The proliferation of new diet plans has not abated since the Atkins diet. Additionally, it seems as though that trend will not be changed in the foreseeable future. People are looking for any means by which to lose weight and systems are being created to match the diverse goals and tastes of the consumer.

One thing people do not often consider when making a choice between which diet they will practice is how that diet will affect  quality of sleep. A new study out of Purdue University has found that a link surprisingly exists.

The research shows that adults who are on the spectrum from overweight to obese have better sleep quality if they are using a diet that is high in protein. The research covers other areas about high protein diets included how they alter the body’s weight and composition.

This study is unique because it is the inverse of the usual line of inquiry that researchers and scientists take when they are dealing with the issues of weight loss and obesity. Instead of trying to figure out the impact of sleep on the efficacy of a diet regimen, this study focused on the impact of a diet regimen on the type and quality of sleep of the practitioners.

In the course of their study, the researchers discovered that adults who are middle aged will have improved sleep quality if they consume a diet that is lower in calories with a higher relative percent of protein. The study compared individuals who had lost the same amount of weight, but who used a different diet altogether.

The specific findings of the pilot study are that after four weeks of weight loss using a high protein diet, the fourteen participants had better sleep. The main study, however, used forty four overweight to obese participants. Half of these participants consumed a normal amount of protein while the other half consumed the high protein diet. In this case, the group that consumed higher amounts of protein, reported better sleep after three to four months on the diet.

This study is important because bad sleep quality—which includes shorter sleeping times—is linked with premature death and cardiovascular illnesses. Sleep problems, along side obesity issues, are two health epidemics of the modern world and they seem to be in a mutual relationship with each other.

The study’s significance is that it informs the scientific community and the general public that their sleeping behavior may affect the efficacy of their diets and their diets have just as much of an impact on the quality of their sleep too.

Source:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160324133028.htm