Vegetarian diets

Plant-Powered Sleep: Vegan, Vegetarian Diets Unlock Extra ZZZs

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Want to sleep better and longer? Ditch the meat. At least that’s what some experts are saying. 

Vegans and vegetarians sleep around 30 more minutes per night than average, and up to 90% of them report good or excellent sleep quality, according to a recent survey published by the Sleep Foundation. 

“Poor sleep leads to poor food choices,” according to Abhinav Singh, MD, medical director of the Indiana Sleep Center and medical advisor for the Sleep Foundation. “That is why they are called comfort foods — because nobody who’s tired and sleep-deprived is going to reach for a salad.”

Speaking of salad, people who follow a raw vegan diet fared the best. The paleo or “caveman diet” — which centers around meat, fish, fruits, and vegetables — came in second place, followed by kosher and a standard vegan diet, respectively. All these groups had better sleep than those who follow no specific diet. 

Benefits of Vegan Diets

Benefits of Vegan Diets

Going vegan doesn’t mean you’re limited to only munching on veggies. Create a nutrient-packed meal plan with these foods.

But linking a specific diet with better sleep can be a “slippery slope,” according to Cara Harbstreet, a registered dietitian and owner of Street Smart Nutrition. For one, self-reported dietary habits often come with inaccuracies. Survey respondents also had the option of choosing more than one diet. 

“There are also different interpretations of dietary patterns, such as what ‘keto’ means to one person may mean something else to another person,” said Debbie Fetter, PhD, assistant professor of teaching in the department of nutrition at the University of California, Davis. “There are many forms of vegetarianism as well. This may mean respondents could classify their dietary patterns differently, which affects the results.”

Instead of focusing on a specific diet, aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night, Fetter said, noting that more than a quarter of American adults don’t meet this goal. Also, start incorporating more plants into your diet, she suggested. A whopping 90% of American adults do not get the recommended 2 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables per day.

“Sleep deprivation can have a negative impact on cognitive function, which may lead to impaired decision-making and influence health. For example, if someone is low on sleep, they may choose more energy-dense comfort foods instead of a nutrient-dense option, or they could feel too tired to engage in physical activity,” Fetter said.

Certain nighttime snacks can also help with sleep. 

“Tart cherries, yogurt, fatty fish like salmon, and kiwis (all included in the survey questions in some manner) are foods we know could support better sleep when eaten regularly,” Harbstreet said. 

The survey found that yogurt eaters had the highest sleep quality (61%). Fruit and berry munchers were a close second (58%). Those who snack on cookies, cake, and brownies surprisingly came in third (53%). But only indulge in the latter on occasion, according to Singh, the author of Sleep to Heal.

“Processed foods and sugary treats should be infrequent, especially before bed, [because] eating processed foods at 10 p.m. can spike your blood sugar, which activates your kidneys,” he said. “Then your sleep quality is poor because [of] micro awakenings and even bathroom breaks at night, which can then start to fuel some insomnia habits.”

And a word of caution: it can be tricky to label certain foods as sleep-promoting or not, especially when we do not have critical information about the people who selected those foods. 

5 Foods That May Help You Sleep Better

5 Foods That May Help You Sleep Better

Want to get in some quality ZZZs? Stock your pantry with these melatonin-boosting foods to snack on before bedtime.

“For instance, based on this survey, people who consumed cereal reported having the worst sleep quality — but we don’t know about these people’s lifestyles, sleep conditions, dietary or physical activity habits, socioeconomic status, stress level, and more that can all have an impact on their sleep. It may not be because of the cereal,” Fetter said. 

Insomnia was the most common sleep disturbance among respondents in the survey. If you are having trouble falling asleep, here are a few things you can try: Skip spicy meals before bedtime, as it can lead to heartburn. Have a scheduled bedtime and wake-up time and stop drinking caffeine 6 to 8 hours before bed. Creating a wind-down routine — such as reading a book, journaling, or coloring in an adult coloring book — can also promote good sleep hygiene, according to Fetter. You could also try  a “sleepy girl mocktail,” a viral trend that is a nonalcoholic concoction of sparkling water, tart cherry juice, and a magnesium supplement.

