After 6 months, the research team found that those who followed the Mediterranean diet had a significant decrease in apnea disorders during the REM phase of sleep ...
The combination of Mediterranean diet and exercise improves the symptoms of sleep apnea, according to a study published in the European Respiratory Journal.
A particularly beneficial effect in this regard is reported in obese people .
In obstructive sleep apnea, there is an interruption of breathing for seconds during sleep, which disrupts the complete rest of the affected person. This is one of the most common sleep-related breathing disorders, occurring in about 3% of adults . In obese people, this number increases dramatically and reaches 40%.
The study by a Greek team from the University of Cretan included 40 people with obesity and sleep apnea, who were divided into two groups. Half of the volunteers go on a diet known as the Mediterranean diet. It includes consumption mainly of vegetables, fruits, fish and other seafood delicacies , olive oil, allows the consumption of red wine. The diet does not limit the variety of dishes, but it does limit eating meat, especially red, and frying as a form of cooking.
The other group of participants underwent a sensible diet, which is recommended in cases of overweight in order to gradually reduce it.
Everyone exercises for 30 minutes a day.
During the study, participants also received special therapy with a device that keeps the airways open during sleep. Polysomnography was also used to monitor their condition at night. Several markers were monitored, including brain activity, eye movement, and snoring.
After 6 months, the research team found that those who followed the Mediterranean diet had a significant decrease in sleep apnea during the REM phase of sleep , in contrast to the other group.
According to Christopher Papandreou, head of the study, the mechanism of action of the diet should be studied. It is interesting why the diet does not affect the condition as a whole, but specifically a phase of the sleep cycle.