You Know The Mediterranean Diet Is Great For Heart Health: It Might Help Sleep, Too

The Mediterranean diet continues to be one of the most well-studied, highly recommended eating patterns for long-term health. It has been shown to ward off inflammation and disease, provide a structure for balanced nutrition, and contribute to the longevity of people around the globe. 

The authors of a systematic review1 published in the National Library of Medicine sought to take a closer look at the relationship between the Mediterranean diet and melatonin production.

While you might recognize the word melatonin as a popular sleep supplement, the body actually produces this hormone on its own with the help of environmental cues like darkness, making it easier to fall asleep.

Our bodies’ natural melatonin levels should fall in the morning and rise at night, but with the introduction of artificial light and decreased time spent outdoors, our melatonin-producing signals have gotten all out of whack.

The researchers noted that while a lot has been published about supplemental melatonin’s effect on sleep, the specific melatonin-related effects of diets and certain foods have not been looked at as closely.

They found that some of the staples of the Mediterranean diet—tomatoes, nuts, and olive oil—can all contain high levels of melatonin, depending on how they are produced.

There’s a chance that this makes the diet more supportive of sleep, though more research needs to be done in this area.

Scientists agree that while supplemental melatonin can help support sleep every once and a while (like when adapting to a new time zone), it may not be safe to take regularly. This is because it could disrupt your body's natural melatonin production, lead to dependence, or disrupt your overall hormonal balance.

Instead, they recommend talking to your doctor and implementing lifestyle changes, like light exposure and dietary modifications, before turning to over-the-counter sleep aids.

A new systematic review finds that some foods that are popular in the Mediterranean eating pattern are high in melatonin, which supports sleep.