“How well it works is still up for debate,” Harbstreet said, noting that some people swear by it, others found no difference, and others reported the carbonation or sugar content seemed to negatively impact sleep.

Vegetarian Diets Linked to Lower Mortality

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Happy senior couple eating salad in the kitchen.

Adults who eat a more plant-based diet may be boosting their chance of living longer, according to a large analysis.

Research has shown that the foods you eat influence your health. Eating certain foods, such as fruits and nuts, has been associated with reduced death rates, while other foods, such as red meat and processed meat, have been linked to increased mortality. Studies comparing overall eating patterns and mortality rates, however, have had mixed results.

A research team led by Drs. Michael Orlich and Gary Fraser at Loma Linda University explored the connections between dietary patterns and death in Seventh-day Adventist men and women. The research was part of an ongoing analysis of people recruited at Seventh-day Adventist churches in the United States and Canada between 2002 and 2007. Adventists tend to have similar lifestyle habits. For instance, they typically don’t smoke or consume alcohol. However, they have a range of dietary patterns, making them an ideal group for teasing out the links between diet and the causes of death and disease.

The researchers studied more than 73,000 people ages 25 and older. The participants were categorized into dietary groups at the time of recruitment based on their reported food intake during the previous year. The study was funded in part by NIH’s National Cancer Institute (NCI), and appeared online on June 3, 2013, in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Nearly half of the participants were nonvegetarian, eating red meat, poultry, fish, milk and eggs more than once a week. Of the remaining, 8% were vegan (eating red meat, fish, poultry, dairy or eggs less than once a month); 29% were lacto-ovo vegetarians (eating eggs and/or dairy products, but red meat, fish or poultry less than once per month); 10% were pesco-vegetarians (eating fish, milk and eggs but rarely red meat or poultry); and 5% were semi-vegetarian (eating red meat, poultry and fish less than once per week).

Over about 6 years, there were 2,570 deaths among the participants. The researchers found that vegetarians (those with vegan, and lacto-ovo-, pesco-, and semi-vegetarian diets) were 12% less likely to die from all causes combined compared to nonvegetarians. The death rates for subgroups of vegans, lacto-ovo–vegetarians, and pesco-vegetarians were all significantly lower than those of nonvegetarians.

Those on a vegetarian diet tended to have a lower rate of death due to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and renal disorders such as kidney failure. No association was detected in this study between diet and deaths due to cancer. The researchers also found that the beneficial associations between a vegetarian diet and mortality tended to be stronger in men than in women.

The researchers note several limitations to the study. Participants only reported their diet at the beginning of the study, and their eating patterns might have changed over time. In addition, they were only followed for an average of 6 years; it may take longer for dietary patterns to influence mortality.

“This research gives more support to the idea that certain vegetarian dietary patterns may be associated with reduced mortality and increased longevity. This is something that may be taken into account by those making dietary choices and by those offering dietary guidance,” says Orlich.

Vegetarian Diets Linked to Lower Mortality

Posted by

0


Happy senior couple eating salad in the kitchen.

Adults who eat a more plant-based diet may be boosting their chance of living longer, according to a large analysis.

Research has shown that the foods you eat influence your health. Eating certain foods, such as fruits and nuts, has been associated with reduced death rates, while other foods, such as red meat and processed meat, have been linked to increased mortality. Studies comparing overall eating patterns and mortality rates, however, have had mixed results.

A research team led by Drs. Michael Orlich and Gary Fraser at Loma Linda University explored the connections between dietary patterns and death in Seventh-day Adventist men and women. The research was part of an ongoing analysis of people recruited at Seventh-day Adventist churches in the United States and Canada between 2002 and 2007. Adventists tend to have similar lifestyle habits. For instance, they typically don’t smoke or consume alcohol. However, they have a range of dietary patterns, making them an ideal group for teasing out the links between diet and the causes of death and disease.

