What to eat to slash your risk of terrifying snoring condition that stops you breathing in your sleep

EATING your greens can banish snoring and have you sleeping on a bed of roses.

A study found a diet low in junk food and high in fruit, veg and grains lowers the risk of sleep apnoea.

Gettytop view of young woman with headache looking at husband snoring in bed[/caption]

People with the healthiest diets were nearly a fifth less likely to develop the condition — a top cause of snoring — than those who ate the fewest greens.

Dr Yohannes Melaku, of Flinders University, said: “It could be that a healthy plant-based diet reduces inflammation and obesity — key factors in obstructive sleep apnoea risk.

“These results highlight the importance of the quality of our diet in managing the risk of obstructive sleep apnoea.”

Sleep apnoea is when your breathing stops because your airways become blocked while you sleep. 

The most common type is OSA, which affects around 1.5million Brits.

Constant interruptions of breathing causes a drop in oxygen levels and poor sleep quality and can increase the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

While awake, it can lead to tiredness, difficulty concentrating, mood swings and headaches first thing in the morning.

The study, published in ERJ Open Research, looked at how people’s diet impacts their risk of the condition.

Researchers looked at data from 14,210 people who were taking part in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

They were asked to give 24-hour information of what they ate and also given questions designed to gauge whether they were likely to be suffering from sleep apnoea.

Just over half of people in the study had an intermediate to severe risk of sleep apnoea, while a quarter were classified as high risk.

People eating a diet high in unhealthy plant-based foods, like sugary drinks, sweets and desserts, had a 22 per cent higher risk compared to people eating the least of these foods.

A plant-based diet had a bigger effect in reducing the apnoea risk for men while an unhealthy plant-based diet appeared to increase women’s risk more than men’s.

Independent experts said the study suggests changing how we eat could reduce sleep apnoea risk.

Professor Sophia Schiza, of the University of Crete, said: “Modifying our diet might be beneficial in managing or avoiding OSA. 

“Incorporating a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains into our diet while minimising unhealthy foods and sugary drinks can greatly improve our overall health. 

“We need to make it as easy as possible for everyone to adopt a healthy diet.”