Monday, September 15, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Study: Unhealthy diet can interfere with deep sleep

Published 4 July 2023
– By Editorial Staff
Junk food can interfere with sleep quality.
2 minute read

An unhealthy diet can adversely affect deep sleep, according to new Swedish research. However, more research is needed to determine how long the effects last and what in the diet affects sleep.

The food you eat affects most aspects of your health, and it’s not just about nutrition. For example, a recent study showed that fried foods may increase anxiety. It also affects our sleep, although there are not too many studies on this subject. In contrast, one study, for example, has shown that low carbohydrate intake in general may be associated with poor sleep, while another study suggests that a high GI diet may also have a negative impact on sleep.

In a new study, researchers at Uppsala University investigated how unhealthy food affects sleep. The study involved 15 healthy, normal-weight men who usually slept normally, seven to nine hours a night. Some of the participants were randomly assigned to eat a healthier diet and some to eat a less healthy diet, both of which contained the same amount of calories, but the amount of calories was calculated individually. The diets were followed for a week while the participants’ sleep, activity, and adherence to the diet were monitored. At the end of the week, the men were observed in a sleep lab.

In the sleep lab, they first slept normally for one night while brain activity was measured. They were then kept awake before being allowed to catch up on the sleep they had missed.

The results show that both groups slept the same amount of time and spent the same amount of time in the different stages of sleep. However, the participants who ate a more unhealthy diet had more shallow deep sleep.

– We were particularly interested in looking at the quality of deep sleep because it can be a measure of how restorative sleep is. Interestingly, we found that deep sleep was shallower after the participants ate the unhealthy food compared to the healthier food. This effect also persisted on a second night, after the participants had finished their respective diets and instead ate an identical diet, said Jonathan Cedernaes, MD and Associate Professor of Medical Cell Biology at Uppsala University, in a press release.

However, it is not clear how long the negative effects of an unhealthy diet last, nor is it known whether the change in sleep quality affects functions such as deep sleep. It is also not known what it is about the unhealthy diet that affects deep sleep. Cedernaes believes that more research is needed in this area.

– It would be interesting to investigate further whether any particular factor contributes more. Our dietary intervention was quite short, and both the sugar and fat content could have been higher. It is possible that an even more unhealthy diet would have had more pronounced effects on sleep, says Cedernaes.

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Broccoli may protect against colorectal cancer

Published today 11:44
– By Editorial Staff
Delicious on the plate and delicious for your health.
2 minute read

People who eat more broccoli and cauliflower have a lower risk of colorectal cancer, according to a Chinese study. However, moderate amounts are sufficient to achieve the protective effect.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common form of cancer worldwide and is also the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths.

In Sweden, colorectal cancer has increased among young people over the past thirty years, and mortality from this form of cancer has increased among patients in all age groups for up to ten years after cancer diagnosis.

In the study, which was published in BMC Gastroenterology, researchers analyzed data from 17 previous studies, with a total of 639,539 participants, including 97,595 cases of colorectal cancer.

The purpose was to investigate whether higher vegetable intake corresponded to greater risk reduction for this form of cancer and, if so, the specific amounts at which this effect became significant.

The results showed that those who ate more cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, or Brussels sprouts, had a 20 percent lower risk of colorectal cancer compared to those who ate less.

Photo: Polina Tankilevitch/Pexels

Glucosinolates

These vegetables contain many beneficial substances such as vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants. But what makes them extra special are compounds called glucosinolates. When you chew these vegetables, glucosinolates break down into other compounds called isothiocyanates – particularly one called sulforaphane.

These are the compounds that give the vegetables their strong, sometimes slightly bitter taste and smell. These are also the compounds believed to be cancer-preventive.

The researchers found that the greatest risk reduction was observed between 20 and 40 grams, but no significant improvement was seen above 40 grams per day.

The study was conducted at the Second Clinical Medical School of Inner Mongolia University for the Nationalities in Yakeshi, China.

Thousands of Swedes unaware of their high blood pressure

Published yesterday 8:29
– By Editorial Staff
Nine out of ten Swedes are expected to be affected by hypertension at some point during their lifetime.
2 minute read

Every other person with high blood pressure lacks knowledge of their diagnosis. Therefore, new national guidelines are now being developed.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is very common and it is estimated that nine out of ten Swedes will be affected by it at some point during their lifetime. Having high blood pressure means a higher risk of heart attack and stroke, among other conditions.

Today, approximately three million Swedes are estimated to suffer from it, but half don’t know about it. Women run a higher risk of being affected by cardiovascular diseases linked to lower blood pressure levels compared to men, yet despite this, 40 percent of women aged 35 to 49 are unaware of their blood pressure values, according to a report from the Swedish Heart-Lung Association earlier this year.

One in three Swedes don’t know their values, something that Mattias Brunström, associate professor of epidemiology at Umeå University in northern Sweden and chairman of the national working group for hypertension, believes needs to change.

