Image via WikipediaTired travellers around the world may soon have smoother landings as scientists discover a miracle formula to combat jet lag.
It's one of the most irksome side effects of travelling, but jet lag could well be a thing of the past, if the scientists at Max Planck Institute in Germany have their way. The researchers revealed to the journal Neuron that they have found a substance that manipulates the body clock so that the usual effects of jet lag, like insomnia, weariness and in extreme cases, depression, can be avoided.
It all comes down to hormones in the end — the hormone cortisol to be precise. The scientists found that cortisol levels peak at 8am, and trough from midnight to 4am, so a pill containing cortisol could actually eliminate the pesky problems of jet lag if taken around the day before travelling. The tests are still in preliminary stages, so it's not certain yet whether the pill would be better or worse for your health, but it's an important step indeed.
How do you cope with jet lag? Is it better to sleep it off or stay awake?
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