Health
For a better night's sleep, try eating more of these foods, researchers say
Fruits and veggies are an important part of a balanced diet — and also balanced sleep.
A new study from Finland looked into how fruit and vegetable consumption in Finnish adults impacted sleep duration.
The research considered data from the National FinHealth 2017 Study, which involved 5,043 adults over the age of 18.
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These respondents reported their dietary consumption as well as their sleep habits, the latter of which was compared across three sleep categories: short, normal and long.
Compared to normal sleepers, short sleepers consumed 37 fewer grams of fruits and vegetables per day, while long sleepers consumed 73 fewer grams per day.
Consuming more fruits and veggies helps to support the right amount of sleep, a new study has found. (iStock)
The study concluded that there is a “consistent pattern where deviation from normal sleep duration was associated with decreased [fruit and vegetable] consumption.”
These findings suggest the need for “considering sleep patterns in dietary intervention,” researchers added.
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“Further research, including longitudinal studies, is needed to better understand the mechanisms underlying these associations,” the study noted.
Study co-author Timo Partonen, M.D., a research professor at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) in Helsinki, Finland, reacted to his findings in a conversation with Fox News Digital.
The study found that sleeping fewer than seven hours per night or more than nine hours per night was associated with reduced fruit and veggie consumption. (iStock)
Sleeping fewer than seven hours per night or more than nine hours per night was associated with reduced consumption of fruits and vegetables, he noted.
“The key takeaway is that shortage of sleep coincides with an unhealthy diet,” Partonen said. “This means that weight-watching programs need to pay attention to sleep habits as well … as it may ruin or promote the outcome.”
“The key takeaway is that shortage of sleep coincides with an unhealthy diet.”
While the study took into account each person’s chronotype (classifying people as an “early bird” or “night owl”), the impact of this trait on the link between sleep duration and fruit and veggie consumption was “minimal,” the researcher said.
Partonen identified this study as “cross-sectional by design,” which means the researchers were not able to analyze any “causal relationships.”
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Based on these findings, people should eat more fruits and vegetables daily to get better sleep, he recommended.
“Sleep, nutrition and physical activity form a unity,” he said. “A positive change in one of these is reflected in a positive change in the other two.”
The study findings highlight the need to consider sleep patterns during dietary intervention, researchers said. (iStock)
New Jersey-based dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade also reacted to these findings, telling Fox News Digital that it is “not surprising that increasing your dietary intake of fruits and vegetables may improve both sleep quality and quantity.”
She added, “Fruits and vegetables contain a variety of nutrients that can support healthy sleep. Some fruits, such as tart cherries and bananas, contain melatonin, a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle.”
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Eating these fruits may increase melatonin levels in the body, which will promote better sleep onset and quality, according to the dietitian.
Embracing a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can also help increase antioxidant intake, she said, which can reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the body.
Sleep may improve as these factors are reduced, Palinski-Wade added.
Multiple fruits and veggies contain nutrients that support better sleep, a nutritionist said. (iStock)
Dark, leafy greens like spinach and kale are good sources of magnesium, a nutrient that can also help support sleep, the dietitian said.
“Diets lacking in magnesium have been found to increase the risk of insomnia, so it makes sense that eating a magnesium-rich diet may improve sleep,” she added.
Fruits and veggies like spinach and tomatoes also contain an amino acid called tryptophan, which is a “precursor to serotonin,” a neurotransmitter involved in producing melatonin and aiding in sleep regulation, according to Palinski-Wade.
“By increasing your dietary intake of tryptophan, you can promote relaxation and improvements in falling and staying asleep,” she said.
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A popular class of weight-loss drugs may prevent life-threatening cardiac complications by opening microscopic blood vessels that often remain blocked after a heart attack, according to a study published this week in Nature Communications.
The research, led by the University of Bristol and University College London, identified a biological brain-gut-heart signaling pathway.
This discovery appears to explain how GLP-1 drugs — which mimic glucagon-like peptide-1, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar and appetite — protect heart tissue from a condition known as “no-reflow.”
“In nearly half of all heart attack patients, tiny blood vessels within the heart muscle remain narrowed, even after the main artery is cleared during emergency medical treatment,” Dr. Svetlana Mastitskaya, the study’s lead author and a senior lecturer at Bristol Medical School, said in a press release.
“This results in a complication known as ‘no-reflow,’ where blood is unable to reach certain parts of the heart tissue.”
In nearly half of all heart attack patients, tiny capillaries (blood vessels) remain narrowed even after the main blocked artery is cleared. (iStock)
This lack of blood flow increases the risk of heart failure and death within a year. GLP-1 medications could prevent this, according to the researchers.
How it works
When the GLP-1 hormone is released in the gut or administered as a drug, it sends a signal to the brain, which then sends a signal to the heart that switches on special potassium channels in tiny cells called pericytes.
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When these channels open, the pericytes relax, which allows the small blood vessels (capillaries) to widen and improve blood flow to the heart muscle, the researchers noted.
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The new study used animal models and cellular imaging to track how GLP-1 interacts with heart tissue. When the researchers removed the potassium channels, the drugs no longer protected the heart — confirming they play a key role.
