Can isoflavones found in soybeans help insomniacs get some sleep? Researchers in Japan, who studied more than a thousand participants from various walks of like, think so.
Recent data show a growing demand for sleep aid supplements, and consumers are looking for natural alternatives. Researchers at Tohoku University in Japan found that isoflavones, found in soybeans, may have positive benefits for sleep-seekers.
The chemical structure isoflavone comprises a class of phytoestrogens, resembling human estrogen, which modulates sleep duration and quality in some populations, with weak estrogenic effects.
«Higher daily isoflavone intake was positively associated with optimal sleep duration and quality in a Japanese population«, wrote the authors in the Nutrition Journal. «This finding suggests that daily isoflavone intake may have a potentially beneficial effect on sleep status.»
Casuality clarification still needed
«Our results suggest that high daily isoflavone intake from food is significantly related to optimal sleep duration (7-8H) and better sleep quality,» the report said.
«This relationship was not changed when adjusted for a number of potentially confounding variables, such as age, sex, BMI, total energy intake, coffee or vitamin consumption, smoking and drinking habits, level of education, occupation, depression, or hypnotic drug use,» the report said.
But more reasearch is still needed to find out how exactly isoflavones aid with sleeping, if at all. «Prospective or intervention studies are required to clarify the causality.» the researchers wrote.
Category: Productos
Source: Nutraingredients