Milk contains a variety of nutrients that can reduce stress and improve sleep.
With changing conditions and lifestyles, a lot of stress has spread in modern life. According to the American Institute of Stress, the current stress level experienced by Americans is 20% points higher than the global average, making Americans one of the most stressed-out people in the world. According to a 2019 survey, more than four in 10 say their sleep has gotten worse in the past 5 years, and 62% of adults don’t sleep as well as they’d like.
Sleep-inducing benefits of milk
Warm milk is rich in nutrients and has been used for centuries to induce sleep. Nutrients like lactose, phospholipids, melatonin, bioactive peptides, tryptophan, zinc, magnesium, and vitamins D and B can relieve stress and promote sleep. It is interesting to know that cow’s milk harvested at night (night milk) contains higher amounts of tryptophan and melatonin.
Tryptophan is an indirect precursor to serotonin, and serotonin is a neurotransmitter used to produce melatonin, a hormone involved in the timing of circadian rhythms and with sleep. Milk is a source of B-vitamins, and vitamin B6 helps increase serotonin levels.
In an experiment, people who were administrated with a high dose of b-complex for 12 weeks, reported significantly lower personal strain and reduction in confusion and depressed mood. Vitamin D helps to synthesize and preserve serotonin. Carbohydrates and milk sugars also have a significant effect on the amount of serotonin in the brain.
The benefits of milk in reducing stress
Gut health is related to levels of cortisol, stress hormone, in the body. Lysine and arginine are two amino acids found in milk and yogurt, which decrease anxiety and lower cortisol levels. In addition, probiotics in yogurt may help reduce anxiety and relieve stress by reducing activity in the region of the brain responsible for emotion. Alfa-casozepine, a bioactive peptide found in milk, marketed under the brand name Lactium, has been shown to lower blood pressure and cortisol levels.
Milk phospholipids are essential for improving our response to stress and keeping our brains healthy. In a randomized clinical trial, the effect of supplementation with milk fat globule membranes (MFGM) rich powder on healthy adults with moderate stress was investigated. It showed that the daily consumption of Nutiani phospholipids for 12 weeks resulted in lower stress scores than a placebo group.
Whey protein derived from cow’s milk is also a good source of tryptophan. To investigate the effect of whey-Protein and galacto-oligosaccharides on parameters of sleep quality, stress, and gut microbiota in apparently healthy, adults with moderate sleep disturbances were tested. The results showed that in a select group of participants, the dairy product reduced salivary cortisol and stimulated Bifidobacterium, which is possibly important for sleep improvement. Moreover, alpha-lactalbumin is another milk protein that improves night sleep and morning alertness by increasing plasma tryptophan availability.
In general, the nutrients in milk are the same, whether consumed hot or cold, but a cup of warm milk, with a dash of chocolate syrup or vanilla extract, has soothed this senior to sleep many a night.
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