Healthy diet for people working night shifts

Mahalakshmi Murugesan

Senior Dietitian, Kauvery Hospital, Heartcity, Trichy, India

Background

Night shift work is becoming increasingly common worldwide, and 15 to 33% of the working population is engaged in night shift work, especially among healthcare workers. Previous studies have suggested that night shift work may result in circadian disruption, sleep disturbances, and other behavioral changes, leading to increased risk of chronic diseases, mental disorders, cognition impairment, and mortality. The World Health Organization”s International Agency for Research on Cancer concludes that shift work is probably carcinogenic for humans. Night shift workers have greater risks of developing cardio metabolic diseases compared to day workers due to poor sleep quality and dietary habits, exacerbated by circadian misalignment.

What Are the health effects of working night shift?

Changes your metabolism.
Vitamin D deficiency
Interferes with natural sleep rhythms.
Increases risk of breast cancer.
Increases risk of heart attack.
Increases risk of depression.
Increases risk of obesity and diabetes.
Increases risk of gastrointestinal problems.

Reducing the health risks of night shift

Night shift work increases the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. It disrupts the body’s circadian rhythms the 24-hour internal “clock” that controls when you sleep and wake. Studies have shown that eating at night alters the body’s metabolism. Specifically, it impairs your ability to process blood sugar, or glucose. Now, a study suggests there may be a way to combat these effects of night shift work: limit eating to daytime. Eating only during the day prevented the high blood sugar linked to night shift work. The study found that nighttime eating boosted blood sugar levels. High blood sugar is a risk factor for diabetes. Eating at night increased blood glucose by 6.4% on average. Eating meals only during daytime prevented this effect. This study reinforces the notion that when you eat matters for determining health outcomes such as blood sugar levels, which are relevant for night workers as they typically eat at night while on shift.

Short-term health effects of shift work

Gastrointestinal symptoms like upset stomach, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, and heartburn
Insomnia
Decreased quality of life
General feeling of being unwell

Long-term health effects of shift work

The long-term effects of shift work are harder to measure. But researchers have found compelling connections between shift workers and an increased risk of serious health conditions and diseases.

Cardiovascular disease: For decades, researchers have seen an association between shift work and the risk of heart attacks and heart disease. One review of the research found that shift work seems to raise the risk of cardiovascular disease by 40%. In general, the risks seem to grow the longer a person continues to work nights. One analysis found that the risk of stroke increased by 5% for every five years a person performed shift work. However, the stroke risks rose only after a person performed shift work for 15 years.

Diabetes and metabolic syndrome: A number of studies have found that shift work seems to be a risk factor for diabetes. One Japanese study found that shift workers specifically, those who worked 16-hour shifts — had a 50% higher incidence of diabetes than day workers.

Shift work has also been linked with metabolic syndrome, a combination of health problems like high blood pressure, high blood sugar, obesity, and unhealthy cholesterol levels. It’s a serious risk factor for diabetes, heart attacks, and stroke. One 2007 study followed more than 700 healthy medical workers over four years. The incidence of metabolic syndrome was more than three times as high in those who worked night shifts.

Obesity: There are several possible reasons for the link between obesity and shift work. Poor diet and lack of exercise might be part of the problem. Hormone balance seems to be important too. The hormone leptin plays a key role in regulating our appetite; it helps make us feel full. Since shift work seems to lower the levels of leptin, it could be that night workers just feel hungrier — and thus eat more — than day workers.

Depression and mood disorders: Some studies have found that shift workers are more likely to suffer from symptoms of depression and other mood disorders. The social isolation of shift work surely takes a psychological toll. Shift work might also affect brain chemistry directly. One 2007 study found that when compared to day workers, night workers had significantly lower levels of serotonin, a brain chemical that plays a key role in mood.

Serious gastrointestinal problems: For more than 50 years, researchers have noticed that shift work seems to increase the risk of peptic ulcers. It also seems to raise the risk of general GI symptoms (like nausea, diarrhea, and constipation) and possibly some types of functional bowel disease (like irritable bowel syndrome.) One 2008 study found evidence linking shift work with chronic heartburn or GERD.

Problems with fertility and pregnancy: Research has shown that shift work can affect a woman’s reproductive system. One study looked at flight attendants, who typically work in shifts. The results showed that flight attendants who worked during pregnancy were twice as likely to have a miscarriage as flight attendants who did not. Shift work also seems to be associated with an increase the risk of complications during delivery, premature and low-weight babies, fertility problems, endometriosis, irregular periods, and painful periods.

Cancer: There is some strong evidence — from both human and animal studies — that shift work poses an increased risk of cancer. A 2007, a subcommittee of the World Health Organization went as far as to state that shift work is “probably carcinogenic.”

Two analyses of data from different studies found that night work increased the risk of breast cancer by 50%. Working shifts on airplanes, like pilots and flight attendants do, increased the risk by 70%. There’s evidence that shift work might increase the risk of colorectal and prostate cancer as well.

Healthy habits for night shift workers leads to weight loss

Stay away from soda’s and artificial sweetener.
Invest in a slow cooker and prepare your meals in advance.
Clear your home of unhealthy snacks.
Dedicate 15 minutes to stretching your body per day.
Work on a sleep schedule.
Explore oil- free cooking methods.