Intake of prebiotics, may help to improve sleep and act as a buffer against the physiological impacts of stress, a study published in the journal Frontiers in Behavioural Neuroscience shows.
Prebiotics are dietary fibers available naturally in foods like chicory, artichokes, raw garlic, leeks and onions. Prebiotics are certain types of non-digestible fibers that probiotic bacteria feed on.
“We found that dietary prebiotics can improve non-rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, as well as REM sleep after a stressful event,” said lead author Robert Thompson, post-doctoral student at University of Colorado – Boulder.
“Given that sufficient NREM sleep and proper nutrition can impact brain development and function and that sleep problems are common in early life, it is possible that a diet rich in prebiotics started in early life could help improve sleep, support the gut microbiota and promote optimal brain/psychological health,” added Monika Fleshner, Professor at University of Colorado – Boulder.
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