Conscious Choice: Snack Attack on Sleep

August 2008 | Healthy Living :: Body Talk

Snack Attack on Sleep

By Elizabeth Barker

Those midnight munchies might mess up your sleep patterns, suggests a new study presented at the annual meeting of Associated Professional Sleep Societies. In an experiment involving about 50 adults (ages 20 to 45), researchers found that late-night snacking could lead to fragmented sleep and throw your metabolic system out of whack.

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee
Caffeine may get all the credit for coffee’s pick-me-up effect, but the brew’s aroma alone may have energizing effects. For a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, scientists allowed sleep-starved rats to inhale the sharp scent of coffee beans. In the brains of coffee-sniffing rats, activity in more than a dozen genes was altered. Those changes helped boost brain cells’ antioxidant activity, which could in turn ease the stress of sleep deprivation, according to study author Han-Seok Seo.

Low Serotonin = Sore Losers?
Running low on serotonin — a neurotransmitter that helps control your mood — may make you more hostile when dealing with others, according to a recent University of Cambridge study. To see how the brain chemical affects “social decision-making,” scientists gathered a group of healthy volunteers and reduced their serotonin levels by manipulating their diet. During a game played while serotonin levels were low, the volunteers reacted much more aggressively to what they perceived as unfair behavior. Other tests ruled out the possibility that the study members were simply sore losers.

Since carb-rich meals and foods like chocolate and chicken can help raise serotonin levels, the study findings could explain why we’re more likely to get cranky and combative when we haven’t eaten. What’s more, the study suggests people with depression (a disorder marked by low serotonin levels) may benefit from therapies that focus on regulating emotions during decision-making, the authors note.

James S. Gordon, M.D., author of Unstuck: Your Guide to the Seven-Stage Journey Out of Depressionrecommends getting 30 to 40 minutes of daily exercise to boost your serotonin levels.

Cut Cholesterol, Boost Your Brain
Cutting back on cholesterol and saturated fat could help save your brain as you get older, a recent study from the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease shows. Among rats fed a diet rich in cholesterol and saturated fat, researchers detected significant weakening in working memory. That memory loss was linked to inflammation, which may be triggered by high intake of cholesterol and unhealthy fats, according to the study’s authors.

Previous research in humans suggests that sticking to a Mediterranean-style diet may protect the aging brain and defend against Alzheimer’s disease. Low in both cholesterol and saturated fat, the Mediterranean diet is loaded with fruits, veggies, legumes, and whole grains and includes some fish and alcohol.

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