Finnish researchers examined the link between fruit and vegetable consumption and sleep duration.
- Adults sleeping between 7 and 9 hours per night consumed more fruits and vegetables than those with short (less than 7 hours) and long (9 hours or more) sleep duration.
- However, eating different types of fruits and vegetables has shown varying results.
- Thus, the authors suggest the need to take sleep habits into account in dietary intervention.
Sleep and diet are essential determinants of overall health and well-being, which can influence each other. In a new study, scientists from the University of Helsinki and Turku (Finland) wanted to understand how nutrition affects sleep. They also studied the role that individual chronotypes (i.e. preferences for activity time, such as morning or evening) might play in food choices and sleep duration.
Nearly 76% of participants slept 7.7 hours per night
To carry out their work, published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, the team looked at details of a national cohort conducted in 2017. A total of 5,043 adults aged 18 and over answered 134 questions in detail about their daily diet over the past 12 months. Participants were also asked to indicate their tendency to sleep at a certain time of day and their typical sleep duration over a 24-hour period. “Demographic and socio-economic factors were taken into account,” the researchers said.
Based on the responses to the questionnaire, they classified sleep duration into three categories: short (less than 7 hours per night for 21% of volunteers), normal (7-9 hours per night for 76.1%) and long ( 9 hours or more per night for 2.9%). The average sleep duration of short sleepers was 6 hours, that of normal sleepers was 7.7 hours, and that of long sleepers was 10.1 hours. According to the data, 61.7% of adults classified themselves as “intermediate chronotypes,” while 22.4% identified themselves as a “morning” type and 15.9% identified as a “morning” type. “evening” type.
Reduced consumption of certain fruits and vegetables is linked to long and short sleep duration
According to research, people whose sleep duration was short consumed 37 g less fruit and vegetables per day than normal sleepers/ Same observation for “heavy” sleepers who consumed 73 g less fruit and vegetables per day. day. However, eating different types of fruits and vegetables has shown varying results.
“In the vegetable subgroup, significant differences were observed in the consumption of green leafy vegetables, root vegetables and fruiting vegetables (e.g. tomatoes, cucumbers), between normal sleepers and sleepers. Similarly, for normal sleepers and long sleepers, significant differences were again noted for green leafy vegetables and fruiting vegetables. However, other fresh and canned vegetables such as cabbage. mushrooms, onion, peas and beans did not show significant differences”explained the scientists.
On the fruit side, a difference was found in the consumption of berries and other fresh and canned fruits between normal sleepers and those with short sleepers. “For normal sleepers and heavy long sleepers, the only significant difference was observed in apple consumption.”
Targeted interventions focused on fruit and vegetable subgroups
In the conclusions, the team indicates that, given these results, it is necessary to take sleep habits into account in dietary intervention. She believes that targeted interventions focused on fruit and vegetable subgroups with pronounced associations, such as green leafy vegetables and fruiting vegetables, can lead to impactful behavior change. “Further research, particularly longitudinal studies, is needed to better understand these associations and their implications for public health, particularly in regions with similar demographic structure and dietary habits to Finland.”
