THE REST OF YOUR LIFE
Modifications to diet can improve sleep apnea, research suggests
Every night, millions of people lose sleep because of obstructive sleep apnea, a chronic disorder that causes periodic disruptions in nighttime breathing. But a growing body of research suggests that improving your eating habits by cutting out ultra-processed foods, cutting back on alcohol and increasing your daily steps can reduce symptoms of sleep apnea and potentially even eliminate it.
The condition occurs when the muscles in the back of your throat relax and block your airway as you're sleeping, causing you to stop breathing. These apnea episodes can last for more than 10 seconds and occur many times a night, leading to gasping, snoring and frequent, abrupt awakenings as your body struggles for air.
Because of the heavy strain it puts on your body, sleep apnea can raise your blood pressure and increase your risk of developing diabetes and heart disease. Obesity is a particularly strong risk factor because excess tissue in the mouth and throat can block your airway at night. But the new research shows that lifestyle and diet changes can reduce sleep apnea, even if you don't lose weight.
In one recent study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers in Spain recruited 89 overweight and obese men who had moderate to severe sleep apnea and split them into two groups. One had a simple diet, exercise and lifestyle intervention. The participants were counselled to eat more healthy whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, olive oil, seafood, poultry, eggs and herbs. They were also encouraged to avoid ultra-processed foods, processed meats, salty snacks and sugar-sweetened beverages.
“It wasn't a restrictive, low-calorie diet,” said Almudena Carneiro-barrera, the lead author of the study and a researcher at Loyola University Andalusia in Spain. “We just taught them how to eat a healthy diet.”
The participants were encouraged to reduce their nightly alcohol consumption, and those who smoked were urged to stop. They were also advised to increase their daily step count by 15 per cent a week.
The second group of participants, meanwhile, served as controls: They did not receive the lifestyle intervention.
Participants in both groups used a medical device called a CPAP machine, which delivers a gentle and steady flow of pressurized air through a tube and a mask that users wear while they sleep. After just eight weeks, the group that adopted healthier habits had a 51 per cent reduction in the number of apnea episodes they experienced. About 15 per cent achieved complete remission of their sleep apnea, and 45 per cent no longer needed their CPAP machines.
On average, the healthy habits group lost about 16 pounds (7.2 kg) — roughly seven per cent of their body weight. By six months, they had sustained their weight loss, and the number of participants whose sleep apnea went into remission doubled. Roughly 62 per cent of them no longer needed their CPAP machines.
They also had significant reductions in blood pressure, which, according to the researchers, lowered their risk of dying from a stroke or heart disease by more than 30 per cent.
The control group lost on average less than a pound of body weight and had little or no improvement in their sleep apnea.
Carneiro-barrera noted that even people who did not lose much weight on the lifestyle program still saw reductions in the severity of their sleep apnea. Sleep apnea has been linked to chronically high levels of inflammation. But a healthy diet and physical activity can reduce the amount of inflammatory substances circulating in your blood, said Susan Redline, a senior physician at the Brigham and Women's Hospital.
Studies show different diets can work. In a recent study, a group of overweight men and women improved their sleep apnea and experienced less insomnia and daytime sleepiness by following a Mediterranean diet rich in fish, whole grains, plants and foods high in unsaturated fats. A paleo diet rich in lean meat, fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, berries, nuts, avocado and olive oil helped a group of overweight women lose weight and reduce the severity of their sleep apnea. The diet they followed restricted dairy products, cereals and foods with added salt or sugar and refined fats like corn and soybean oil.
Cutting back on how much alcohol you drink in the evening can improve your sleep because alcohol reduces muscle tone in your throat, making your airway more likely to collapse as you sleep.
Regular exercise can also ease sleep apnea symptoms because it prevents fluid from accumulating in your neck and constricting your airway.
So how do you know if you have sleep apnea? Some telltale signs are loud snoring, gasping or choking, abrupt awakenings and waking up in the morning with a dry mouth, sore throat or a headache. Fatigue, irritability and daytime sleepiness are also common signs.