French scientists have shown that problems with a gene responsible for our internal body clocks can lead to poor weight control. Watching your sleep rhythms may be just as important for weight loss as watching your calorie intake according to Dr. Etienne Challet. “It is now clear that impairment of daily rhythms such as shift-work, exposure to artificial lighting or jet-lag has multiple adverse effects on human health.”

Dr. Challet and his fellow researchers studied two groups of mice. One group was normal and the other lacked the “Rev-Erb alpha” gene. The mice who were lacking the body-clock gene became overweight and had blood sugar problems even if they ate the same quantity of food at the same time as normal mice. It seems the mice who lacked the gene metabolized their food differently than the normal mice.

The human body has evolved in such a way that our internal body clock and the natural cycle of night and day are meant to be aligned. When this doesn’t happen, in night shift workers for example, our body clock gene is impaired.

Sleep apnea patients, and often their partners, often experience weight control issues. Being overweight means that you are more likely to suffer from obstructive sleep apnea and those with sleep apnea tend to gain weight – a vicious cycle. Make sleep an important part of your overall healthy living plan and if you experience loud snoring or excessive daytime sleepiness you should be tested for obstructive sleep apnea.

Please contact Dr. Mark Levy at StoneRidge Dental Care in Columbus, OH today at 614-476-6696 to schedule your sleep apnea consultation.