ergo-log.com

Definition: "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance "

about us

/

contact

/

Ergo-Log

22.02.2013


Eat two kiwis for a good night's rest

Eat two kiwis for a good night's rest
If you have trouble sleeping, and - very sensibly - prefer not to use sleeping pills, then nutritionists at Taipei Medical University in Taiwan may have a solution to your problem. In the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition the Taiwanese write that you sleep better if you eat two kiwis before going to bed.

Serotonin in foods
The researchers hit on the idea of investigating the sleep-enhancing properties of kiwi fruit from a study done at Duke University in the US in the eighties. [Am J Clin Nutr. 1985 Oct; 42(4): 639-43.] In this study American researchers analysed the amounts of serotonin in common foods. The table below comes from the article.

Serotonin is a precursor of the sleep hormone melatonin. In the body enzymes do a cut-and-paste job to convert the amino acid L-tryptophan into 5-HTP, then 5-HTP into serotonin, and serotonin into melatonin. The route is shown here.

The same cycle also takes place in some plants, such as tomatoes, cherries and bananas. That's why these fruits contain serotonin and melatonin, and why there are studies that suggest that consuming cherries, for example, improves quality of sleep.

The table below shows that kiwis also contain serotonin.


Eat two kiwis for a good night's rest


Study
The researchers did an experiment with 29 men and women aged between 29 and 55 who had mild sleep problems. Every day for four weeks they ate 2 kiwis an hour before going to sleep.

Results
The tables below show that after the four-week period their quality of sleep had improved. After getting into bed, the subjects fell asleep 5 minutes earlier and slept 40 minutes longer.


Eat two kiwis for a good night's rest


Conclusion
"Consumption of 2 kiwifruit nightly 1 hour before bedtime for 4 weeks resulted in improved sleep onset, duration, and efficiency in adults with self-reported sleep disturbances", the Taiwanese summarise.

"The results of this study suggest that further research into the sleep-promoting mechanisms of kiwifruit may be warranted."

Sponsor
The study was financed by Zespri, a marketing organisation for kiwi growers. [zespri.com]

Source:
Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2011;20(2):169-74.

More:
Three grams glycine improves your sleep 17.02.2013
Sleep better with cherries 29.10.2010
Sleep aid L-tryptophan works at daytime too 16.10.2010

Archives:
Sleep


Are you anxious, worried and not sleeping well? Maybe CBD will help A warm shower in the evening improves your sleep More fruits and vegetables, more sleep

Are you anxious, worried and not sleeping well? Maybe CBD will help
A supplement containing CBD, the non-psychoactive compound in cannabis, may be an alternative to pharmacological sleep aids and anxiolytics.

A warm shower in the evening improves your sleep
By improving sleep, training becomes more effective, athletes become faster, slimming attempts are more likely to succeed and the probability of a long and healthy life increases. Hence our interest in this meta-study.

More fruits and vegetables, more sleep
A diet with a sufficient amount of fruits and vegetables may contribute to a healthy sleeping pattern.