Light and dark. It all depends on the alternation of day and night: sleep, hunger, body temperature, immune defenses. They are called “circadian rhythms”. Antonella Viola reveals the science behind these mechanisms in the new essay The time of the body. The sun, sleep and the rhythm of life (Feltrinelli, 141 pages, 16 euros). Scientist, popularizer, full professor of General Pathology at the University of Padua, Antonella Viola presents the book on 23 June at «Book Week» Cornedo Vicentino Parco Pretto (11 am) and on 6 October in Padua at the literary exhibition «La Fiera delle Parole », Pavilion 1 of the Fair (5.30 pm). And on many other dates throughout Italy.
Darkness, light and the biological clock
The text, with scientific rigor but informative and accessible languageexplains how and why darkness, light and the biological clock are fundamental in lifestyle and health, also influencing medicine. «The time narrated in this book is an intimate time, profound, essential. Existential. It is our time: the time of our body which vibrates in tune with the planet – says Antonella Viola -. Circadian rhythms they are oscillations of the body’s functions. Sleep, body temperature, hunger, immune defenses and even pain have a cadence marked by the oldest and most wonderful clock in the world: the alternation of light and dark. The sun with its sunrises and sunsets has always dictated the rhythm of life on earth and that vital rhythm it is passed down from living to living until it reaches us.”
Light and dark
Chapter after chapter, cwith the concise and understandable style which characterizes every one of her interventions, whether on TV or in books or articles, Professor Viola explains the many branches that have light and darkness at their centrefrom circadian fasting, to the microbiota and immune system, pain, sleep disorders, drugs and vaccines, even Covid. And gender differences must be taken into account in circadian rhythms, such as in insomnia. Studies show that women have twice the risk of insomnia than menespecially during puberty, menstrual cycle, pregnancy, menopause.
The sleep rule
Even in Covidan analysis between circadian rhythms and vaccines shows that lThe time the vaccine was given may have made a difference in the production of antibodies. People vaccinated in the morning or at least before 4pm developed better protection against the virus than those who were vaccinated in the late afternoon: the time of day in which you receive a vaccination can modify the immune system’s response. «To those who ask me what are the rules to follow to stay healthyI always answer that the number one rule is to sleep 7-8 hours per night – underlines Antonella Viola -. It’s a lot, I know. That’s a third of our day. But It’s not a waste of time. And above all it is non-negotiable. Sleeping is essential for many functions necessary to keep us healthy, from repairing damage we have suffered during the day to consolidating memory. It’s not just the brain’s memory that consolidates at night, while we sleep. Even immunological memory, the one that allows us to defend ourselves from viruses and bacteria matures during restit is no coincidence that sleep loss is associated with greater susceptibility to infections.”
We need a change in social rules
The conclusion of the book is an analysis (and a warning) on lifestyles, also includes the organization of work. Knowledge does not force you to change habits, explains Professor Viola, but it does make you free to choose. And she writes: «These rules are clear, simple and more or less implementable, but they turn out completely useless if society does not change, if politics does not become aware of the problems that the alteration of circadian rhythms causes… Today we know that efficiency is not achieved with the wear and tear of students and workers, that the quality of our performances depends on the time we dedicate to rest and not from the hours spent in the office.”
