To improve sleep quality, it seems particularly effective to ensure that your diet contains more plant protein.
A new study involving experts from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health examined the connection between protein intake and sleep quality. The results can be read in the “European Journal of Clinical Nutrition”.
Diet of the participants is determined
The participants in the new research came from the Nurses’ Health Study, the Nurses’ Health Study 2 and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, in which nutrition was assessed every four years using validated questionnaires. Using the nutritional questionnaires, total protein intake and the intake of individual protein subtypes could be estimated.
The experts also measured the participants’ sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index or adapted versions. They then calculated possible connections between protein intake and sleep quality.
Type of proteins is crucial
It was found that total protein intake was not associated with sleep quality in 32,212 participants in the Nurses’ Health Study, 51,126 participants in the Nurses’ Health Study 2 and 14,796 participants in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.
In contrast, consuming proteins from plant sources was associated with either no or beneficial effects on sleep quality, while consuming animal proteins produced mixed results, the team reports. Eating processed red meat and poultry was associated with poorer sleep quality.
When consuming milk and fish proteins, however, the results showed either no association or a positive association with sleep quality, the experts add.
Plant-based protein sources can improve sleep quality
The researchers are therefore of the opinion that plant protein sources are associated with better sleep quality than animal protein sources. However, further studies are needed to confirm the results.
However, a cross-sectional study from 2022 already came to a similar conclusion. The experts involved examined the connection between the intake of dietary proteins, their amino acid components and their sources and the quality of sleep.
It was found that the ratio of tryptophan (an essential amino acid found in both animal and plant protein) to the large neutral amino acids (LNAA) was positively related to sleep duration. This also applied to plant tryptophan and the ratio of plant tryptophan to the large neutral amino acids.
The participants’ sleep duration was positively related to the amount of tryptophan in their diet, especially if it came from plant sources. Plant-based proteins could therefore have an extremely positive impact on our sleep overall. (as)