If we could catch more people, we would avoid 30,000 cases of heart attack, stroke and heart failure in Sweden annually, he tells TT.

New guidelines

New guidelines will be presented in Sweden during the autumn. Today, the so-called blood pressure target is 140/90 mmHg (millimeters of mercury), but will be lowered to 130/80.

It’s important to clarify that we’re not changing the threshold for what constitutes high blood pressure. What’s changing is that blood pressure should be treated to lower levels than today, says Brunström, who has been involved in developing the new guidelines.

Furthermore, doctors will also be recommended to prescribe two medications directly to be able to lower blood pressure faster.

High blood pressure rarely has any symptoms, which is why many people walk around with it without knowing about it. However, one can experience symptoms such as headaches and fatigue, but the only way to be sure is to regularly check your blood pressure.

The Swedish Heart-Lung Association recommends that people under 40 check their blood pressure at least every three years, and thereafter should do so annually.

Through regular check-ups, one can detect early the need for support for lifestyle changes, medical treatment, or both, says Anders Åkesson, chairman of the Swedish Heart-Lung Association, in a press release.

Study: Ultra-processed food impacts men’s reproductive ability

Published 13 September 2025
– By Editorial Staff
In just three weeks, the health of young Danish men deteriorated markedly, a new study shows.
2 minute read

Just three weeks of ultra-processed food is enough to worsen young men’s sperm quality and testosterone levels, shows a new study from the University of Copenhagen. The men also gained weight compared to when they ate regular food – despite identical calorie intake.

Ultra-processed food is, in short, food that is industrially manufactured and contains a range of different ingredients, and is often a large part of especially Western diets today. Everything from bread, cereals, protein powder to candy, chips and ready meals can be classified as ultra-processed food. Previous studies have linked ultra-processed food to cardiovascular disease, depression, weight gain as well as nutritional deficiency.

Three weeks is enough

In the study, which was published in Cell Metabolism, 43 Danish men between 25 and 30 years old participated. First, the men ate only ultra-processed food for three weeks, then followed three weeks with minimally processed food. Both diets contained the same amount of carbohydrates, protein, fat and calories – the only difference was the degree of processing. Some of the men received a calorie intake adapted to their weight, while others received a surplus of about 500 calories. Between the two diets, the men had a 12-week break where they ate their usual diet.

The results show clear health deteriorations after the period with ultra-processed food, compared to when they ate less processed food. The men gained about one kilogram in body fat and their cardiovascular health deteriorated – regardless of which calorie intake they had. Additionally, the men had worse sperm quality and their testosterone levels dropped.

We are shocked by the results, says one of the researchers behind the study, Romain Barrés, professor at the University of Copenhagen at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research to forskning.no and continues:

It’s really alarming to think about what happens if you eat such food year after year. The consequences can be serious and chronic.

The study supports previous research that points to ultra-processed food potentially being harmful to health, but also strengthens the hypothesis that this type of food contains calories that are more fat-forming compared to home-cooked food. The researchers now hope that the study will influence politicians when they make decisions about diet and health for Danes.

These products, which harm our health, are everywhere in our supermarkets, says Barrés.

Study: More health problems at higher radiation levels

Published 12 September 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The most common symptoms were fatigue, headaches, increased irritability, sleep problems and anxiety.
2 minute read

People exposed to higher levels of microwave radiation report more health symptoms, shows a new Indian study. The correlation was particularly clear for fatigue, headaches and sleep problems.

The study, which was published in Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine, examined 183 people between 18 and 80 years old who had lived in the same home for at least one year in the city of Shillong in northeastern India. Researchers from Mizoram University in India measured microwave radiation in each residence and then divided participants into three groups based on the measured values.

The first group had the lowest levels (0–3,000 μW/m²) and included 43 participants. The second group had medium levels (3,000–5,000 μW/m²) with 49 participants, while the third and largest group had the highest levels (5,000–8,000 μW/m²) with 91 participants.

All participants answered a questionnaire about over 20 different symptoms.

The results showed that people in the highest exposure group reported significantly more health problems than the other groups. Even the medium group reported more symptoms than the lowest group. The researchers also discovered that people under 40 years old reported more inflammation-related symptoms.

Clearer symptoms among heavy phone users

The most common symptoms in the most exposed group were fatigue, headaches, increased irritability, sleep problems and anxiety. The symptoms were also more pronounced among people who used mobile phones more than five hours per day or lived within 50 meters of a base station.

To put the results in perspective: the Swedish reference value from the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority is 10 million μW/m², which means that all levels in the study were at least 1,250 times below this value.

The researchers concluded that exposure level was the only factor that affected the number of symptoms for all four examined health categories. The study confirms previous research that has linked health effects to radiation from mobile base stations. According to the Swedish Radiation Protection Foundation, fatigue, headaches and sleep problems are particularly common symptoms among people who live near 5G towers.

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