Researchers have found that type 2 diabetes could be prevented by the use of glasses that release bright light into the eyes.
The glasses, called Re-Timer, have four small lights in the frame and are designed to help regulate the body’s clock, Daily Mail reported. Special eyeglasses were originally developed at Flinders University in Australia to help treat problems dream.
Light helps to regulate the body clock that regulates the release of certain hormones. The release of those hormones that control blood sugar levels, is “irregular in people with prediabetes,” according to the report.
“Exposure to light can have profound effects on some of the body’s hormones. It is interesting to determine the effects of this light therapy on insulin sensitivity – although perhaps leaving and exposure to the sun could be equally beneficial”, Dr. Paul Jenkins, an endocrinologist at the London Endocrine Center, told the Daily Mail.
A new trial will evaluate the effects of glucose and insulin with pre-diabetic patients who will wear glasses for one hour each morning for four weeks. Insulin helps push glucose into cells where it can be used for energy. Usually, with prediabetes, the cells do not respond to insulin very well. If the body becomes resistant to insulin, the cells can not absorb glucose and build blood sugar.
Researchers hope the new treatment can help restore the body clock to increase insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels. A study published in the Journal of Biological Rhythms has found a positive response to bright light therapy. After 10 morning sessions of 30 minutes, a patient saw a greater sensitivity to insulin.
It is not clear why light has such an effect, but in the theory presented is that it regulates the release of the hormone melatonin in the brain. The release of melatonin affects insulin secretion and metabolism.
Tags: goggles, diabetes, health, health and wellness, insulin, low blood sugar, sleep, re-timer, type 2 diabetes, hormones, eyes, light, metabolism
