Are you finding your sleep quality inadequate? Intermittent fasting has become a trendy way to structure your times of fasting and times of eating. The good news for lovers of this style of eating is that it may help to reset or restore your ability to sleep. Although your gut is constantly in the dark and does not experience the light-dark cycle the bacteria in your gut have fluctuating signals and functions throughout the day. Intermittent fasting may help to restore any loss of these signalling cycles and reset the families of bacteria in your gut to promote optimal sleep quality.
There are many forms of intermittent fasting and everyone fasts between their last meal and breakfast. Research has shown that a 12-18 hour fast like that between dinner and breakfast could help to increase a health promoting strains of bacteria such as Akkermansia, Bacteroides, Butyricicoccus, Feacalibacterium, and Roseburia. These produce short chain fatty acids which have a positive effect on your body including the release of the hormones which help you to have a quality night’s sleep.
Another form of intermittent fasting which has shown positive effects on your gut health is alternate day fasting. This type of fasting increased the hormone serotonin which plays a role in regulating your sleep-wake cycle. Also, the amino acid tryptophan which is needed to create the hormones serotonin and melatonin.
Lack of quality sleep is linked to increased risk of obesity and heart disease. Intermittent fasting has links in human trials to improve your ‘good’ HDL cholesterol, reduce your ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and show anti-obesity responses in your body.
Take home message:
While there is still more research needed in this area, adopting a form of intermittent fasting may help to keep your gut microbes functioning in a way which helps you to get a good night’s sleep. Remember that in the times you do eat it is important to feed your gut microbes.
Aim to include a variety of different plant foods and two serves of probiotic type foods and beverages to keep your gut microbiome healthy and alive to be able to provide your body with health benefits.
Reference:
Daas MC, de Roos NM. Intermittent fasting contributes to aligned circadian rhythms through interactions with the gut microbiome. Benef Microbes. 2021 Feb 3:1-16. doi: 10.3920/BM2020.0149. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33530881.
