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Conversation topic -

When it comes to favorite topics of conversation, food and nutrition is pretty high on the list. Most of us spend at least some time each day talking about what we eat.

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Food for thought -

And that’s not surprising at all when you think about it. Drinking and eating is an essential part of the human experience, so it makes sense that we like to wax lyrical about it.

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Fact vs. opinion -

As with anything, everyone has an opinion about food. Everyone has something to say about what is good for you and what’s not, so it can be tricky to differentiate between fact and opinion.

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Mixed bag -

While there are many food theories that are based on sound scientific understanding, there are others that can be described as old wives’ tales at best.

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The believers -

The idea that cheese causes vivid dreams is divisive. Some people swear that it’s true; that having cheese and biscuits after dinner makes you more vulnerable to nightmares.

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The doubters -

Other people think this is complete nonsense, just something someone made up because they were bored. So, let’s settle it once and for all: does cheese really cause nightmares?

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Throwing it back -

The idea that cheese causes vivid dreams can be traced back to 1964, when one researcher made an observation that supports the theory.

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The observation -

The researcher noted that his patient stopped having nightmares just as he stopped eating one or two ounces of cheddar cheese every evening.

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BCB -

Then in 2005, the British Cheese Board, which is now defunct, funded a study which made two conclusions about the link between cheese and dreams.

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Out there 'findings' -

The study concluded that blue cheese causes vivid dreams, and cheddar makes people dream about celebrities...

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Lack of evidence -

The British Cheese Board study was not scientifically sound, and actually there is no proper evidence that cheese causes nightmares.

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However... -

But it may be the case that the mere existence of the rumor causes it to be true, as has been suggested by one professor of psychiatry at the University of Montreal.

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One possibility -

In the words of professor Tore Nielsen, "Just knowing that cheese affects nightmares could induce dreams, because people are suggestible.”

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The influence of lactose -

Nielsen also conducted a study in 2015 that suggested that cheese may cause vivid dreams because of its high lactose content.

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It adds up -

In the study, the food group most often reported as causing disturbing dreams was dairy products, and according to Nielsen this makes sense.

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Somatic symptoms -

Lactose produces symptoms such as gas and bloating, particularly in people with intolerances, and this can impact dreams because they respond to such symptoms.

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The caveat -

But only 17% of respondents actually said that they felt their dreams were impacted by what they ate.

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Milk before bed -

Indeed, the idea that dairy products negatively affect dreams would contradict the long-held belief that drinking cow’s milk is conducive to a good night’s sleep.

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Balanced diet -

And, in fact, there was recently a review of 14 studies and trials that suggested milk and dairy are conducive to better sleep quality when enjoyed as part of a balanced diet.

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Another theory -

Another possible explanation for the belief that cheese causes nightmares is the fact that cheese is often enjoyed after an evening meal, particularly in Europe.

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How it works -

Eating food late at night can be disruptive to sleep. This is because the process of digestion creates heat, and the body’s temperature needs to drop slightly so we can sleep soundly.

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Scapegoated -

It therefore may be the case that cheese, as the last thing people eat, gets the blame for poor sleep, when actually the fault lies with all the food consumed at the evening meal.

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Foods that help sleep -

That said, there are some foods that researchers believe help us sleep better. Kiwis, for example, have been linked to less disrupted sleep, because they are high in serotonin.

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The Mediterranean diet -

Indeed, one study led by a research fellow at the Central Queensland University in Australia showed that those who follow a Mediterranean diet sleep the best.

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The Mediterranean diet -

In the words of that researcher, "The mechanism behind this is likely due to the make-up of these foods, many contain melatonin which is a sleep-promoting hormone.”

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For the midnight snackers -

Experts tend to suggest not eating straight before bed. For people that simply cannot resist the midnight snack, try to choose foods that are conducive to good sleep.

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Other suggestions -

There are also suggestions that other diet-related factors can impact the quality of our sleep. Going to sleep hungry or thirsty, for example, could be a bad idea.

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Other suggestions -

It may also be the case that binge-eating or emotional eating has an effect on our dreams, but more research needs to go into this.

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All in all -

On the basis of the research available, it seems there is not much there to support the “cheese causes nightmares” theory.

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In conclusion -

It seems clear, though, that the content and pattern of our diet can affect our quality of sleep.

Sources: (BBC)

See also: The benefits of the rainbow diet

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