Insights & Discussion
Sleep quality in adults with disturbed sleep improved significantly after an 8-week course of naturally-derived sleep-inducing juice made from lettuce, orange, pineapple and cherry.
This randomized, crossover study involved 25 adults (15 female, 10 male), all of whom reported difficulties in initiating or maintaining nighttime sleep. During the intervention, known as the feeding sessions (FS), the participants were given a sleep-inducing juice made of natural ingredients, being provided 250ml twice a day for 8 weeks. Their sleep quality and other related parameters were tracked with wearable actigraphs over seven consecutive days. The Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) scores were assessed before and after this juice intervention. The subjects' heart rate variability (HRV), both at rest and during sleep, was also closely monitored.
After the participants had undergone the 8-week juice intervention (FS), the PSQI scores decreased substantially, a change which directly correlated with a significant decrease in fatigue severity scale and visual analogue scale levels. Notably, heart rate variability indices indicative of vagal activity were significantly improved during the FS. The sleep efficiency and the total sleep time of the subjects increased significantly; at the same time, sleep latency and other disruptive factors like total counts, sleep fragmentation index, and movement index decreased significantly. There weren’t any significant differences observed during the non-feeding sessions (N-FS). Overall, the study results showed that the targeted intake of the sleep-inducing juice improved not only the sleep quality, but also led to an enhanced cardiac vagal tone during sleep.
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There is evidence to support significant improvements to total sleep time and sleep efficiency with the ingestion of tart cherries.
2023 Current Sleep Medicine Reports Too Sour to be True? Tart Cherries (Prunus cerasus) and Sleep: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Stretton B, Eranki A, Kovoor J, Bacchi S, Gupta A, Maddern G, et al.
Systematic Review Cherry Insomnia Sleep
We identified a total of 277 unique records, from which 8 studies of low-moderate methodological quality were included in the systematic review. Meta-analysis of subjectively recalled sleep efficiency (SE) and total sleep time (TST) were not significant. Objective SE, however, was significantly higher in the cherry cohort when compared to placebo with an effect size of 0.63 (95% CI 0.29–0.97, P < 0.01). There was low associated heterogeneity (I2 = 0%). Objective TST was significantly higher in the cherry cohorts, with a pooled effect size of 1.21 (95% CI 0.83–1.58, P < 0.01). There was high associated heterogeneity (I2 = 81.5%).
Honey potentially has superior results than cough medication or placebo in curtailing symptoms and enhancing sleep in children with acute cough.
2023 European Journal of Pediatrics Honey for acute cough in children — a systematic review Kuitunen I, Renko M
Systematic Review Children's Health Cough Honey
Methodology:
This targeted review leveraged multiple databases, such as PubMed, Scopus, CENTRAL, CINAHL, and Web of Science, to extract relevant trials relating to honey's usage in treating acute child cough. By applying a systematic approach, the emphasis was on randomized controlled trials featuring children. To ensure the results' credibility, payment was done for risk-of-bias as well as the quality of the evidence. The studies were not combined owing to the absence of essential information; instead, conclusions provided a range of noticed effects for principal results.
Discussion of results:
Following rigorous screening of almost four hundred papers, a select ten were incorporated. Significant variability in biases was noticed, with two studies possessing a high risk-of-bias and six inviting some concerns. The evidence, though of low to very low quality, indicated honey's potential superiority over placebo/no treatment and cough medication, both in reducing cough frequency and improving sleep quality.
Consuming two medium-sized green kiwifruits an hour before bed can improve sleep quality and recovery stress balance among elite athletes.
2023 Nutrients The Impact of Kiwifruit Consumption on the Sleep and Recovery of Elite Athletes Doherty R, Madigan S, Nevill A, Warrington G, Ellis JG
Clinical Study Exercise Performance Kiwifruit Sleep
The study began with an initial assessment, after which all participants were instructed to consume two medium-sized green kiwifruits an hour before bedtime over a 4-week span. Data was collected through baseline and post-intervention questionnaires, as well as daily sleep diary entries throughout the study duration.
There was a notable positive effect of kiwifruit consumption on essential aspects of sleep and recovery in professional athletes. After the intervention period, improvements were observed in sleep quality and recovery stress balances. Additionally, there was an increase in total sleep time, sleep efficiency, and a decrease in the number of times participants woke after falling asleep. The study concludes that kiwifruits positively influence sleep and recovery in high-performing athletes.
The fermented jujube seeds extract significantly enhances sleep by binding to the GABA receptors, thus offers a promising natural alternative for sleep disorders treatment.
2023 Foods Sleep-Enhancing Effect of Water Extract from Jujube (Zizyphus jujuba Mill.) Seeds Fermented by Lactobacillus brevis L32 Bae GY, Ahn Y, Hong KB, Jung EJ, Suh HJ, Jo K
Experimental Study GABA Jujube Sleep
Methodology: An aqueous extract of jujube seeds (ZW) was fermented, following a starch-removing enzymatic degradation process, to increase its γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content, resulting in a fermented product (ZW-FM). The sleep-promoting effect of ZW-FM was evaluated using rodent models; specifically, sleep tests were performed on ICR mice with pentobarbital-induced sleep, while the electroencephalography analysis was undertaken in Sprague Dawley rats. Awakening relief effects of ZW-FM were assessed using a caffeine-induced insomnia model. To understand the mechanism, GABA receptor type A (GABA) antagonists were used.
Results: The groups given ZW-FM treatment displayed a longer sleep duration, particularly increased δ-wave time during non-rapid eye movement sleep, and reduced sleep latency. Particularly, the model treated with ZW-FM showed an increase in non-rapid-eye-movement sleep and a reduction in the REM sleep duration, brought about by caffeine treatment. The enhanced sleep induction caused by ZW-FM was hindered by GABA receptor antagonists, thereby validating the involvement of a GABAergic mechanism in promoting sleep.
Long-term consumption of green tea can potentially lessen the risk of depression in postmenopausal women by decreasing inflammation and boosting estradiol levels.
2023 Nutrients Long-Term Consumption of Green Tea Can Reduce the Degree of Depression in Postmenopausal Women by Increasing Estradiol Wan Z, Qin X, Tian Y, Ouyang F, Wang G, Wan Q
Cohort Study Anti-Inflammatory Depression Green Tea
In the study, researchers performed an analysis on a tea-producing village, incorporating 386 postmenopausal women in the investigation, who participated either as green tea consumers or non-drinkers (control group). The level of estradiol, inflammation markers, sleep quality, and depression symptoms were measured to uncover any correlations.
The results reflected significant disparities between the tea-drinking and control groups in terms of depression and insomnia levels, BMI, inflammation levels, and estradiol quantities. By appraising these outcomes, it was found that green tea intake could quell the likelihood of depression via its impact on sleep, inflammation, and estradiol levels. The risk of depression was consequently seen as reduced among postmenopausal women engaging in regular consumption of green tea.
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