Study: Inflammation Gets Triggered at Certain Times of Day

A fascinating animal study^[1] finds that the symptoms and seriousness of some inflammatory diseases are linked to time of day. Specifically, the study revealed that a biological clock protein with anti-inflammatory powers prevented the onset in mice of one type of inflammatory disease, fulminant hepatitis. Fulminant hepatitis is a serious disease leading to deterioration of tissue and liver function, and is associated with blood coagulation disorders and irreparable brain damage. These findings may offer exciting new treatment avenues for people suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases, like diabetes and atherosclerosis.

Research reveals that a biological clock protein combats hepatitis-related inflammation

After observing that immune functions vary during the day, researchers decided to investigate a biological clock protein, known as Rev-erba, to understand its role in regulating fulminant hepatitis-based inflammation. Of note, Rev-erba targets tissue, liver, skeletal muscle, and brain cells by playing a major role in developing and regulating their circadian rhythm – their biological cycles every 24 hours. The study’s results demonstrated that, indeed, inflammation follows a circadian rhythm – and the mice that received a Rev-erba-activating treatment experienced less severe forms of the diseases and higher survival rates. In vitro human cells showed the same results.

The study findings are significant for other chronic inflammatory diseases like diabetes

Other inflammatory diseases like peritonitis, diabetes, and atherosclerosis are also influenced by these circadian rhythms. In these conditions, an abnormal accumulation of bodily toxins causes an imbalanced inflammatory response. The study’s findings offer new prospects for preventing these diseases too. They also offer potential improvements in quality of life and longevity for patients facing chronic inflammatory diseases.

Good gut health is key to hacking your biological clock

The good news is that you can take control of your biological clock and tamp down inflammation on your own. The key? A healthy gut. Consider the fact that your gut houses a variety of microorganisms. You want to keep their levels in check so you don’t have an overgrowth of one particular kind. An imbalanced gut triggers system-wide inflammation, leading to a host of problems, including pain, mood disorders, sleeplessness – and yes, out-of-whack circadian rhythms. Learn more about the connection between gut bacteria and inflammation here.

Gut Health 101: Eat your veggies, get good sleep, keep stress levels down

To win the battle with bacteria and get your microorganisms in harmony, follow these simple steps:

• Avoid sugar: Curbing your sugar intake is probably the most important step you can take to improve your gut biome. Bad bacteria and yeasts ferment sugar, using it for fuel. Eating sugar regularly leads to small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and candida (yeast infection) – which can trigger detrimental brain inflammation.
• Eat plenty of green vegetables: Green veggies are high in fiber and polyphenols, which fuel good bacteria and decrease inflammation^[2]. Gobble them up for a good gut.
• Supplement with resistant starch: Resistant starch fuels the good bacteria. Be mindful that not everyone tolerates it though. Good sources of resistant starch? Raw potato starch and plantain starch.

Get more information here on how to fix a leaky gut and get your inflammation in check.