Lack of sleep can alter the microbiota and affect appetite

2023-08-24 09:12:45

The experts from the blog “Health and Prevention” address in this post how lack of sleep can alter the microbiota and affect appetite, increase anxiety about eating and influence weight.

Photo provided by Quironsalud

The digestive system, in addition to converting the food we eat into energy and waste material, is an organ that is in constant communication with the brain.

In the intestine is the enteric nervous system, responsible for “notifying” the brain when we are hungry and when we are full, among other things related to the digestive system. Millions of bacteria that intervene in many metabolic processes live in it, it is what is known as intestinal microbiota.

This set of microorganisms influences the immune system, hormonal balance, mood and brain function.

The intestine, and therefore the intestinal microbiota, has such control over certain bodily functions that it is also known as the second brain.

Diet and lifestyle influence the composition of the microbiota. Processed, sugary foods, lack of fiber, hydration, exercise, stress, or antibiotics can have a negative impact on the microbiota, which is why it is important to lead a healthy life to keep it in balance.

“The alteration of the microbiota has been associated with colon cancer, obesity, cardiovascular problems or diabetes and now studies also show that it alters sleep. Therefore, taking care of the intestinal flora can help us rest better and by taking care of our sleep, we can avoid alterations in the digestive system” affirms the Dr. Irene Rubio Bollinger, head of the Sleep Unit and specialist in clinical neurophysiology at the Hospital Quironsalud Sur.

Doctor Irene Rubio Bollinger, head of the Sleep Unit at Hospital Quironsalud Sur. courtesy photo

The link between sleep and appetite is very important, lack of sleep can alter our appetite, increase the desire to eat and therefore influence weight.

This happens because lack of sleep decreases the production of the hormone responsible for the feeling of satiety, leptin, and increases the production of ghrelin, which induces hunger and regulates appetite. When we don’t sleep well, leptin doesn’t tell the brain that we’re full and ghrelin tells it to keep eating, that we’re hungry.

Poor digestion or a sleepless night may be due to some damage, disorder or alteration of the intestinal flora, of the microbiota, “a very common example is taking antibiotics, this medication usually eliminates saprophytic germs from the intestine, a natural microbiome responsible for functions as important as digesting food, regulating the immune system and producing vitamins such as B12, likewise, poor sleep hygiene and an alteration of the circadian sleep-wake rhythms, cause an alteration of the intestinal microbiota ”explains the Dr Bollinger.

This alteration of the intestinal microbiota is known as dysbiosis, an intestinal disorder that is quite common in people who work nights or who travel very frequently to transoceanic countries that imply a permanent change in the sleep-wake cycle.

When you get little sleep, in addition, cortisol levels rise, the hormone that compensates for the action of insulin, which causes excess blood sugar to be produced and therefore promotes obesity and overweight.

An alteration of the microbiota directly affects the vagus nerve, the longest cranial nerve in the body that belongs to the parasympathetic nervous system that is responsible for slowing the heart rate, regulating breathing and activities of the digestive system such as digestion, in addition to behavior , mood and immune response.

In the intestine there are also a large number of serotonin receptors, a neurotransmitter closely related to mood, emotional control and mental health, “95 percent of serotonin is produced in the intestine and participates in the exchanges between the brain and the intestine through the vagus nerve, in addition it has been seen that some neurological diseases appear over time as a consequence of intestinal diseases” adds the specialist in Clinical Neurophysiology.

It is clear that gut health directly affects our brain, so a healthy diet can help improve sleep problems. For example, eat more foods rich in fiber, avoid snacking at night and eat dinner at least two or three hours before going to bed to digest and not damage the microbiota before bedtime, sleep will be better and our intestinal flora will appreciate it.