Do you often disturb your loved ones or fellow passengers with your snoring? If so, you might want to pay attention to new advice from researchers at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia.
People suffering from a common condition known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are at higher risk for elevated blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Obstructive sleep apnea is a pause in breathing that lasts at least 10 seconds, usually caused by the tongue falling back into the airway and often accompanied by snoring.
A new study from Flinders University suggests a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and nuts may help treat OSA.
How the Study Was Conducted
To investigate this, the researchers utilized data from 14,210 individuals who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in the United States.
Participants answered questions about what they had eaten in the past 24 hours. The research team then categorized the responses into three dietary patterns: a healthy plant-based diet, an unhealthy plant-based diet, and a diet high in animal products.
The healthy plant-based diet included vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, legumes, tea, and coffee.
The unhealthy plant-based diet was high in refined carbohydrates (such as pasta and bread), potatoes, sugary drinks, sweets, desserts, and salty foods.
Meanwhile, the diet high in animal products included animal fats, dairy, eggs, fish and other seafood, as well as meat.
Participants also reported on their sleep quality, specifically whether they snored during sleep and whether they experienced apnea.
What the Researchers Discovered
The team found that people who ate more plant foods were 19 percent less likely to snore because of OSA than people who ate fewer plant-based foods.
By contrast, the study found that an unhealthy plant-based diet could have the opposite effect. Those who followed the unhealthy pattern had a 22 percent higher risk of developing apnea compared to those who followed a healthy plant-based diet.
The researchers suggest switching to a healthy plant-based diet could make a difference, as reported by Science Focus. Such a diet typically contains more anti-inflammatory compounds and antioxidants, which can help reduce fat deposits, decrease inflammation, and improve muscle tone.
As Dr. Johannes Melaku, the lead author of the study, put it, “These results emphasize the importance of the quality of our diet in managing the risk of OSA.” He added that the study doesn’t explain exactly why a healthy plant-based diet helps reduce snoring. Most likely, the reason is its ability to reduce inflammation and excess weight, which are key factors in apnea.
The findings of the study were published in the journal ERJ Open Research.
