Health for life

Can what we eat affect how well we breath while were asleep? By the looks of this study, yes:

Associations Of Dietary Intake And Physical Activity With Sleep Disordered Breathing In The Apnea Positive Pressure Long-term Efficacy Study (APPLES), Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2008

Its one of the first examinations of diet in people with sleep disordered breathing (SDB), including sleep apnea. It found:

"The results indicated that even after adjusting for BMI, age, and daytime sleepiness, subjects with very severe and extremely severe SDB (RDI ≥ 50*) consumed a diet that was higher in cholesterol, protein, total fat, and total saturated fatty acids. These findings were most evident among women."

* RDI is Respiratory Disturbance Index. Individuals with an RDI ≥ 10 events/hour were considered to have obstructive sleep apnea.

Although obesity is a risk factor for sleep apnea, this study found that - apart from being overweight - a high-fat, high-protein diet led to disordered nighttime breathing. Cholesterol and protein, nutrients typically found in foods of animal origin, were especially strong indicators. Trans fats, total fat, and saturated fat followed.

Below is a chart from the study. It shows that people with apnea tended to eat fewer carbohydrates than recommended, and more total fat and saturated fat. (Goals were based on the 2005 USDA Dietary Guidelines.) Although it shows protein consumed near goal, its misleading and in actuality "high when considered in absolute terms, partly as a consequence of high overall caloric intake."


Click to enlarge.

Correcting sleep apnea is desirable since its linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.

If youre experiencing sleep apnea, take note if cutting back on meat, cheese and other dairy products improves your nighttime breathing.

Related post: Sleep Apnea: Common Among People With Diabetes
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A University of Illinois study suggests avoiding cooking methods that produce the kind of crusty bits youd find on a grilled hamburger, especially if you have diabetes and know youre at increased risk for cardiovascular disease because of your diagnosis.

"We see evidence that cooking methods that create a crust—think the edge of a brownie or the crispy borders of meats prepared at very high temperatures—produce advanced glycation end products (AGEs). And AGEs are associated with plaque formation, the kind we see in cardiovascular disease," said Karen Chapman-Novakofski, a U of I professor of nutrition.

For years nutrition experts have advised people to bake, broil, or grill their food instead of frying it, she said.

"Thats still true, but you should know that AGEs—byproducts of food preparation methods that feature very high, intense, dry heat—tend to end up on other tissues in the body, causing long-term damage," she added.

If youre fighting this vascular buildup anyway, Chapman-Novakofski thinks that consuming products containing AGEs could worsen the cardiovascular complications of diabetes.

In the U of I study, the scientists compared the 10-day food intake of 65 study participants in two ethnic groups: Mexicans (who have higher rates of diabetes and a greater risk of complications from the disease) and non-Hispanic whites.

"We found that people with higher rates of cardiovascular complications ate more of these glycated products. For each unit increase in AGEs intake, a study participant was 3.7 times more likely to have moderate to high risk for cardiovascular disease," said Claudia Luevano-Contreras, first author of the study.

The study showed that non-Hispanic whites had a higher intake of AGEs, and they consumed more saturated fats. However, the association between AGEs and cardiovascular disease was stronger than for saturated fats and heart disease, she said.

Eating less saturated fat and more fruits, vegetables, and fiber are important for people with diabetes, but this study shows that food preparation may be important too, she added.

"AGEs are higher in any kind of meat, but especially in ground meat," she said. "If you put hamburgers or brats on the grill, youll likely have a higher AGEs content than if you chose a whole cut of meat, say round steak or chicken," said Chapman-Novakofski.

Boiling or stewing meat would reduce your AGEs intake further. And scrambling an egg with cooking spray instead of frying it leads to a significant reduction in AGEs, she added.

The scientists said more research is needed before definite recommendations can be made. They are planning another study in which theyll examine past AGEs intake of diabetes patients.

"These findings are preliminary, but they give us ample reason to further explore the association between AGEs and cardiovascular risk among people with diabetes," Chapman-Novakofski noted.