Health

It turns out your immune cells know what time it is. Literally.

A new study published in Science Immunology has uncovered something remarkable: your first line of immune defense — the neutrophils that gobble up invading bacteria — work more effectively during daylight hours. Why? Because they’re running on circadian time.

Let’s break it down.

Most of us know about the circadian rhythm in the context of sleep. Stay up too late, miss the morning light, or do shift work long enough, and your internal clock starts to drift — a phenomenon researchers call “social jet lag.” But the impact goes far beyond fatigue or grogginess.

Disruption of your circadian rhythm doesn’t just mess with your mood. It affects your immune function too. And this new research helps explain why.

Immune Cells, But Make It Chronobiological

Led by immunologist Chris Hall at the University of Auckland, the study used transparent larval zebrafish — a surprisingly powerful model due to their similarity to human immune