A good night's sleep is the Holy Grail for most people, yet something many of us struggle to achieve.
Many claim a dark and zen-like bedroom is the key to more Z's, while others vouch for turning off all technology an hour or so before hitting the hay. And while both of these might be a good place to start if you are struggling to fall asleep in the evenings, nutritionist now claim it could be worth making some very simple changes to your diet as well.
According to a recent
study by the University of Edinburgh that was published in the journal
Nature, magnesium — which is found in good-for-you food like leafy greens, dark chocolate (yumm!), avocados, nuts and more — is even more essential to our bodies than previously thought. Especially, it seems, when it comes to sleep.
Because while science has long known that magnesium is good for your body and helps convert food into energy, this new study helped pinpoint that the vitamin also helps with our internal clocks. The “circadian rhythm,” as it’s called, is how our cells know when it’s time to wake up and go to a workout class or when it’s time to power down the tablet and get some shut eye. Essentially, the vitamin helps our cells better control their time management skills, and eating more magnesium can help your body function how it’s supposed to, when it’s supposed to.
There you go, tuck into some avocado before bedtime, ladies. Ad if we had not developed enough of an avocado addiction already.
Oh, and if you are struggling to shift those last lbs, know that magnesium has also been found to possibly have an effect on metabolism and our bodies’ ability to burn energy, possibly resulting in higher energy levels and lower weight.
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