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Research has suggested that gut bacteria may also influence normal sleep patterns by helping create important chemical messengers in the brain, such as serotonin and dopamine. Dr Michael Mosley spoke on BBC Sounds to discuss the importance of microbiomes and how it can influence your sleep.
Speaking on the show he said: “You can think of your gut microbiome as a complex rain forest.
“Just like a rain forest there is a rich diversity of life down there battling for survival.
“’Some of those microbes seem to be good for our health, others not so much.
“We know that the microbiome can influence your immune system and alter the activities of things like your natural killer cells, a vital part of your bodies defence system.
“Some of them can turn the fibre in your diet into anti-inflammatory compounds which is a good thing because as chronic inflammation leads to conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and dementia.
“The microbiome can even influence your sleep.
“I certainly have found that since I’ve started consuming a lot more sauerkraut and kimchi I am sleeping better.”
Sauerkraut is made from shredded cabbage heads with kimchi being derived from the intact stems and leaves of Chinese cabbage, combined with additional ingredients such as hot peppers, garlic, vegetables, fruits, and fish sauce.
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A study from the University of Tsukuba in Japan suggests that gut bacteria may also influence sleep patterns
The finding could offer new hope for people who have difficulty sleeping or experience sleep-related health problems, such as insomnia, chronic fatigue, and mental fog.
“We found that microbe depletion eliminated serotonin in the gut, and we know that serotonin levels in the brain can affect sleep-wake cycles,” said the study’s lead author, Professor Masashi Yanagisawa.
“Thus, changing which microbes are in the gut by altering diet has the potential to help those who have trouble sleeping.”
This new research builds on a solid body of previous work, which established that elements of cognition and brain development have a strong link with intestinal microbial health and metabolism.
In another study published in the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, gut microbiome diversity associated with sleep physiology was analysed.
The human gut microbiome can influence health through the brain-gut-microbiome axis, noted the study.
It continued: “Growing evidence suggests that the gut microbiome can influence sleep quality.
“Previous studies that have examined sleep deprivation and the human gut microbiome have yielded conflicting results.
“A recent study found that sleep deprivation leads to changes in gut microbiome composition while a different study found that sleep deprivation does not lead to changes in gut microbiome.”
The study found that microbiome diversity was positively correlated with sleep efficiency, and total sleep time, and was negatively correlated with the sleep fragmentation.
A study from the University of Tsukuba in Japan suggests that gut bacteria may also influence sleep patterns
The finding could offer new hope for people who have difficulty sleeping or experience sleep-related health problems, such as insomnia, chronic fatigue, and mental fog.
“We found that microbe depletion eliminated serotonin in the gut, and we know that serotonin levels in the brain can affect sleep-wake cycles,” said the study’s lead author, Professor Masashi Yanagisawa.
“Thus, changing which microbes are in the gut by altering diet has the potential to help those who have trouble sleeping.”
This new research builds on a solid body of previous work, which established that elements of cognition and brain development have a strong link with intestinal microbial health and metabolism.
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