Nutritionist Harmsen urged to change the lighting in the house to improve metabolism
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Being active during daylight hours and resting at night leads to better metabolism, Jan-Frieder Harmsen, a nutritionist at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands, told Eat This, Not That!.
Scientists studied data from 14 obese men and women aged 40 to 75. One group was given bright light during the day and dim light in the evening. Other participants, on the contrary, had to live during the day in almost darkness, and in the evening – in bright light. In both sessions, participants slept in the dark at night and ate regularly to maintain calories and macronutrients in their bodies.
Their blood samples were tested before breakfast and dinner, and at half-hourly intervals for four hours after both meals. Doctors determined the level of triglycerides, insulin, melatonin and glucose, which play a large role in metabolism.
Bright light during the day led to a decrease in blood glucose levels, while its use in the evening slowed down metabolism during sleep. As a result, the participants ate the same amount of food but burned fewer calories while sleeping. “Changing the lighting conditions in your home to mimic the cycle of natural light and dark will improve your metabolism. In the evening, you should not turn on bright lights so as not to gain extra pounds, ”the doctor revealed an unexpected secret to improving metabolism. He also urged people to follow the natural cycle of day and night and to be outdoors more often.
Earlier, nutritionist Hulya Cagatay (Hulya Cagatay) said that red pepper can suppress appetite, burn calories, speed up metabolism.
