Eating at strange times makes skin more vulnerable to harmful UV rays, new research suggests.
Feeding mice on abnormal schedules causes their skin to become more damaged when exposed to sunlight, a study found.
This is due to them producing less of a specific enzyme that repairs UV damage, the research adds.
Study author Dr Joseph Takahashi from the University of Texas, Dallas, said: ‘It is likely that if you have a normal eating schedule, then you will be better protected from UV during the daytime.’
UV rays are in sunlight and are responsible for nearly all cases of skin cancer worldwide.
Eating at strange times makes skin more vulnerable to harmful UV rays (stock image)
Abnormal eating reduces skin repair
Researchers from the universities of Texas, Dallas, and California, Irvine, found that mice who are given food during the day – which is an abnormal time for the nocturnal animals – develop more skin damage when exposed to UV light.
This is because a specific enzyme, known as XPA, that repairs UV-damaged skin becomes less active.
Changing mice’s eating schedules also alters the expression of around 10 percent of their skin genes.
It is unclear why eating at abnormal times changes XPA levels or skin gene activity.
‘I did not think the skin was paying attention to when we are eating’
Dr Takahashi said: ‘This finding is surprising. I did not think the skin was paying attention to when we are eating.
‘It is likely that if you have a normal eating schedule, then you will be better protected from UV during the daytime.
The researchers add more studies are required to determine the effects of eating habits on human’s XPA levels and subsequent UV risk.
Study author Dr Bogi Andersen from the University of California, Irvine, added: ‘It’s hard to translate these findings to humans at this point.
‘But it’s fascinating to me that the skin would be sensitive to the timing of food intake.’
The findings were published in the journal Cell Reports.
UV rays are in sunlight and are responsible for around 95 percent of melanoma – the most dangerous form of skin cancer – cases and 99 percent of the less severe type of the disease.
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