Healthful Vegetarian diet may improve insomnia, finds study

Researchers aimed to explore whether plant-based diets, specifically vegetarianism, could influence the risk of insomnia. Over 5,800 participants without prior insomnia were enrolled in the study from 2007 to 2009 and followed up until 2018. Two distinct dietary classification methods were employed: traditional categorization into vegetarians and non-vegetarians, and a Healthful Plant-Based Index (hPDI) to gauge adherence to plant-based dietary patterns. Incident cases of insomnia were tracked by linking participant data with the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD).

Throughout 55,562 person-years of follow-up, 464 new cases of insomnia were identified. The study revealed noteworthy associations between plant-based diets and insomnia risk. Male vegetarians exhibited a substantially lower risk of insomnia compared to non-vegetarians, showing hazard ratios (HR) of 0.47 and 0.71 for males and females, respectively. Additionally, among male participants with the highest adherence to the healthful plant-based index (hPDI), there was a notable reduction in insomnia risk (HR 0.50) compared to those in the lowest quintile. Surprisingly, no significant association between adherence to hPDI and insomnia risk was observed in female participants.

The findings underscore a potential protective effect of vegetarianism against insomnia, highlighting the sleep-related benefits of plant-based diets. However, the study also suggests that the relationship between adherence to healthful plant-based diets and insomnia risk might vary by gender, showcasing sex-specific associations.

The study outcomes emphasise the potential additional benefits of plant-based diets beyond their known health advantages. The reduced risk of insomnia among vegetarians hints at the relevance of dietary choices in managing sleep-related issues. Yet, the gender-specific differences in the relationship between plant-based diet adherence and insomnia warrant further investigation.

These findings offer valuable insights into the intricate interplay between diet and sleep health, paving the way for future research exploring the mechanisms underlying these associations and potentially tailoring dietary recommendations for improved sleep outcomes.

Reference:

Gan, Z. H., Chiu, T. H. T., Lin, C.-L., Lin, M.-N., & Kuo, P.-H. Plant-based dietary patterns and risk of insomnia: a prospective study. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition,2023;1–8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-023-01380-x