Are you sleepy all the time? The 10 surprising foods that could be making it worse – and it's bad news for cheese lovers
NODDING OFF Are you sleepy all the time? The 10 surprising foods that could be making it worse – and it's bad news for cheese lovers
CONSTANTLY sleepy throughout the day? What you eat may have something to do with it, scientists say.
Researchers from Mass General Brigham linked key metabolites - molecules found in the blood that influenced by diet and hormones - to daytime drowsiness.
1
Aged cheese like cheddar contains tyramine, which could disrupt sleep and make you sleepy during the day
Credit: Getty
One of these was tyramine, a molecule found in fermented and overripe foods, like cheddar cheese and Parmesan, salami, pickles, soy sauce, tofu and some types of beer.
It's not the first time cheese has been linked to poor sleep - researchers from the University of Montreal recently found that dairy could bring on bad dreams.
The new study, led by investigators from Mass General Brigham and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, looked into factors behing excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) - a condition causing people to nap repeatedly during the day.
They identified seven metabolites which they said were linked to EDS.
The findings - published in Lancet eBioMedicine - suggest that excessive sleepiness is caused by internal body processes, such as hormone levels, as well as external factors such as diet.
Lead author Tariq Faquih, a postdoctoral fellow in the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Brigham and Women's Hospital, said: 'Our study suggests diet and genetics may play an important role in EDS.
'As we learn what's happening biologically, we are beginning to understand how and why EDS occurs, the early signs that someone might have it, and what we can do to help patients.'
Researchers collected data on 877 metabolites, using blood samples from 6,000 participants.
The team also used data from a questionnaire that assessed how often people dozed off during the day.
They identified seven metabolites associated with EDS, as well as an additional three metabolites that varied by sex.
I spent three days at a sleep retreat - these are the top 7 things I learnt
Tyramine was associated with increased daytime sleepiness, especially in men.
Meanwhile, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, found in oily fish, nuts and seeds, were associated with lower risk of EDS.
According to Benenden Health, "tyramine causes the adrenal gland to release the 'fight or flight' hormone, which increases alertness for a number of hours".
Foods high in tyramine include:
Aged cheeses like cheddar, feta, blue, Swiss, Parmesan, provolone, Camembert, brie, Edam and Gruyere Alcohol such as draft or artisan beer or wine Cured meat and processed meat, such as salami, sausage, bacon, mortadella and pepperoni Yeast-extract spreads, such as Marmite and Vegemite Fermented sauces such as soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, miso, Worcestershire sauce and teriyaki sauce Pickled or salt-dried foods like fish Fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, tofu Dried or overripe fruits, such as raisins and overripe bananas or avocados Foods that have not been properly stored or are past their 'best-before' date Coffee
Researchers said their results suggest dietary changes or medications may help treat EDS.
But they noted that their study had some limitations, including difficulty in interpreting exact values of metabolites and using a sleep questionnaire instead of bringing participants into a sleep lab for tests.
The team suggested conducting a clinical trial to see if dietary changes or supplements can help reduce daytime sleepiness.
They also identified some unknown metabolites that they plan to explore further.
'Conducting a clinical trial would be a big next step and could help us understand if omega-3s and omega-6s obtained from diet could help lower risk of EDS,' Dr Faquih said.
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I spent three days at a sleep retreat - these are the top 7 things I learnt Tyramine was associated with increased daytime sleepiness, especially in men. Meanwhile, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, found in oily fish, nuts and seeds, were associated with lower risk of EDS. According to Benenden Health, "tyramine causes the adrenal gland to release the 'fight or flight' hormone, which increases alertness for a number of hours". Foods high in tyramine include: Aged cheeses like cheddar, feta, blue, Swiss, Parmesan, provolone, Camembert, brie, Edam and Gruyere Alcohol such as draft or artisan beer or wine Cured meat and processed meat, such as salami, sausage, bacon, mortadella and pepperoni Yeast-extract spreads, such as Marmite and Vegemite Fermented sauces such as soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, miso, Worcestershire sauce and teriyaki sauce Pickled or salt-dried foods like fish Fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, tofu Dried or overripe fruits, such as raisins and overripe bananas or avocados Foods that have not been properly stored or are past their 'best-before' date Coffee Researchers said their results suggest dietary changes or medications may help treat EDS. But they noted that their study had some limitations, including difficulty in interpreting exact values of metabolites and using a sleep questionnaire instead of bringing participants into a sleep lab for tests. 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