New Medical Research Shows Prebiotics Can Improve Sleep Quality

1. New Medical Research
Shows Prebiotics Can
Improve Sleep Quality
Published on March 29, 2017
Lisa Marie Cannon
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4 articles Follow
Like most medical fields, sleep science research is focused on
preventive practices rather than curative ones. Internists

2. constantly review existing data to see how they can
improve quality of life. To this end, a new study in sleep
science suggests that stress-induced insomnia can be
prevented with dietary prebiotics.
Image Source: scitechdaily.com
Prebiotics should not be confused with probiotics. The
latter are known as the good bacteria found in one’s gut
whereas the former describe carbohydrates that cannot be

3. digested by the body. Dieticians typically recommend a
good dose of both prebiotics and probiotics to maintain a
healthy digestive system. Prebiotics can be found in such
foods as asparagus, bananas, oatmeal, and various
legumes.
In terms of sleep, recent medical data says a third of the
American population do not get the proper length or
quality needed for optimal health. A common reason for
this lack is stress. These same studies conclude that
around 47 percent of adults complain of stress-induced
insomnia. The lack of sleep exacerbates this stress.

4. Image Source: usatoday.com
Recently, studies have suggested the importance of the
gut bacteria in the sleep cycle. However it is only now
that scientists are tackling the direct link between
prebiotics and improved sleep. The new study indicated
that when good bacteria found in the gut digests the
prebiotic fiber, they release certain byproducts that affect
brain function. The exact functions are somehow related
to how people manage stress.

5. Authors of the study suggest further research but say that
sleep medicine can be supplemented by these findings.
Dr. Lisa Marie Cannon specializes in internal medicine,
specifically in conditions that affect sleep. Learn
more about sleep science when you follow this page.