Insomnia by Wendy Green

Author:Wendy Green
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Summerdale
Published: 2011-07-26T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5

Snooze Foods and Supplements

What you eat and drink can have a direct effect both on how quickly you drop off and how soundly you sleep. Substances found in foods can promote or prevent sleep and a lack of certain nutrients can contribute to insomnia. Eating a balanced diet will help to promote well-being and sound sleep: in this chapter I’ve given guidelines on how to achieve this and have also included information about supplements that may aid sleep.

Vitamin and mineral supplementation is controversial; some experts argue that we should obtain essential nutrients in their natural form and that vitamin supplementation can be dangerous, whereas nutritional therapists like Patrick Holford, founder of the Institute of Optimum Nutrition, claim that supplementation can add years to people’s lives. Some argue that many people don’t eat sufficient fresh food and that even when they do, these foods may be low in nutrients due to the poor quality of the soil they were grown in and the length of time spent in storage and transportation. My feelings are that we should all aim to eat a healthy balanced diet, but when a busy lifestyle or illness means this isn’t possible, vitamin and mineral supplementation can help to prevent deficiencies.

Note:

Care needs to be taken with the fat soluble vitamins A, D and K, as any excess amounts are stored in the liver and can be harmful.

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