Ultra-processed foods could be causing insomnia, study finds

According to the results of a study on 39 thousand French adults, consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with chronic insomnia.

• One study observed the association between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and chronic insomnia.
• Data from 39 thousand French adults were analyzed, finding a greater risk among men.
• The causality was not explored in depth, but the study is innovative as it considers the degree of food processing.

The consumption of foods ultra-processed could be the cause of problems sleep:this is according to a study published in Journal of the academy of nutrition and dietetics who found an association between the intake of ultra-processed foods and the ichronic insomnia, regardless of sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, diet quality and mental health status.

The study is innovative because it does not investigate, unlike others previously, the relationship between sleep and specific nutrients and foods, but instead considers the degree of food processing.“More and more foods are highly processed and sleep disorders are rampant, so it is important to evaluate whether diet might be contributing to poor or good quality sleep,” said the study's lead researcher. Marie-Pierre St-Onge, of Colombia University, whose research team had previously reported associations of healthy eating patterns, such as Mediterranean diet, with a reduced risk of insomnia and poor sleep quality, and high-carbohydrate diets with a high risk of insomnia.

Ultra-processed food and insomnia:the association in a study

The epidemiological study used data from NutriNet-Santé  collected every six months between 2013 and 2015  and beyond 39 thousand French adults who completed multiple 24-hour dietary records and provided information on insomnia symptoms.Participants reported consuming approximately 16 percent of energy from ultra-processed foods and nearly 20 percent reported chronic insomnia.According to the findings, individuals who reported chronic insomnia consumed a greater percentage of their energy intake from ultra-processed foods.The association was evident in both men and women, but the risk was slightly higher higher in men.

“Although the data do not establish causality of the association, our study is the first of its kind and contributes to the current body of knowledge on ultra-processed foods,” said the lead author Pauline Duquenne. The findings provide insights for future longitudinal research, as well as intervention and prevention programs focusing on nutrition and sleep.

To know ultra-processed foods are the industrial foods which have undergone many processes and which contain numerous additives and preservatives such as packaged bread, ready-made soups, packaged ice cream, some breakfast cereals, carbonated soft drinks.Several studies associate them with the risk of developing diabetes, obesity, cancer And cognitive decline.