The researchers studied more than 73,000 people ages 25 and older. The participants were categorized into dietary groups at the time of recruitment based on their reported food intake during the previous year. The study was funded in part by NIH’s National Cancer Institute (NCI), and appeared online on June 3, 2013, in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Nearly half of the participants were nonvegetarian, eating red meat, poultry, fish, milk and eggs more than once a week. Of the remaining, 8% were vegan (eating red meat, fish, poultry, dairy or eggs less than once a month); 29% were lacto-ovo vegetarians (eating eggs and/or dairy products, but red meat, fish or poultry less than once per month); 10% were pesco-vegetarians (eating fish, milk and eggs but rarely red meat or poultry); and 5% were semi-vegetarian (eating red meat, poultry and fish less than once per week).

Over about 6 years, there were 2,570 deaths among the participants. The researchers found that vegetarians (those with vegan, and lacto-ovo-, pesco-, and semi-vegetarian diets) were 12% less likely to die from all causes combined compared to nonvegetarians. The death rates for subgroups of vegans, lacto-ovo–vegetarians, and pesco-vegetarians were all significantly lower than those of nonvegetarians.

Those on a vegetarian diet tended to have a lower rate of death due to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and renal disorders such as kidney failure. No association was detected in this study between diet and deaths due to cancer. The researchers also found that the beneficial associations between a vegetarian diet and mortality tended to be stronger in men than in women.

The researchers note several limitations to the study. Participants only reported their diet at the beginning of the study, and their eating patterns might have changed over time. In addition, they were only followed for an average of 6 years; it may take longer for dietary patterns to influence mortality.

“This research gives more support to the idea that certain vegetarian dietary patterns may be associated with reduced mortality and increased longevity. This is something that may be taken into account by those making dietary choices and by those offering dietary guidance,” says Orlich.

Vegetarian diets show potential for boosting insulin sensitivity

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Vegetarian dietary patterns, especially vegan diets, may improve insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function in adults compared with those who eat meat, according to findings published in Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases.

“It has been suggested that vegetarian diet may have a potential protective effect on the prevention and treatment of diabetes and its complications,” Xiuhua Shen, MD, PhD, of the department of nutrition in the School of Public Health at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, and colleagues wrote. “However, whether the higher insulin sensitivity status in vegetarians is accounted for by weight loss remains unclear and controversial.”

A total of 279 vegetarians and 279 sex- and age-matched omnivores were recruited for a cross-sectional study conducted by Shen and colleagues at Xinhua Hospital in Shanghai from March to May 2016. In-person interviews determined dietary patterns and vegetarian status. A person was considered a vegetarian if he or she ate only vegetarian meals for at least 1 year. This group was further divided by vegan diet (n = 73; mean age, 34 years; 74% women), which included no animal products, and lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet (n = 206; mean age, 32.5 years; 85.4% women), which included the consumption of eggs and dairy products.

Fasting blood samples were taken to assess glucose and insulin concentrations. The researchers used the homeostasis model assessment to measure insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function.

The average BMI of participants in the vegetarian group was lower than that of the omnivore group (P < .05), whereas the proportion of obesity was 10.4% lower for vegetarians compared with omnivores (P < .05). Vegetarians also had a 1.4% proportion of insulin resistance compared with a 4.7% proportion in omnivores (P < .05), the researchers reported.

When adjusting only for BMI, the researchers found a negative association between vegan diet and fasting blood glucose (beta = –0.03; 95% CI, –0.05 to –0.01), fasting insulin (beta = –0.23; 95% CI, –0.34 to –0.11) and insulin resistance (beta = –0.25; 95% CI, –0.38 to –0.14). A negative association was also found between lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet and fasting blood glucose (beta = –0.03; 95% CI, –0.04 to –0.02) and insulin resistance (beta = –0.1; 95% CI, –0.18 to –0.01) in the entire vegetarian cohort. However, only participants with a vegan diet retained the negative association with fasting insulin (beta = –0.16; 95% CI, –0.3 to –0.01) and insulin resistance (beta = –0.17; 95% CI, –0.32 to –0.03) after adjusting for BMI, vegetarian duration, income, alcohol consumption, daily dietary intake, physical activity, sedentary time and visceral fat area.

“A plant-based diet with a variety of foods rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants, which may have a direct effect on alleviating inflammation and oxidative stress, may account for the higher insulin sensitivity in vegetarians, and especially vegans,” the researchers wrote. “Vegetarians, especially vegans, may be in a healthier insulin sensitivity status than omnivores, which is not completely accounted for by the difference of BMI.”