These foods will help you sleep better
By looking at what you eat, you can find out how well you sleep.
There are various foods which contain ingredients that have positive effects on your sleep; certain amino acids and hormones only found in select foods can be especially helpful.
With the help of the experts at www.nacht-milchkristalle.de we take a look at the foods which can help you sleep better at night.
Salmon
Salmon contains unsaturated docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a fatty acid in the omega-3 family. This acid can help stimulate melatonin production within the human body. That's good news, since melatonin regulates the human circadian rhythm, or sleep cycle. Other fish, such as the herring, also store large amounts of DHA.
Beans
Beans and other vegetables contain high dosages of Vitamin-B, including B6, B12 and folic acids. These assist the body in regulating the sleep cycle and producing serotonin. Serotonin is an important starting substance in the production of melatonin, a hormone, which the human body releases mostly when it is dark.
Cherries
This tiny red fruit not only tastes splendid, it is also a real giant when it comes to vitamins. Cherries are known to be anti-inflammatory and a natural source of melatonin. A 2001 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry has shown that the amount of melatonin contained in the Montmorency cherry can be up to 13,5 ng per gram of fruit pulp.
Milk and night milk
Milk has always contained natural melatonin. Recently though, a new source was found: special milk crystals produced from milk obtained by milking cows at night. These crystals, called "Nachtmilchkristalle", contain up to one hundred times more melatonin than regular milk. "Interestingly, the natural melatonin found in milk is highly bioavailable, allowing the body to process it very well", explains Tony Gnann, the man behind the Munich-based company Milchkristalle. In addition, night milk contains a high concentration of tryptophan, an amino acid that speeds up the body's own melatonin synthesis. Tryptophan is responsible for the production of the hormone melatonin. Milchkristalle is stirred into milk and to be drunk approximately one hour before going to bed for best effect.
Nuts
Neurologists at the University of San Antonio have found those suffering from sleeping disorders should try eating a hand full of walnuts before bedtime. The study by Dr. Russel J. Reiter, Ph.D., shows walnuts are a good source of melatonin and that the body can easily absorb it. "The melatonin blood level rises threefold, when walnuts are consumed", Reiter remarked.
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