There are many factors that can worsen symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), including weight gain. Eating a healthy diet can help people with OSA manage their weight, but certain kinds of food—including nuts, fatty fish, and more—also contain nutrients that may be able to improve sleep quality and ease OSA symptoms.
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When someone has OSA, their airway becomes repeatedly blocked while they’re sleeping. This causes low oxygen levels and oxidative stress, a state where the body has too many cell-damaging compounds. Together, this can lead to inflammation, which further worsens OSA.
Leafy green vegetables are rich in antioxidants and compounds that may be able to help reduce inflammation and swelling in airway tissues. This reduction in inflammation from plant-rich diets could support lead to better sleep for people with OSA.
Leafy greens also provide magnesium, a mineral that helps relax muscles and supports better sleep quality. They are also low in calories and high in fiber, a nutrient which supports healthy digestion and weight management, which could improve OSA symptoms.
Nutrient-rich leafy greens include:
- Spinach
- Kale
- Swiss chard
- Collard greens
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Fatty fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce inflammation in the body, including the airways. Studies show that omega-3s can also reduce nighttime wakings and improve overall sleep quality.
Beyond just improving sleep quality, consuming enough omega-3s is also crucial for OSA patients’ heart health. OSA can put extra stress on the heart and raise the risk of heart disease, but omega-3 has been linked to better heart health outcomes.
Aim to eat fatty fish twice per week, which can include:
- Salmon
- Sardines
- Herring
- Mackerel
- Tuna
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Whole grains may help people with OSA manage their weight, which can help lessen OSA severity. That’s because whole grains are high in fiber, which keeps you full for supports healthy digestion and keeps you feeling full for longer.
In addition, whole grains help keep your blood sugar steady, which may support better sleep and limit inflammation, both of which can be helpful for people with OSA.
Fiber-rich whole grains include:
- Oats
- Brown rice
- Quinoa
- Whole wheat bread and pasta
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Almonds, pistachios, walnuts, and other nuts are a good choice for people with OSA because they can help reduce inflammation, support heart health, manage weight, and improve sleep quality. These benefits can be attributed to nutrients such as:
- Magnesium: This mineral helps relax muscles, which helps promote better sleep.
- Protein and fiber: Both help you feel full, which can make it easier to maintain a healthy body weight.
- Vitamin E: With antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, vitamin E may be helpful for people with OSA since they often have elevated levels of inflammation and oxidant compounds.
- Melatonin: Melatonin helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle, which may help people get more restful, consistent sleep.
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Nighttime pauses in breathing caused by OSA can reduce oxygen levels. Over time, this leads to a state of oxidative stress, where there are too many cell-damaging compounds in the body. Oxidative stress can raise the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cognitive issues.
However, berries are packed with antioxidants that help reduce this inflammation and fight the compounds (free radicals) that cause oxidative stress. Berries are also high in fiber, which helps you feel full longer and supports healthy weight management. This is a crucial part of easing OSA symptoms.
Antioxidant and fiber-rich berries include:
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
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Lean proteins contain tryptophan, an amino acid your body uses to make hormones like melatonin, which helps control the sleep-wake cycle. A more regular sleep-wake cycle could improve sleep quality in people with OSA.
Plus, research suggests that eating more foods with tryptophan can both improve sleep quality and protect against metabolic health issues such as high blood pressure, increased triglyceride (fats in the blood), and other risk factors for poor heart health. These metabolic health concerns are very common in OSA.
Lean, tryptophan-rich protein choices include:
- Turkey
- Eggs
- Chicken
- Tofu and other soy-based proteins
- Seafood, such as crab and tuna
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In a 2018 study, researchers found that participants who had overweight and OSA had less severe symptoms if they reported eating two servings of low-fat dairy every day. Other research suggests that people who eat more dairy have healthier sleep patterns than those who consume small amounts of dairy.
This could be due to dairy’s anti-inflammatory effects, but more research is needed.
To add more low- or no-fat dairy to your diet, look for:
- Skim milk
- Skim yogurt
- Cottage cheese
- Light cream cheese
While there are many foods that are good choices for people with OSA, others may worsen symptoms. Limiting your intake of the following foods may improve sleep quality:
- Refined carbohydrates: Foods such as white bread, pastries, sugary cereals, cookies, cakes, and sweetened beverages can cause rapid blood sugar spikes. Late evening blood sugar increases can disrupt your sleep. Plus, over time, regularly eating these foods may contribute to weight gain and increased inflammation, which can worsen OSA symptoms.
- Alcohol: Alcohol is thought to worsen sleep apnea, since it relaxes the muscles in the throat, making airway collapse more likely during sleep.
- High-fat meat and dairy: Multiple studies show that diets high in saturated fats—which include full-fat milk, cream, butter, beef, pork, fried foods, and more—are linked to a greater risk of OSA and more severe OSA symptoms.
- Bananas: Bananas may increase mucus production, and some research indicates that phlegm can worsen OSA symptoms.
- Caffeine late in the day: Having coffee, tea, soda, energy drinks, chocolate, or other sources of caffeine in the afternoon or evening can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.
In addition to what you eat, be mindful of when you’re eating if you have OSA—consuming large or heavy meals close to bedtime can increase the risk of acid reflux, which may irritate the airway and disrupt sleep.
