Diet affects gut health, which may affect sleep.
Find out how it all works, and how you’re free to improve your microbiome.
Sleep may be one of the most underrated health habits.
But quality sleep can feel elusive to many of us.
Sometimes the reason for insufficient sleep is difficult to figure out.
A new literature review published on July 13, 2024, inNutrientssheds some light on this very topic.
Lets see what these researchers found when they dug into 203 studies on the sleep-gut connection.
What Does This Study Show?
Your gut contains millions of different microorganismsboth beneficial and potentially damagingthat influence gut and overall health.
These microorganisms produce metabolitessubstances that are necessary for or a result of chemical reactions in the cells.
By the age of 5, the foundation of gut bacteria has been laid.
Besides building a healthy gut, these microorganisms also produce chemicals (metabolites) necessary for overall good health.
Circadian rhythms are a throw in of biological clock and are related to sleep-wake cycles.
It also affects your microbiomes health.
Serotonin is a precursor of melatonin, the chemical that is necessary for sleep.
In other words, you must have enough serotonin to produce melatonin.
And you must have enough melatonin to get good sleep.
And to have enough serotonin, you need a healthy gut.
Are you starting to see a connection here?
Gamma-aminobutyric acid, GABA for short, is another chemical that is produced in the gut.
GABA plays a role in stress relief and sleep regulation.
Like serotonin, you must have a healthy gut to produce enough GABA.
Then there are short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).
These are formed in the gut fromfiber, polyphenols (antioxidants) andomega-3 fatty acids.
According to these researchers, certain types of SCFAs can signal the brain when its time to sleep.
SCFAs also influence the production of serotonin and GABA.
Its important to note that all of these connections are bidirectional.
And so the cycle goes.
This literature review also revealed what foods contribute to a healthy gut and which ones negatively affect the microbiome.
These researchers also point out that the timing of eating matters, too.
They found that studies suggest that eating later at night can negatively affect circadian rhythms and the microbiome.
How Does This Apply to Real Life?
But it’s important to consider your eating pattern as a whole.
Are you regularly noshing on a variety of foods that are high in fiber, antioxidants and healthy fats?
This includes fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains and seafood.
Manyplant-based foods act as prebiotics, providing food for your beneficial bacteria so they can multiply and thrive.
This includes foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut and miso.
This also applies to other health habits.
For example, we all go through stressful times in our lives.
Its when that stress becomes chronic and habitual that it negatively influences our health.
To start, examine your current patterns in the areas of eating, exercise, stress and sleep.
Are your patterns contributing to health or deterring from it?
Its important to remember that this is a bidirectional relationship.
While your microbiome will influence your sleep, how much quality sleep youre getting will influence your microbiome.
Other health habits also influence gut health, including diet, exercise and stress.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.FastStats: Sleep in Adults.
