Every cell in your body depends on a 24-hour cycle called our circadian rhythms. Disruptions of our circadian rhythms are common in modern life – shift work, jet lag, chronic sleep deprivation. Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a type of immune cell that helps the gut keep time daily. These cells, known as type 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3) are responsible for keeping your digestive tract functioning on a 24-hour cycle.
ILC3 cells help the gut not overreact to harmless microbes and food particles, while preserving the gut’s ability to fight against harmful micro-organisms. As you go through the day, your digestive tract follows a routine – digesting food and absorbing nutrients during the day and repairing worn-out cells during sleep. If this cycle is disrupted ILC3 cells no longer function normally and do not respond properly to an infection. The researchers feel this may put people at higher risk for obesity, intestinal infections, inflammatory bowel disease, and colorectal cancer.
It may be time to consider circadian rhythms in medical and hospital practices when considering the optimal time to provide nutrition or drug interventions.
