Health & Medicine

Lose Weight Without Doing Anything, Study Reveals Effective Secret

Michael Finn
First Posted: May 21, 2016 06:00 AM EDT

Northwestern University researchers are shedding light on an innovative way to shed off the extra pounds. According to them, optimize how much, what kind, and when you expose yourself to for the entire day.

In the Northwestern University study, which was also published in PLOS ONE journal, the scientists have exposed 19 healthy random adults to blue-enriched light for three hours. The blue light is the kind that usually comes from TV and computer screens. The exposure was done after waking up in the morning or 10.5 hours in the evening. This time scheme is followed to assess the effects of light on metabolic function, hunger and physiological arousal.

The study's morning group had breakfast under the blue light, while its evening group had supper under the blue light.

The research is inspired by the previous findings from Northwestern scientists. In the past, they were able to find out that the samples, who were exposed to the blue light during breakfast weighed less than those who were exposed to bright light passed 12 p.m.

The new research about the relationship of light exposure to metabolism found out that while light exposure in either schedules altered the subjects' rate of metabolisms and higher insulin resistance, exposure to the light during supper also resulted to higher glucose level peaks. This has made it more difficult for the body to stabilize insulin towards the evening.

Northwestern University's Ivy Cheung, the lead author, said through a press release "Our findings show that insulin was unable to acutely bring glucose levels back to a baseline level following a meal with bright light exposure in the evening. The results of this study emphasize that our lighting environment impacts our health outcomes."

Researchers are recommending natural light in the morning, a few hours before noon. The body's sleep hormone Melatonin anticipates darkness; hence, through getting sunlight after waking up, you will be more alert. This can also keep the normal regulation of anyone's internal body clock.

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