Fat diet‚ sleepiness linked

IANS

The food you eat may affect your level of sleepiness or alertness during the day, according to a new, small study.

Researchers assessed the daytime sleepiness/alertness levels of 31 healthy, non-obese people, aged 18 to 65, who were

normal sleepers. Then they looked at the meals they ate.

Higher fat consumption was associated with increased daytime sleepiness while higher carbohydrate intake was linked with increased alertness. There was no relationship between protein consumption and sleepiness or alertness.

The findings were independent of the participants’ age, gender, body-mass index, total amount of sleep and total intake of calories, according to the study, scheduled for presentation in June at the Associated Professional Sleep Societies annual meeting in Baltimore.

“Increased fat consumption has an acute adverse effect on alertness of otherwise healthy, non-obese adults,” principal investigator Dr Alexandros Vgontzas, a professor of psychiatry at the Penn State College of Medicine, said in an American Academy of Sleep Medicine news release.

The findings add to previous research linking diet and sleepiness.

“Excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue are very prevalent in the modern world and on the rise,” Dr Vgontzas said. “It appears that a diet high in fat decreases alertness acutely, and this may have an impact on an individual’s ability to function and also public safety.”

High-fat diets are also associated with increased risk for certain cancers and heart disease.

Data and conclusions presented at meetings are typically considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. — Agencies

Fruits that keeps you hydrated

In this scorching heat people are at high risk of dehydration and worse. Apart from drinking lots of water, expert advice is to eat fresh fruits to avoid a heat stroke.

When our body loses water, doctors immediately call it dehydration. Some of the causes are explained by Satish Koul, general physician, Columbia Asia Hospital, Gurgaon, India. “Causes can be sun stroke, exposure to dusty weather, vomitting, and fever,” Koul said.

Drink a lot of water, but avoid artificially sweetened drinks. In addition to these, consume fruits regularly, he added.

Sushita Rao, nutritionist, MonaVie India, helped with few names. “Watermelons have antioxidant properties and water content so eating them will help quench thirst and avoid dehydration,” she said.

Muskmelon is the next one on her list. According to Rao, the fruit contains vitamins like A, B, and C and it also has minerals like sodium and potassium. “It reduces the body heat when consumed regularly,” she added.

She also advises to consume black plum, known to reduce quantity of sugar in urine and quenches thirst. The other fruit mentioned by her is litchi as it has good cooling effect on the body.