tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13473599.post5249179507056548210..comments2024-03-26T05:07:24.149+11:00Comments on .: GI News BriefsGI Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07609354784645028388noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13473599.post-64153955267579217592007-03-22T16:04:00.000+11:002007-03-22T16:04:00.000+11:00Basically insomnia is not a well understood condit...Basically insomnia is not a well understood condition in its primary form but persons can get insomnia due to stress or emotional upset, or medical conditions etc. I think much more work needs to be done on insomnia. Our study only looked at what the GI did to normal sleepers. You will be pleased to know that we are planning a study now in insomnia.<BR/><BR/>Regarding Tryptophan (Trp): Tryptophan in food does not seem to travel well across the blood brain barrier unless the ratio of protein to CHO is in the right proportion. There do not seem to be many Trp rich foods which have this ratio or ways we can easily manipulate foods to optimize Trp entry into the brain. Manipulating the GI may be one way but deserves further study. Other amino acids compete with Trp for entry across into the brain, even in milk. If drinking milk was effective we would not have a problem with insomnia in these patients.<BR/><BR/>Trp was used as a supplement to enhance sleep but due to some rather serious reactions (EMS Syndrome) to using it in pill form it is not legal to sell Trp in most countries including Australia UK and US. Although EMS syndrome was thought to be due to a contaminant in some Trp supplement batches, new evidence suggests it may trigger a kind of allergic reaction in some persons when given as a ‘dose’ in pill form.<BR/><BR/>Most of the treatments for insomnia are either drug or behaviour related but these are not suitable for all persons and also not always effective. Hence we are looking to see if we can understand the interaction between diet and sleep better and a high GI meal may assist with insomnia, hopefully our new study will shed more light.<BR/><BR/>At this stage the findings from our study are interesting but require confirmation in subjects with insomnia which is our next step. At the very least we are trying to understand the effects we are seeing and hopefully can develop a strategy which is useful clinically. It may not be suitable for some individuals with diabetes but it may be another therapeutic strategy for some persons without specific contraindication to high GI.<BR/><BR/>Dr Helen O’ConnorAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13473599.post-4400772130225574772007-03-05T18:20:00.000+11:002007-03-05T18:20:00.000+11:00i think the reason why those people have dairy int...i think the reason why those people have dairy intolerance is that their body doesnt make enough enzyme to break down lactose (aka milk sugar). so, the undigested lactose stays and builds up in stomach (without being absorbed) & then a few things happened:<BR/><BR/>1. the bacteria (bugs) in the digestive system start breaking down the lactose & release lots of gases, leading to bloating<BR/><BR/>2. the huge amount of lactose draws a lot of water from the digestive system (just think of what happens if we put a jar of sugar in the open, humid air - the sugar will get wet because it draws some water in), and the water just goes out of the body with the lactose - this is how the diarrhea comes about.herminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16228882938663082524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13473599.post-5270407317324369662007-03-02T05:39:00.000+11:002007-03-02T05:39:00.000+11:00Most people I know have an intolerance to dairy. M...Most people I know have an intolerance to dairy. Make sure you do not have an intolerance to dairy before drinking milk at bedtime. Drinking milk produces mucous which clogs up the digestive system, resulting in congestion, bloating and a feeling of sluggishness.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13473599.post-64155746003451252602007-03-01T23:26:00.000+11:002007-03-01T23:26:00.000+11:00as far as i know, dairy products contain tryptopha...as far as i know, dairy products contain tryptophan - the amino acid which is converted to serotonin - and in so doing they help with sleeping. so dairy products might be a better deal then? they helps induce sleep, while they are also low GI.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13473599.post-28975012392879059952007-03-01T23:22:00.000+11:002007-03-01T23:22:00.000+11:00my point is: why should we use a counter-productiv...my point is: why should we use a counter-productive strategy to induce sleep while other safer means (which can probably be even more effective) are there? and for people with sleep difficulties, i think it might be best to treat the "underlying cause" rather than "symptoms", e.g. by stress management, counselling etc. these strategies may as well help with diabetic control and even with emotional eating (eating for comfort/ eating due to pressure or stress).herminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16228882938663082524noreply@blogger.com