Why do we always feel tired? Why do we struggle to fall asleep or constantly wake up? How can we help the body rest? These are just some of the questions that Antonella Viola, biologist and science communicator, answered in front of the èStoria Festival audience in a dedicated panel discussion entitled “body time” At the Verdi Theater in Gorizia today (Friday 24 May) at 7pm, Professor Alessio Sokol spoke with Viola.
The scientist explained the reason for her decision to publish the book of the same name, after years of lectures in university classrooms. In addition to teaching and research, the author said: “In the context of my work, there is a third direction, which is publishing. I find a lot of inspiration in Explaining the wonders of science to the general public And the importance of knowledge of biology to provide the minimum level of prevention for readers and citizens.”
Sokol mocked the world about the rhythm of our bodies, since in the article the author highlighted the unsustainability of circadian rhythms. These things – often hectic – risk making us less productive, and we often forget the time and quality of rest. “Each of us has a different chronotype – explained Viola – when children grow up, for example, They need to wake up gradually later. But this is not taken into account at all by our efficiency society, since the latter has very precise and hectic rhythms and schedules.
According to some studies, if we change the time of entry to work or school, the result will be much greater than the costs that would be required for such a change. Thus the human body is not a clock, but a clock shop where everyone is ticking at the same time. It is essential to understand circadian rhythms, that is, those biological oscillations that occur in our body every 24 hours, and are common to all living organisms.
“Obviously, the master clock is our brainConnected to the retina, which receives the brightness of the environment – he continues – the alternation between light and darkness has prepared us over thousands of years to be more active during the day and less at night when darkness falls. In our body there are thousands of other clocks, which are often incompatible with each other and lead to the risk of developing more or less serious diseases. Over the past 100 years, artificial light, from light bulbs to the blue light of smartphones, has completely disrupted our organisms, weakening our immune systems.
Essential to our health, in addition to getting 7-8 hours of good sleep, is a healthy diet. This should also have specific times, for example avoiding sleeping immediately after dinner. According to a very famous experiment with some rats, where they were divided into two groups (one ate as much as they wanted while the other ate only during part of the day), it was clearly shown that despite the same amount of calories they ate, the group of rodents ate as much as they ate during part of the day. Certain day He was healthier and fitter than others.
“The more we know about our circadian rhythms, starting with food and sleep, but also including when to take a medication or vaccine, the more we know about our circadian rhythms, starting with food and sleep, but also including when to take a medication or vaccine, The better we can live and fight certain diseases» concludes Viola. With this latest work, the author has concluded a series of books related to prevention, and regarding the future, there will probably be a text published by Einaudi regarding the future of science in the medical field.
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