Time: does it matter when you got infected?

Not that you can time things or would even want to.

But does the severity of illness change if you caught something on the ride into the airport in the morning?

Would it matter if, for example, exposure to bacteria occurred at night? Instead of the afternoon?

What could be a reason?

Bacteria contain an endotoxic. An endotoxin is a harmful substance contained within the bacteria.

Upon entering the host, the bacteria releases the toxin, inflicting harm. Hence the name endotoxin.

In a study done on mice, scientists infected mice at night and compared it to the day using E.Coli.

They found mice infected at night showed significantly higher risk of death.

There could be several factors at play.

At night, the body shifts into repair and restoration mode. It prioritizes healing, cell regeneration, and immune regulation.

However, this restorative focus may leave the immune system less prepared to mount a rapid defense against sudden threats like bacterial invaders.

Additionally, the body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythm, governs many physiological processes, including immune responses.

During the day, when activity levels are high, the immune system may be primed for heightened vigilance.

At night, this readiness diminishes, potentially providing bacteria with a window of opportunity to spread more aggressively.

These findings underscore the complexity of our interactions with pathogens. The time of exposure may influence the body’s ability to respond effectively.

So what does that mean for you and me?

The body follows a circadian rhythm. Wake up in the morning and sleep at night. Night used to mean a window between eight and nine pm until we got electricity depending on where you lived.

Now, our nights stretch into what some would call morning.

Your body is not designed for this.

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