Chickpeas - A Natural Remedy For Sleep

Author: Victoria Aly Time for reading: ~1 minutes Last Updated: August 08, 2022

Chickpeas are very rich in tryptophan, from which the sleep hormone melatonin is produced.

Chickpeas are among the products that are part of diets for insomnia and other sleep problems. Dietary changes in people with such problems are recommended as a means of overcoming them faster. The composition of chickpeas allows its regular intake to act as a natural remedy for sleep .

Like all legumes, chickpeas are rich in fiber and B vitamins. An additional useful quality is the content of vitamin K and various trace elements, of which the most important are potassium, magnesium, zinc. What distinguishes it from other legumes and makes it the first choice for inclusion in the diet for sleep problems is the high content of the amino acid tryptophan .

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that the body cannot synthesize. It must come entirely from the outside and chickpeas are among the products that contribute significantly to its acquisition. 100 g of chickpeas contain about 115 mg of tryptophan, with a daily intake of tryptophan of about 4 g per kilogram of body weight.

After a series of biochemical reactions, tryptophan is transformed into melatonin - the sleep hormone. One of the intermediates through which the transformation of tryptophan undergoes is serotonin - the hormone of happiness. With sufficient intake of chickpeas and other tryptophan-rich products, the production of both hormones can be ensured. Melatonin contributes directly to sleep at night, and serotonin brings the body into a better emotional state, to further facilitate sleep.

Another feature in the composition of chickpeas is the high content of magnesium and B vitamins . The trace element is important for maintaining normal muscle tone, and B-vitamins have a beneficial effect on the nervous system. Their combined intake in the body improves our physical and emotional state and perfectly complements the action of melatonin to facilitate sleep .

Chickpeas allow almost any culinary processing in which its useful ingredients are fully preserved. One of the most popular chickpeas recently is hummus . By turning it into a regular part of the menu during the day, many people can improve their sleep in the long run.

In the field of alternative and natural medicine, especially in the United States, where sleep problems are almost a national feature, the notion of "hummus instead of Prozac" is already widespread - proof that nature offers effective sleep aids as an alternative to synthetic ones.

Chickpeas - A Natural Remedy For Sleep

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