WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) — If you're looking for a way to get a better night's sleep, protein may be the answer.
Purdue University researchers recently discovered changing up your diet may not only help shed a few pounds, but can improve your sleep quality as well.
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Nutrition Science Professor Wayne Campbell said sleep quality can attribute to other health factors down the road.
"Recently we have added to our list of health outcomes how well people sleep," Campbell said. "Sleep quality is very important as a factor in whether or not you are at risk for these other health problems."
Poor sleep quality can lead to health problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
Before the study began, 44 people from the Lafayette area were chosen to participate in a four-month diet and weight loss program.
All of the participants ranged in ages of 35 to 65 years old and were classified as overweight or moderately obese.
After gathering information from a questionnaire, it was found that many did not sleep very well.
This is where Campbell says dieting played a role.
"The unique part of this study is that half of the people ate a diet that had the usual recommended amounts of protein in it and the second group ate a diet with higher amounts of protein," Campbell said.
Along with dropping weight, it was found that the group of people who consumed more protein during the weight loss process also had improved sleep quality.
"Our research are not fad diets, our research are not extreme weight loss diets or cutting back or fasting," Campbell said.
He said there are several benefits that stem from this study.
"To me it's really a win-win from all three missions of the university. It's teaching, it's research and it's community engagement."
Campbell also wants people to know that the research included in the study were not extreme weight loss or fad diets.
Research for the study began about three years ago.
Results from the main study were recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.