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Home » Mediterranean diet and exercise reduce sleep apnoea
The Facts:
- 40 obese patients suffering from sleep apnoea were told to either follow a prudent diet or a Mediterranean diet for 6 months. All of them were also encouraged to walk for at least 30 minutes per day, and to wear an air mask at night.
- People following the Mediterranean diet had fewer disturbances during REM sleep, and showed a greater adherence to the calorie-restricted diet, an increase in physical activity and a greater decrease in abdominal fat than people following the prudent diet.
- A Mediterranean diet combined with physical activity for 6 months therefore reduces apnoea-related disturbances during REM sleep in obese adults with moderate to severe sleep apnoea.
Dr Shaun Holt: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) causes frequent pauses in breathing during sleep, disrupting a person's normal sleeping pattern. It is one of the most prevalent sleep-related breathing disorders, affecting 2–4% of the adult population, rising to 20–40% in people with obesity. Weight loss is usually part of the treatment programme. This study showed that eating a Mediterranean diet, combined with physical activity, can help to improve some of the symptoms of sleep apnoea, more so than a standard calorie-restricting diet.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1183/09031936.00103411
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