A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that a diet high in refined carbohydrates can cause insomnia.  the study looked at 50,000 women.  As predicted, those women who ate more refined carbohydrates were more likely to develop insomnia.  One of the study authors James Gangwisch explained  “When blood sugar is raised quickly, your body reacts by releasing insulin, and the resulting drop in blood sugar can lead to the release of hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, which can interfere with sleep”  Refined carbohydrates are basically found in processed food such as bread, pasta, crackers, cookies, soda etc.  It’s basically foods that have a high glycemic index which means they raise blood sugar fast after consumption.  Unlike natural carbohydrates like from vegetables and fruit which tend to raise blood sugar slowly.

Gangwisch also stated “Whole fruits contain sugar, but the fiber in them slow the rate of absorption to help prevent spikes in blood sugar,” Gangwisch comments. “This suggests that the dietary culprit triggering the women’s insomnia was the highly processed foods that contain larger amounts of refined sugars that aren’t found naturally in food.”

Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition:

High glycemic index and glycemic load diets as risk factors for insomnia: analyses from the Women’s Health Initiative

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