A diet rich in carbohydrates, especially if refined,
could negatively affect the quality of sleep. This was suggested
by scientists from Columbia University who conducted a new
study on postmenopausal women. But the results suggest that
even people of different sexes or ages could develop problems
following an incorrect diet. The details of the research. Causes of Insomnia: Eating Refined Carbohydrates
Women whose diets included more
vegetables, fruits (not reduced to juices or extracts) and fiber were less
likely to develop problems sleeping at night. Insomnia is often treated with behavioral therapy
drugs or cognition, but these can be expensive and have side
effects, ”says James Gangwisch, PhD,
assistant professor at
Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. “By identifying
other factors that lead to insomnia, we can find simple,
inexpensive interventions with fewer potential side effects.” Causes of insomnia: a bad diet and too many
carbohydrates
This is not the first study to highlight the close link
between the consumption of refined carbohydrates (such as bread, pasta, biscuits and snacks)
and sleep disturbances. In previous research, however, often the results
they were inconsistent. Here’s why Columbia
University scientists have found a way to determine if
carbohydrate intake is directly linked to insomnia. Causes of insomnia, carbohydrates and diet. The study
During the study, researchers led by Gangwisch
collected data from more than 50,000 postmenopausal women. They also
investigated whether participants with a higher dietary glycemic index
were more likely to develop insomnia. The different types of carbohydrates
As we all know, there are different types of carbohydrates which –
obviously – have a different impact on the human body. Carbohydrates
refined foods, for example, such as those found in white bread, white rice
, sugary drinks, etc., increase blood sugar much faster
leading to the so-called glycemic peak. “When
blood sugar is raised rapidly, your body reacts
by releasing insulin and the resulting drop in blood sugar can lead
to the release of hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, which can interfere with
sleep,” Gangwisch explains. The results of the study on the causes of insomnia and the
consumption of carbohydrates
Scientists have found that the higher the
glycemic index of a given food, the greater the risk of developing
insomnia. Conversely, people who consumed more vegetables and fruits were
less likely to develop insomnia. “
Whole fruits [not juiced] contain sugar, but the fiber
they contain slows the rate of absorption to help prevent
blood sugar spikes. This suggests that the culprit of the diet
that triggered female insomnia was the highly processed food that
contains large amounts of refined sugars not found naturally
in foods, ”concludes Gangwisch. Insomnia and carbohydrates, only on menopausal women
Most people – and therefore not just women
postmenopausal – experience a rapid rise in blood sugar
after eating refined carbohydrates. From this, the scientists deduce that
these results may also hold true in a larger population. “Based on our findings, we would need
randomized clinical trials to determine whether a dietary intervention, focused
on increasing the consumption of whole foods and complex carbohydrates, can
be used to prevent and treat insomnia,” concludes
Gangwisch.
White Body Carbohydrates Could Be Underpinning Insomnia
The study results were published December 11
online in The American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition.Fonti scientifiche
James E Gangwisch, Lauren Hale, Marie-Pierre St-Onge, Lydia
Choi, Erin S LeBlanc, Dolores Malaspina, Mark G Opler, Aladdin H Shadyab, James
M Shikany, Linda Snetselaar, Oleg Zaslavsky, Dorothy Lane. High glycemic index and glycemic
load diets as risk factors for insomnia: analyses from the Women’s Health
Initiative. The
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2019; DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqz275
Refined
Carbs May Trigger Insomnia, Finds Study – Columbia University
