Scientists are talking about a new experimental compound designed to reduce fatigue after long flights by resetting the body’s internal clock. Here’s a simple explanation of what that means.
What causes fatigue after a long flight?
- Your body follows a circadian rhythm—a 24-hour internal clock that controls sleep, hormones, and energy.
- When you travel across time zones, this clock becomes out of sync with the local time.
- This mismatch causes jet lag, which leads to fatigue, poor sleep, brain fog, and mood changes.
What is the new “formula” or compound?
- Scientists discovered an experimental compound called Mic-628.
- It works by directly affecting the genes and proteins that control the body’s internal clock.
- Specifically, it activates a key “clock gene” (Per1) that helps reset daily biological rhythms.
How does it help reduce fatigue?
- It pushes the body clock forward to match the new time zone.
- It synchronizes the brain’s master clock with clocks in other organs.
- This helps the body adjust faster after travel.
- In animal studies, recovery from jet lag was reduced from about 7 days to 4 days after a single dose.
Why is this important?
- Current solutions like melatonin or light exposure depend on very precise timing and don’t always work well.
- This new compound may offer a more reliable, drug-based way to reset the body clock.
Is it available now?
- No. So far, it has been tested mainly in animals.
- Scientists still need to test it in humans to confirm safety and effectiveness.
In short:
The new formula doesn’t just treat symptoms of jet lag—it tries to reset your body clock itself, which could reduce post-flight fatigue much faster if future studies prove it works in humans.
