Jet-lag – in the eye of the beholder?

Jet-lag – in the eye of the beholder?

Watching the flight attendants waiting at passport control,  wondered – as I often do – what this constant jet lag must do to their body clocks. The vast majority of research says messing up your natural day-night cycle is bad by every possible measure.

But the impact on frequent long-haul travellers may be at least partly psychological, with a link between low mood, and the belief in a cyclical timeline and increased experience of jet lag symptoms – To what extent is circadian phase predictive of subjective jet lag in long-haul cabin crew pre- and post-trip? 

It seems that preparation strategies as shifting eating times, sleep, and other ‘circadian behaviours’ may not make much difference after all – Predicting jet lag in long-haul cabin crew: The role of illness cognitions and behaviour

I’m looking forward to testing this out myself this week as I travel home from a fascinating trip to the Guangzhouz International Lighting Exhibition with thanks again to Martin Klassenand the VLDC community.

A Westerner in the East – a zoom around Guangzhou

Solitary joggers and a pair of older ladies practising tai chi in the shade of the trees were the sparse signs of interest in the Health and Well-being agenda I was invited to discuss. And yet the room was full, and the debate with hosts and fellow panellists was lively and well-informed.

Take-aways? If we want to see a shift from cost to value, we probably don’t need more products. We do need to start with the culture of the client – one person’s ‘Brash’ is another person’s ‘Bright future’, think beyond the product to integration and after-sales support and tackle the elephant in the room – the bottom line.

One for the pub quiz…

Are Melanin, Melatonin and Melanopsin the same thing?

They’re all linked to your response to light – and they all sound the same – 

But they’re not…

• Melanin is a pigment in your skin that protects it from skin damage – Biochemistry, Melanin. It’s chemically related but not the same as Melatonin…
• Melatonin first discovered in the pineal gland of a cow in 1958 – Melatonin: Pharmacology, Functions and Therapeutic Benefits. It’s secreted by the gut, the retina and the pineal gland and linked to regulation of the body clock
• Melanopsin is a light-sensitive protein, found in the outer layer of the retina, first discovered in the African Clawed Frogs – Melanopsin: From a small molecule to brain functions, Evolution of Melanopsin Photoreceptors: Discovery and Characterization of a New Melanopsin in Nonmammalian Vertebrates