Lack of Sleep Can Lead to Unhealthy Food Choices

Two recent studies presented at the SLEEP Medicine Conference in Boston this week suggest that sleep deprivation may lead to poor or unhealthy food choices. It seems that a loss of sleep can lead to dysfunction in appetite signaling in specific areas of the frontal lobe, which are responsible for making smart and informed decisions regarding food selection. This further adds to the ongoing link between sleep deprivation and obesity, suggesting that lack of sleep prevents people from making smart and healthy food choices.

In the first study, investigators evaluated 16 healthy adults (ages 18-25) with functional MRI scans after a normal nights sleep and then followed by a night of sleep deprivation. (Functional MRI scans measure brain activity by detecting associated changes based on blood flow) Researchers then asked the participants to rate their interest in 80 food items, after a night of normal sleep and after a night of sleep deprivation.

Results from this study indicated that after sleep deprivation, specific areas of the frontal lobe where complex signals are integrated regarding food choice demonstrated altered patterns of metabolism, suggesting that disruption of signals may be responsible for unhealthy food choices.

A second study from Columbia University and St Luke’s -Roosevelt Hospital Center also using functional MRI scans, suggested that lack of sleep can increase the brain’s response to unhealthy foods. After restricting sleep, it was noted that images of unhealthy foods among a cohort of normal weight participants including men and women, led to a more accentuated response in reward centers in the brain, compared with the responses to healthy foods. Important to note, this effect was only observed in individuals with restricted sleep.

This study suggests that not getting proper amounts of sleep can lead to selection of unhealthy foods, and may also potentially explain the increase in appetite and predilection for foods high in sugar and fat after a night of restricted sleep. In some ways, the body is fighting its lack of sleep with a complex set of signals, reflected in its search for foods that are sweet and high in fat content- something which we can all likely relate to!

Negative effects of consuming fast food:

• Consumption of extra calories much more than the daily recommended quantity due to deep frying of the foods or use of fatty dressings or toppings and also for the heavy portion size being consumed may ultimately lead to obesity and other lifestyle diseases.
• Presence of saturated and trans fat in foods like fries, cheese, mayonnaise, etc poses great threat on our heart health and cholesterol profile.
• Use of sugar and sodium as salt or other additive in excess may give a risk of high blood pressure or high blood sugar.