Shift work has a negative impact on health. However, researchers have discovered a method to strengthen the immune system.
Frankfurt – According to the International Agency for Cancer Research, people who do shift work have a higher risk of developing cancer. Studies show that. One cause could be DNA damage caused by oxygen radicals. In the oxidation, 8-hydroxydoxyguanosine (8-ohdg for short) forms in the DNA strand. The DNA’s repair enzymes cut out and it is excreted with the urine. 8-OHDG is considered a biological marker for oxidative stress. It has been known for a long time that this excretion is lower for shift workers.
Canadian study with melatonin
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In a study, Canadian scientists have now looked for evidence whether melatonin can prevent the 8-OHDG excretion from falling. For this, 40 night shifts, nobody suffered from sleep disorders, took melatonin for four weeks before falling asleep. The researchers examined the entire urine of a representative daily sleep and night work phase. Higher concentrations of 8-OHDG indicate better DNA repair.
Sleep data measured on the wrist
For the study, half of the subjects took a placebo and the other dose of three milligrams of melatonin. The time of use was at a meal after her night shift – an hour before the planned bedtime. For the study, the data was always collected by two consecutive daily and night work phases, once before the start and once at the end of the study period.
Melatonin
It is an body’s own hormone that is formed in the pineal gland (epiphysis). Melatonin influences the day-night rhythm and is therefore also referred to as the “sleep hormone”. This works by dilapping receptors in the brain and inhibiting the formation of hormones that keep us awake. The melatonin level is controlled by the light that meets the retina of the eye. When it gets dark in the evening, the pineal gland pours out melatonin – we get tired. As soon as it gets light, the formation of the hormone is suppressed – we wake up.
A disorder of melatonin secretion due to the exposure to light can increase the risk of cancer for shift workers.
The data of the sleep was measured with a device on the wrist, and the subjects also collected their urine from the time during the daily sleep and the subsequent night shift phase.
Impressive results
The results are impressive: the administration of melatonin ensured a significant increase in 8-ohdg excretion in the urine. During the daily sleep, it was increased by 1.8 times. In the subsequent night shift there was no significant difference in concentration.
The scientists around Parveen Bhatti came to the conclusion that supplementation with melatonin improves the repair capacity of oxidative DNA damage to night shift workers. Other major studies are necessary to determine how different doses of melatonin supplements affect and what effects a long-term intake of the supplements on shift workers. If the results are confirmed in the further studies, melatonin may not only be suitable for improving sleep, but also reducing the risk of cancer.
