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Lack of Sleep May be Connected to Belly Fat

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Here is an interesting article which draws a connection between lack of sleep and belly fat. The Canadian Centre for Functional Medicine in Vancouver has run several clinical trials  in which several of the participants have reported sleeping better after weight-loss.  In specific the article discusses how dramatic fluctuations in their blood sugar throughout the night can effect one’s sleep. 

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Belly fat may keep you up at night 
Author: Kerry Benjoe

“Having sleep trouble?

It could be your belly fat keeping you awake, says one researcher.

Kate Rheaume-Bleue has discovered a link between excess abdominal fat and insomnia.

“This is really a serendipitous finding coming out of weight loss trials dealing with a combination of fibres that’s developed at the University of Toronto,” explained Rheaume-Bleue. “There are clinical trials being done on this PGX combination at the Canadian Centre for Functional Medicine in Vancouver. Many of the participants in the weight-loss trial were reporting that they were sleeping better.”

Rheaume-Bleue, a naturopathic physician, said she’s become interested in keeping on top of research in into insomnia and weight loss because it’s new and interesting information. She shared some of her insights with people who attended the Total Health Show at Evraz Place on the weekend.

She said in the most recent trials researchers have begun monitoring glucose levels and their connection to belly fat and insomnia.

“What was shown in these weight-loss trials is that many people who were overweight but with abdominal fat in particular because that fat is actually different from fat in the rest of the body, those people would suffer with quite dramatic fluctuations in their blood sugar throughout the night,” explained Rheaume-Bleue.

She said those types of changes don’t happen in average or generally healthy people.

“When the blood sugar drops at night time, especially at 3 a.m., that could wake them up,” said Rheaume-Bleue.

She explained that fibres have a very stabilizing affect on blood sugar so it was noticed very early in the trials the affect fibre was having on participants.” 

Read Full Article…

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Originally Published:  Canada.com 
TitleBelly fat may keep you up at night 
Author: Kerry Benjoe




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