Do you have sleep issues? You are not alone, of course — more than 30 million Americans suffer from sleep deficit. According to the National Sleep Foundation, we lose one hour of sleep every night, adding up to two full weeks of sleep deficit every year.
Lack of adequate and good quality sleep is known to wreak havoc on health. An article in the Scientific American states that “Short-term sleep deprivation leads to a foggy brain, worsened vision, impaired driving, and trouble remembering. Long-term effects include obesity, insulin resistance, and heart disease. And most Americans suffer from chronic deprivation.”
Here is some good news: A powerful natural aid to better sleep could be just a supermarket shelf away. The next time you go shopping, pop a packet of jasmine rice into your cart, and eat it about four hours before bedtime—a 2007 research study conducted at the University of Sydney says it helps you sleep better.
This Is How:
A Thai favorite that has a lovely nutty flavor and emits a delicate fragrance, jasmine rice has a high glycemic index, which means it quickly raises blood sugar. This, says Dr. Chow, the lead researcher, may boost tryptophan and serotonin, the two brain chemicals responsible for sleep.
During the research, scientists compared the effect of jasmine rice and long-grain rice on sleep. Two groups of healthy men with no sleep problems were served rice with vegetables and tomato puree.
They found that the group served jasmine rice fell asleep within an average of 9 minutes, while the long-grain rice eaters took more than 15 minutes to doze off.
The research team also altered the time gap between serving the rice and going to bed. The results indicated that four hours was the ideal time period for the sleep-friendly effects of jasmine rice.
Here is a healthy and delicious recipe for cooking with jasmine rice, ideal for warming you up on a cold winter night. I hope it helps you get the sleep of your dreams, too!
This article was originally published on www.Care2.com. Read the original here.
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