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Sleep-deprived snackers are less likely to make good choices, brainstudies show. By Serena Gordon HealthDay Reporter SUNDAY, June 10 (HealthDay News) -- Unhealthy foods, such as sweetsand chips, are more appealing to people who haven't had enoughsleep, new research suggests. When researchers examined the areas of the brain that were mostactive when people were looking at healthy or unhealthy foods, theyfound the reward centers of the brain were activated whensleep-deprived study volunteers saw pictures of unhealthy foods. "We found regions associated with reward and motivation -- thosethat are involved with addiction and pleasure-seeking behaviors --were more strongly activated in the short-sleep phase," saidMarie-Pierre St-Onge, a research associate at St. Luke's RooseveltHospital Center and an assistant professor at Columbia University'sInstitute of Human Nutrition in New York City. Findings from the study are scheduled for presentation Sunday atthe Associated Professional Sleep Societies annual meeting inBoston. A second small study from the same meeting didn't find a largedifference in the activation of the brain's reward centers inpeople who were tired. The researchers from the University ofCalifornia, Berkeley did, however, find significantly impairedactivity in an area in the frontal lobe of the brain. This area ofthe brain helps control behavior and make complex choices. Whenpeople were sleep-deprived and then presented pictures of unhealthyfoods, this area of the brain didn't respond well, which would makechoosing healthy foods more difficult. The study included 16 healthy young adults who underwent functionalmagnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) once after a full night of sleepand then again after 24 hours of sleep deprivation. They were askedto rate their desire for 80 different foods during each test. St-Onge's study included 25 normal-weight men and women whounderwent fMRI after five nights of restricted sleep (four hours anight) and then again after five nights of being allowed to sleepfor nine hours. While they were in the fMRI scanner, they were shown pictures ofhealthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables and oatmeal; unhealthyfoods, such as candy or pepperoni pizza; and nonfood items, such asoffice supplies. They found that unhealthy foods activated areas of the brainconsidered reward centers only in people whose sleep wasrestricted. When the same people were allowed to rest a full night,they had no such activation in the brain's reward center when theysaw the unhealthy foods. "I think it's related to cognitive control," St-Onge explained."Your guard is somewhat down when you're tired and sleep deprived.Even though you know you probably shouldn't eat certain foods, whenyou're tired you might just decide to go for it." Registered dietician Samantha Heller said she was not surprised bythe studies' findings. "It makes sense that when you are fatigued, your body would wantcalorie-dense foods that give you quick energy," said Heller,clinical nutrition coordinator at the Center for Cancer Care atGriffin Hospital in Derby, Conn. "In an evolutionary sense, doingso would provide an advantage because you do get a momentary liftwhen you eat." In today's society, the foods people often turn to for a quick shotof energy are processed carbohydrates, rather than a piece offruit. But, she said, that momentary lift from processed foodswon't last long, and trying to eat to make up for sleep deprivationjust won't work. A better choice is to keep healthy foods around, in both your homeand workplace, so it's easy to reach for a healthy option, Hellersaid. St-Onge said a clear message from her study is that it's importantto get enough sleep every night. She suggested between seven andeight hours nightly. "This is especially important if you're trying to lose weight," shesaid, because you may choose the wrong foods if you don't getenough sleep. Because this study was presented at a medical meeting, the data andconclusions should be viewed as preliminary until published in apeer-reviewed journal. More information Learn more about the importance of sleep from the American Psychological Association . SOURCES: Marie-Pierre St-Onge, Ph.D., research associate, St.Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center, and assistant professor, ColumbiaUniversity, New York City; Samantha Heller, M.S., R.D., clinicalnutrition coordinator, Center for Cancer Care, Griffin Hospital,Derby, Conn.; June 10, 2012, presentations, Associated ProfessionalSleep Societies' SLEEP 2012 meeting, Boston Copyright © 2012 HealthDay . All rights reserved. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as Power Cable , China XLPE Insulated Electrical Cable, and more. For more , please visit xlpe power cable today!
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