Eating ultra-processed food linked to chronic insomnia, study finds

The consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) may be associated with insomnia experienced by an estimated one third of adults, a report has revealed.

The findings, published by the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Diabetics, showed the association between UPFs and chronic insomnia, independent of demographic factors, lifestyle, diet quality, and mental health status.

Lead study author Dr Marie-Pierre St-Onge said: “At a time when more and more foods are highly processed and sleep disturbances are rampant, it is important to evaluate whether diet could contribute to adverse or good quality sleep.

She added: “Our research team had previously reported associations of healthy dietary patterns, like the Mediterranean diet, with a reduced risk of insomnia and poor sleep quality (both cross-sectionally and longitudinally), and high carbohydrate diets with an elevated risk of insomnia.

“The consumption of UPF is on the rise worldwide, and it has been linked to numerous health conditions such as diabetes, obesity and cancer.”

UPFs are foods which contain colouring agents, preservatives, emulsifiers and sweeteners. They include sugary cereals, packaged baked food and ready meals.

A landmark study published earlier this year revealed that UPFs are directly linked to 32 harmful health effects including an increased risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and early death.

However, authors of the report on insomnia noted there were only “few” studies which focused on the effect of UPF consumption.

For their analysis, data was observed from 39,000 French adults who had completed 24-hour dietary records and provided information on insomnia symptoms.

Data was collected from each of them every six months between 2013 and 2015.

In instances where UPFs accounted for 16 per cent of a person’s energy intake, they had reported chronic insomnia.

While the association of higher UPF intake was evident in both males and females, the risk was slightly higher in males.

Scientists cautioned, however, that findings were observational and did not establish a cause-effect relationship.

First author Pauline Duquenne, said: “It is important to note that our analyses were cross-sectional and observational in nature, and we did not evaluate longitudinal association. While data do not establish causality, our study is first of its kind and contributes to the existing body of knowledge on UPF.”