London - It’s the bane of travellers crossing continents but scientists may be a step closer to a cure for jet lag.
They have identified a hormone thought to master the body’s rhythm and so stop the brain from rapidly adjusting to new time zones.
Mice which had been genetically modified so the compound vasopressin failed to work were able to deal much better with time shifts.
They almost instantly adjusted to an eight-hour jump whereas normal mice took eight to ten days.
The breakthrough at Kobe University, Japan, raises the prospect of a pill to suppress vasopressin after a flight.
But the benefits could be much wider, reported the journal Science. It could help shift workers cut health risks by adjusting more quickly to their schedules as well as improving the sleep of the elderly and those with dementia. - Daily Mail