Eating a diet high in prebiotics may keep stress from harming your sleep, according to a new study from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Prebiotics, found in vegetables including onions, are non-digestible food components that fuel the growth of “good” gut bacteria. Research has indicated that when these good bacteria digest prebiotic fiber, they release byproducts that can affect brain function.
The University of Colorado researchers found that rats which were fed a diet supplemented with prebiotics showed an increase in beneficial gut bacteria, including a bacterium known to aid immune system function, and experienced more non-rapid eye movement sleep (the restorative sleep stage) compared with rodents fed a standard diet.
You can read more about the study here:
