sleepiness based on
time of day, light and dark, temperature and sleep patterns. These changes are known
as circadian rhythms. Microbes in
our gut, the so-called ‘microbiome’, have also been found to have circadian
rhythms. Our gut bacteria make small rhythmical movements throughout the day
and night. In so doing they impact our physiology and affect tissues far away
from the gut, such as the liver.
Gene expression in the liver can change in tandem with the microbiome’s
rhythm changes, resulting in variations in important liver functions, such as
drug metabolism and detoxification.
The
new findings in a paper from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel,
published 12/1/16 in the journal Cell,
show that our circadian rhythms are deeply dependent on the oscillations of the
gut microbes. Some of our daily rhythms are maintained but others are
disrupted. Previous work by the
authors of this study, Eran Elinay and Eran Segal, showed that disrupting
feeding times and sleep-wake patterns in mice induced changes in the gut
microbiome. Understanding more
about this relationship could eventually help to find ways to intervene in
obesity and it’s related metabolic problems, which are more common when
circadian rhythms are disrupted due to shift work or jet lag. Also, since most drugs, from Tylenol to
chemotherapy, are metabolized by the liver, a better understanding of gut/liver
rhythms could affect how and when medications are taken or given. According to
Eran Segal “What we learned from this study is that there’s a very tight
interconnectivity between the microbiome and the host. We should think of it as one
supraorganism that can’t be separated.
We have to fully integrate our thinking with regard to any substance we
consume.”
A
take-home lesson from this study is that we should become more aware of our
daily patterns of eating and sleeping, and try to keep them as regular as
possible. Eating during the day
and letting the gut rest at night is desirable. Also, remember that your gut microbiome thrives on the fiber
found in vegetables and fruits. Think of yourself as a ‘supraorganism.’ !
Sadja Greenwood, MD, MPH back issues on this blog
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