Related Episodes for How sleep is a key regulator of immune function

“Bright light exposure has a profound effect on regulating the circadian system in humans. Dr. Panda and colleagues discovered that melanopsin — a light-sensitive protein found in specialized cells of the eye — responds to blue light and synchronizes the body's day/night cycle.”

“Autophagy is thought to be part of a coordinated biological process that is important for exposing cancer cells to the immune system, ultimately leading to their weakening and death. However, the relationship between autophagy and cancer is complicated.”

“Longer-term nutrient status offers another perspective: in a randomized trial of adults with overweight or obesity, 15 grams of psyllium daily for three months did not significantly alter serum micronutrient concentrations relative to control.”

“Certain lifestyle behaviors, such as napping, caffeine consumption, late-night use of electronic devices, and a host of other bad habits, can make falling and staying asleep difficult.”

“Perhaps the most clear-cut examples of cryotherapy’s beneficial effects are observed in the brain, where levels of the hormone and neurotransmitter norepinephrine – responsible for vigilance, attention, focus, and positive mood – increase markedly when the body is exposed to extreme cold.”

“The most compelling human signal appears when the brain is under acute strain. In a randomized crossover study, a single dose of 0.35 grams per kilogram during 21 hours of sleep deprivation changed cerebral energy metabolites and preserved selected measures of cognitive performance.”

“A recent meta-analysis also found small benefits in selected cognitive domains, including memory and processing speed, with responses that may depend on age, diet, baseline stores, stress, dose, and the cognitive test used.”

“A separate six-week randomized study in 30 healthy young adults found that neither 10 nor 20 grams per day improved the tested cognitive outcomes compared with placebo. The result is an important counterweight to the acute sleep-deprivation experiment.”

“Acute stress may create a different context. In a double-blind crossover study of 15 adults undergoing 21 hours of sleep deprivation, a single 0.35-gram-per-kilogram dose changed brain high-energy phosphate measures and improved selected cognitive outcomes.”

“Healthy, well-nourished adults can usually synthesize enough, and athlete trials have not found consistent improvements in immune measures, aerobic performance, body composition, or intestinal permeability from routine supplementation.”