A good food This is important for good overall health. This helps prevent diseases such as heart disease or some types of cancer. But it is also useful on much more specific levels, such as pain management or sleep management. The latter is intuitive if we think that drinking coffee in the afternoon is as harmful to sleep as eating a very heavy meal. However, relationship between food and sleep It goes much further.
He explained this in Talk nutritional epidemiologist at the University of Michigan Erica Jansen. In his article, he details the research he conducted with his lab colleagues and how they analyzed which habits and foods contributed to better rest.
He also explains that it is unclear in what order the relationship between food and sleep occurs. That is, does a good diet help us sleep better, or does good sleep give us the energy to form good eating habits? This is not known for sure, but there is ample evidence that sleep is another reason why we should take care of what we eat.
How does diet affect sleep?
There are several types of diets that help improve sleep quality at different levels. Among them stand out Mediterranean and anti-inflammatory. In fact, both are very similar, although the second enhances these foods with flavonoids, which are plant-derived substances that play a very important role in reducing markers of inflammation in the body.
In general, it has been observed that consuming large amounts of fruits, as well as healthy fats, quality proteins And Small amounts of red meat, added sugar and processed foods help you sleep better.
There are even certain foods that seem to play a very important role in the diet’s beneficial effects on sleep. This is, for example, in the case of fatty fish, dairy products and fruits such as kiwi, cherries, strawberries or blueberries.. This is because they promote the synthesis of melatonin, a hormone that helps us fall asleep.
In addition, there are nutrients such as magnesium, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, manganese or iron., which also promote relaxation. The same thing happens with fiber and proteins, especially those rich in amino acids. tryptophan.
None of this means we should stuff ourselves with cherries and salmon to sleep better. A healthy diet in general already includes beneficial nutrients. In any case, it is interesting to know these foods so that you can try to supplement them as much as possible.
What should we avoid?
The relationship between food and sleep is positive for the foods and nutrients we’ve already seen. But there are also foods and habits that mar these relationships. Of course, consumption caffeineEven 6 hours before bed is one of those habits. But that is not all.
Food ultra-processed or rich in sugar, especially if taken before bed, it will cause heavy digestion that will prevent us from falling asleep. Instead of this refined carbohydrateslike those found in white bread or pasta, they are digested so quickly that in the middle of the night we will become hungry and possibly wake up.
He alcohol It may seem like a good sleeping pill, but only for the first half of the night. After this, it will produce an effect similar to that of carbohydrates. And all this does not take into account the possible hangover the next day, which will also tire us very much.
What came first: food or sleep?
When we don’t sleep well and don’t get enough rest, the need to eat unhealthy food increases. In fact, studies have been done with people who work at night, such as doctors on call, and it has been observed that after a night without sleep they have an increased need for unhealthy food.
Therefore, it is not known for certain what provokes what. In any case, it is clear that there is a relationship between food and sleep. Perhaps this is actually circleor. If we eat well, we sleep better, and if we sleep better, it will be easier for us to continue eating healthy. Now we have another reason to start eating better in 2024. Because while almost everyone does it to lose weight, there are much more important goals than that.
Source: Hiper Textual