The findings suggest that existing GLP-1 medications, already used for type 2 diabetes and obesity, could be repurposed as emergency treatments. (iStock)
The findings suggest that existing GLP-1 medications, already used for type 2 diabetes and obesity, could be repurposed as emergency treatments during or immediately after a heart attack to reduce tissue damage.
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The researchers noted several limitations, including that the study relied on animal models.
Clinical trials are necessary to determine whether the brain-gut-heart pathway operates with the same timing and efficacy in humans.
While the study highlights the drug’s immediate benefits during a heart attack, it des not establish whether long-term use of these drugs provides a pre-existing level of protection. (iStock)
Additionally, while the study highlights the drug’s immediate benefits during a heart attack, it does not establish whether long-term use of the medication provides a pre-existing level of protection.
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The research was primarily funded by the British Heart Foundation.
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Collagen supplements have exploded in popularity, touted as everything from an anti-aging miracle to a muscle recovery booster.
But a sweeping new review conducted by U.K. researchers suggests that while collagen may help improve skin elasticity and ease arthritis pain, it does little for athletic performance or wrinkle reduction.
Researchers from Anglia Ruskin University analyzed 16 systematic reviews and 113 randomized controlled trials involving nearly 8,000 participants worldwide, which they say is the most extensive evaluation of collagen’s health effects to date.
The review found consistent evidence that collagen supplementation improves skin elasticity and hydration over time and provides significant relief from osteoarthritis-related joint pain and stiffness, according to findings published in Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum.
A large U.K. review found that collagen supplements may improve skin elasticity and hydration over time. (iStock)
The researchers, however, did not find meaningful improvements in post-exercise muscle recovery, soreness or tendon mechanical properties (strength, springiness and stretch resistance).
“Collagen is not a cure-all, but it does have credible benefits when used consistently over time, particularly for skin and osteoarthritis,” co-author Lee Smith, professor of public health at Anglia Ruskin University, said in a statement.
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“Our findings show clear benefits in key areas of healthy aging, while also dispelling some of the myths surrounding its use,” Smith added.
Collagen, the most abundant protein in the body, supports skin, bones, tendons, cartilage and connective tissue, according to experts. Natural collagen production begins to drop in early adulthood and declines more sharply with age.
The study found that collagen supplements may help reduce joint pain and stiffness in people with osteoarthritis. (iStock)
The review found that long-term collagen supplementation was linked to improved skin firmness and hydration, but did not help skin roughness — a proxy for visible wrinkles.
Benefits appear to accumulate gradually, suggesting that collagen should not be viewed as an “anti-wrinkle ‘quick fix,’ but as a foundational dermal support for individuals seeking holistic skin maintenance,” the researchers said.
“If we define anti-aging as a product or technique designed to prevent the appearance of getting older, then I believe our findings do support this claim for some parameters,” Smith told the BBC. “For example, an improvement in skin tone and moisture is associated with a more youthful-looking appearance.”
Collagen supplementation was linked to reduced pain and stiffness in people with osteoarthritis, with stronger benefits seen over longer periods of use, and showed modest improvements in muscle mass and tendon structure that may support healthy aging.
Collagen did not significantly improve skin roughness, a marker of visible wrinkles. (iStock)
However, it did not show meaningful results when used as a fast-acting sports performance supplement, and evidence for benefits related to cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure and oral health was mixed or inconclusive.
Dr. Daniel Ghiyam, a California-based physician and longevity specialist, said the findings align with what he sees in clinical practice.
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“Collagen is a targeted support tool, not a foundation of health or performance,” Ghiyam, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. “When marketed that way, it makes sense. When marketed as a cure-all, it doesn’t hold up to the data.”
The authors noted that while many previous collagen studies have received financial support from the supplement industry, the current review did not receive industry funding.
Experts say collagen supplements may offer modest benefits for skin hydration and joint comfort, but they are not a cure-all. (iStock)
The team called for more high-quality clinical trials examining long-term outcomes, optimal dosages and differences between collagen sources, such as marine, bovine and plant-based alternatives.
Among its limitations, the review could not determine whether certain forms of collagen work better than others or what the optimal regimen should be.
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While the review included randomized controlled trials, the quality of the studies varied, with newer research generally showing stronger results.
Experts say more data and studies are needed to build on the findings. They also noted that diet plays a crucial role in skin health.
Collagen supplements, often sold as powders or pills, may improve skin elasticity and ease joint pain, experts say. (iStock)
Dr. Erum Ilyas, a Pennsylvania-based dermatologist and chair of dermatology at Drexel University College of Medicine, noted that the review analyzed previously published meta-analyses rather than generating new primary data.
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“At this time, I have not seen sufficiently strong independent evidence to routinely recommend collagen supplements to my patients,” Ilyas, who was not involved in the review, told Fox News Digital.
“Although some studies show modest improvements in markers such as hydration and elasticity, there remains limited independent, biopsy-confirmed evidence demonstrating sustained increases in dermal collagen content,” she added.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the researchers for comment.
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