Eat Walnuts and Sleep Better: Exploring the Potential Role of Walnuts as Sleep-promoting Food and Their Impact on Body Composition
Abstract
Walnuts have a unique nutritional profile, including the sleep-regulating hormone melatonin, tryptophan, and omega-3 fatty acids, the two latest nutrients involved in melatonin and serotonin synthesis. Although it has been claimed that walnuts may improve sleep, to the investigators' knowledge, no studies have been conducted to objectively determine the impact of walnut consumption on sleep and overall well-being. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effect of daily walnut consumption on sleep parameters (such as quality and duration). Secondarily, it aims to investigate the impact of daily walnut consumption on body composition, eating behavior, and well-being.
Conditions: Healthy Diet, Sleep.
Primary outcome: Changes in sleep onset latency from baseline to weeks 4, 8, 14, and 18; Changes in sleep efficiency from baseline to weeks 4, 8, 14, and 18; Changes in wake after sleep onset (WASO) from baseline to weeks 4, 8, 14, and 18; Changes in sleep duration from baseline to weeks 4, 8, 14, and 18; Changes in urinary 6-sulphaoxymelatonin from baseline to week 4, 8, 14 and 18.
Enrollment: 100 participants.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a clinical trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 100 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials Evaluating the Evidence Base of Melatonin, Light Exposure, Exercise, and Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Patients with Insomnia Disorder
- Use of Melatonin and/on Ramelteon for the Treatment of Insomnia in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Influence of evening light exposure on polysomnographically assessed night-time sleep: A systematic review with meta-analysis
- Use of melatonin in children and adolescents with idiopathic chronic insomnia: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and clinical recommendation
- Significant potential of melatonin therapy in Parkinson’s disease – a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
- Meta-Analysis: Melatonin for the Treatment of Primary Sleep Disorders
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.