A new study conducted by Harvard University (USA) has shown that a diet high in protein can promote deeper sleep. At least that’s what experiments have shown in mice and flies, which are less responsive to sensory stimulation when fed heavily at night.
For starters, the scientists studied 3,400 genes in 27,200 genome-edited fruit flies. The researchers observed fruit flies as they slept on speakers that periodically sent out vibrations. Low-frequency vibrations woke up about 85% of flies that had one of two genes turned off: the first controls the production of a chemical messenger called CCHa1, which regulates circadian behavior, and the other controls the CCHa1 receptor. And both of these genes are expressed in the nervous system and the gut.
Drosophila slept better on a certain diet.© yandex.ru
Removing the receptors from the gut was enough to make the insects more likely to wake up during the vibrations. Further analysis showedthat some gut cells produce CCHa1 when exposed to proteins, and then this chemical travels to the brain, where it suppresses arousal during sleep.
In other words, protein foods play a real role in preventing awakening, which was confirmed when the team fed the flies a high-protein diet. A similar experiment on mice gave comparable results. This is not to say that such a diet would work just as well in humans, but the study authors note that the concept makes sense because better nutrition makes us sleep deeper.
