Therapist Usatova: nuts, seafood, beans and kefir replace sleeping pills
Seven pistachios are enough to produce melatonin, said Olga Usatova
Nuts, meats, legumes, fish, and other seafood are high in tryptophan, which helps a person sleep well. The therapist Olga Usatova told regarding this in an interview with a URA.RU correspondent.
“Are you having problems falling asleep or the quality of your sleep? You can put sleeping pills aside and include special foods in your diet. The sleep-wake system is supported by three components: tryptophan, serotonin, and melatonin. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that enters the body only with food. Serotonin and its antagonist melatonin are synthesized from tryptophan. Serotonin is responsible for alertness during daylight hours. When dark time comes, melatonin is produced, which is responsible for the duration of sleep and its quality. Foods high in tryptophan: sesame, pistachios, cashews, almonds, and hazelnuts. These nuts are the absolute champions in the content of this amino acid. For example, seven pistachios or 28 grams of almonds are enough to produce a sufficient amount of melatonin,” said Olga Usatova.
The therapist also pointed out the importance of other foods for quality sleep. “Meat, rabbit, turkey, fish such as halibut, salmon, trout, mackerel. You can take all seafood: lobsters, octopuses, shrimp, lobsters, crayfish, oysters and scallops. Even a small portion will satisfy the daily need for tryptophan. It also includes legumes: beans and lentils. In addition to the direct intake of tryptophan, you can naturally increase the level of reproduced serotonin in the body. Our assistant will be kefir or another fermented milk product with a live population of lactobacilli. Colonies of beneficial bacteria produce 80% of the body’s serotonin. Therefore, maintaining the colon microbiota population will be another tool in maintaining healthy sleep. It is worth noting that it is effective to use these products no later than three hours before bedtime, so that they have time to assimilate, ”the specialist explained.
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Nuts, meats, legumes, fish, and other seafood are high in tryptophan, which helps a person sleep well. The therapist Olga Usatova told regarding this in an interview with a URA.RU correspondent. “Are you having problems falling asleep or the quality of your sleep? You can put sleeping pills aside and include special foods in your diet. The sleep-wake system is supported by three components: tryptophan, serotonin, and melatonin. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that enters the body only with food. Serotonin and its antagonist melatonin are synthesized from tryptophan. Serotonin is responsible for alertness during daylight hours. When dark time comes, melatonin is produced, which is responsible for the duration of sleep and its quality. Foods high in tryptophan: sesame, pistachios, cashews, almonds, and hazelnuts. These nuts are the absolute champions in the content of this amino acid. For example, seven pistachios or 28 grams of almonds are enough to produce a sufficient amount of melatonin,” said Olga Usatova. The therapist also pointed out the importance of other foods for quality sleep. “Meat, rabbit, turkey, fish such as halibut, salmon, trout, mackerel. You can take all seafood: lobsters, octopuses, shrimp, lobsters, crayfish, oysters and scallops. Even a small portion will satisfy the daily need for tryptophan. It also includes legumes: beans and lentils. In addition to the direct intake of tryptophan, you can naturally increase the level of reproduced serotonin in the body. Our assistant will be kefir or another fermented milk product with a live population of lactobacilli. Colonies of beneficial bacteria produce 80% of the body’s serotonin. Therefore, maintaining the colon microbiota population will be another tool in maintaining healthy sleep. It is worth noting that it is effective to consume these products no later than three hours before bedtime, so that they have time to assimilate, ”the specialist explained.
