High Fat Diet May Cause Sleep Disturbances

We always seem to hear about the role of high-fat diets in the development of obesity and other diseases such as digestive problems, heart diseases and the like. However, a recent research has just discovered that high fat diets may also lead to problems with sleep.

The research involved observing the sleep-wake cycle of rats for 8 weeks after they consumed a diet high in fat. The results indicated that rats that were fed a high-fat diet had longer sleep; however, interrupted or fragmented as compared to rats that were fed a standard laboratory diet. Those that were fed a high-fat diet slept longer, but this occurred mainly during the day, which resembles the sleeping patterns of obese individuals who have daytime sleepiness.

The results of the study were supported by scientific evidence that humans who have poor sleep quality are more prone to obesity and a high fat diet may lead to sleep problems, which in turn will lead back to developing excessive weight gain. The research indicated that a high-fat diet reduces the sensitivity to orexin. Orexin is a brain chemical or neurotransmitter that is essential in establishing a normal sleep-wake cycle. As a result, those who eat a high-fat diet may develop problems related to their sleep.

The Ongoing Role of High-Fat Diet in Obesity

Aside from the result of a high-fat diet directly adding excess fats to the body, there is a greater process that happens internally, which results in obesity. As discussed earlier, a high-fat diet may lead to problems with sleep as a result of decreased sensitivity to orexin.

According to previous studies, people who suffer from sleep disturbances have increased risk of developing obesity due to two factors. Lack of sleep and interrupted sleep leads to an increase in a hormone called ghrelin, which dictates the level of satiety of people. As ghrelin decreases, there is a reduced feeling of satisfaction, leading people with poor sleep to eat more in order to achieve a level of satisfaction. Aside from this, a hormone called leptin is also produced in greater amounts when there is a lack of sleep. Leptin increases the appetite so it allows people who do not sleep adequately to eat more, resulting in a increased caloric intake.

The role of high fat diets is to reduce sensitivity to orexin, which in turn leads to poor sleep and subsequently leads to overeating. This cascade effect makes a high-fat diet not only directly detrimental for the body, but it can also indirectly lead to obesity.

Experts always recommend undertaking a low-fat diet for simple reasons: to prevent obesity and contribute to overall health. If you are seeking a good diet plan, you should try BistroMD and eDiets. These provide low-fat and low-caloric foods that help you maintain your weight and avoid the harmful effects of a high-fat diet. To know more about BistroMD and eDiets, there is more information here.

Several studies have already supported the role of high-fat diets in the development of various conditions such as obesity. However, there are even more diseases that this dietary pattern leads to, such as:

• Colon cancer - A high-fat diet was seen to lead to colon cancer especially in middle aged adults and elderly adults.
• Heart attack - The increased fat and cholesterol in the diet leads to atherosclerosis that may obstruct the small coronary arteries in the heart resulting in myocardial infarction or heart attack.
• Diabetes - A high-fat diet may also lead to type 2 diabetes because of the decreased insulin sensitivity of the cells.
• Stroke - The development of a stroke is similar to the development of a heart attack. As fats are increased inside the body, there is increased risk of thrombus and embolus formation that may obstruct the small arteries in the brain.

Indeed, high-fat diets are detrimental for our overall health. Although essential fats such as omega 3 fatty acids are needed, a high-fat diet may lead to poor health outcomes.