New Delhi, Jan 9 || Daylight can help improve metabolic health, enabling people with type 2 diabetes to achieve better glycaemic control, according to a study.
Researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) in Switzerland and Maastricht University in the Netherlands found that people exposed to natural light had blood glucose levels in the normal range for more hours per day, with less variability.
In addition, their melatonin level -- the sleep hormone -- was a little higher in the evening, and fat oxidative metabolism was also improved.
The study, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, provided the first evidence of the beneficial impact of natural light on people with this condition.
"It has been known for several years that the disruption of circadian rhythms plays a major role in the development of metabolic disorders that affect an increasing proportion of the Western population," said Charna Dibner, associate professor at the UNIGE.
For the study, the team recruited 13 volunteers aged 65 and over, all with type 2 diabetes.