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Study finds plant proteins improve rest, animal proteins may disrupt

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Study finds plant proteins improve rest, animal proteins may disrupt

In a recent study published within theĀ European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers report that protein intake from plant sources may improve sleep quality. In contrast, increased animal protein intake worsens sleep quality.

Study: Protein intake and its association with sleep quality: results from 3 prospective cohort studies. Image Credit: sivaleela . v / Shutterstock.com

How does food regimen affect sleep?

High-quality sleep at night is obligatory for a healthy living. Changes in metabolic rate, blood circulation, hormonal secretion, and immune regulatory functions occur during sleep, all of that are needed to take care of homeostasis inside the body.

An adult requires seven to eight hours of sleep each day to cut back the chance of chronic diseases and mortality. Nonetheless, a big reduction in sleep duration in the final population has been reported in recent many years, with many individuals reporting difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep and waking up multiple times at night and early morning. The prevalence of each sleep disturbances and disorders has also risen, which might result in daytime functional impairments and an increased incidence of various chronic diseases.

Poor food regimen quality, characterised by a better intake of saturated fats, refined carbohydrates, and processed foods, can impair sleep quality and duration. Studies have provided mixed results regarding the impact of protein intake on sleep quality, which might be because of different ratios of specific amino acids across different protein sources.

In regards to the study

In the present study, scientists investigate the impact of total protein intake and intake of various protein sources on sleep quality. To this end, dietary intake data and sleep quality measures were collected from three ongoing prospective cohort studies amongst United States health professionals, including the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), NHS2, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS).

In these cohort studies, the participants’ dietary intake was assessed every 4 years using validated food-frequency questionnaires. Sleep quality was evaluated using the unique or modified version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.

Data obtained from a complete of 32,212 and 51,126 women from the NHS and NHS2 studies, respectively, in addition to 14,796 men from the HPFS, were analyzed to find out the association between protein intake and sleep quality.

Necessary observations

In all three cohorts, participants with the best protein intake exhibited higher body mass index (BMI) values and a greater prevalence of pre-existing health conditions than those with the bottom protein intake. Over 65% of study participants reported seven to eight hours of sleep each night.

Regular use of sleep medication was reported by 5-6% of study participants. The presence of sleep apnea was more common amongst participants with the best protein intake, with the prevalence of this condition higher amongst males than females.

Study participants with higher sleep quality were related to barely lower BMI values, higher physical activity, higher food regimen quality, higher consumption of alcohol, and fewer pre-existing health conditions. Comparatively, those that reported higher consumption of animal protein were more prone to have a better BMI, lower physical activity, and more pre-existing health conditions. These aspects were more favorable amongst participants with higher intake of plant protein intake.

Association between protein intake and sleep quality

The present study didn’t discover any association between total protein intake and sleep quality. Although total animal protein intake was not related to sleep quality, a better intake of plant protein was related to higher sleep quality.

Amongst different animal protein sources, dairy protein intake had divergent associations. While no association between dairy protein intake and sleep quality was observed within the NHS and HPFS cohorts, a position association was observed within the NHS2 cohort.

Amongst different meat sources, intakes of processed and unprocessed beef and poultry were related to worse sleep quality. The sort of association was not observed for fish intake.

Conclusions

The present study didn’t discover any association between total protein intake and sleep quality amongst men and ladies; nonetheless, a positive association was observed between plant protein intake and sleep quality. After adjusting for potential confounding aspects, this association was less outstanding in men and weak in women.

Protein-rich plant sources are sometimes wealthy in carbohydrates and fiber, each of which have been shown to enhance sleep quality. Comparatively, processed beef and poultry, that are higher in fat, may additionally result in worse sleep quality, as observed in the present study.

Journal reference:

  • Wirth, J., Lin, K., Brennan, L., et al. (2024). Protein intake and its association with sleep quality: results from 3 prospective cohort studies. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. doi:10.1038/s41430-024-01414-y.

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