Breast Cancer Is Professional: For Women, Working Late At Night Is Okay But Not Eating

The last one-and-half year was an anxious time for the working women, especially those who work late into the night.

In 2007, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (a body of the World Health Organization) had raised a concern over the odd-hour job disrupting the 'body clock' as a likely cause of cancer.

However, a new study has dismissed the fear, saying it is unlikely that working late will cause cancer, especially among women. This article deals more with the effects of eating at odd hours on breast cancer.

Even earlier in 2001, a research in an institute in Seattle, US, said that women who work in late shifts have 60 per cent more chance of having cancer.

Under the latest study, which came out in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, it was examined whether working in the odd-hour shift made women more vulnerable to breast cancer; and the health pattern of a whopping 1.4 million women across the globe (US, UK, China, Sweden, the Netherlands) were followed.

To the relief of the womenfolk who have little option but to work in the night, it was inferred that those who have been working in night shifts for a long time now are equally risk-free as those who have never done so.

No special reason was found that would make women staying late at night to carry out their professional duty were more likely to have cancer.

The story isn't over yet...

But wait, the story hasn't really ended for women who work late into the night.

Another set of research has claimed that eating dinner late and munching on snacks in the midnight may increase the chance of breast cancer.

Researchers believe that the gap between the dinner and the breakfast, the next morning, should be not less than 13 hours, as that would comfortably bring down the blood sugar level and reduce the chance of development of cancer. Another study has said that overnight fasting of less than 13 hours raises the risk of cancer by almost 36 per cent.

Regarding the relation between late-night eating and breast cancer, zero intake of food in the middle of the night means the blood glucose level is properly regulated and it doesn't make your case perfect for diabetes. And diabetes, especially the Type 2 one, is known for increasing the risk of breast cancer.

Hence, women who are engaged in late-night job have a catch here. You do not apparently have any risk of developing breast cancer just because you are staying awake.

But, if you indulge in indisciplined food habits during your work hours, then you are certainly rolling out a red carpet for the evil. Therefore, have dinner early and at a fixed time; and if you really feel hungry late in the night, have some Brussel sprouts, popcorn or a dessert oatmeal.