Vital nutrients and trace elements enter the body through our daily food intake and are metabolized. One of these trace elements and also the second most abundant in the human organism is zinc. It is essential for a large number of biological processes and functions of the body and causes a far-reaching deficiency if it is not consumed in sufficient quantities. Zinc is of great importance not only at the molecular level, but also at the psychological level.
Recent research found that zinc may also be involved in regulating sleep. In their 2017 study on the role of zinc as a sleep modulator, researchers Yoan Cherasse and Yoshihiro Urade conducted a review of previous literature that confirmed this assumption. They aimed to evaluate what molecular mechanisms might be involved in the interaction between zinc and sleep.
In the course of their extensive literature review, Cherasse and Urade found that sleep takes place primarily in the head, or rather, like almost everything within our bodies, it is controlled by the brain. In total, more than 50 neurotransmitters and their respective receptors are involved in the state of sleep. Zinc also plays a major role in the central nervous system, is the second most abundant trace metal and is involved in numerous processes. Research has shown that zinc is, among other things, a modulator of neuronal activity in the brain. This suggests that the amount of zinc found in the body is closely related to the regulation of sleep.
Since the largest proportion of trace elements is absorbed by the body through food, it is also closely connected with the concentration of zinc and thus with the quality of sleep. Studies on this have been conducted in the past. Researchers found that subjects who received zinc supplements daily over a period of three months showed improved sleep time and sleep efficiency compared to the control group. In particular, the intake of zinc at a high dose, achievable through dietary supplements, was shown to be effective in this regard.
Thus, the preceding studies are consistent with the findings of Cherasse and Urade and indicate that it is the serum zinc concentration that influences sleep duration. Orally dosed zinc increased sleep duration and quality in mice and humans in experiments and studies. Still, it is difficult to make a recommendation for a specific amount of zinc as a dietary supplement on such a wide-ranging topic as sleep.
Studies such as these and others are contributing to a better understanding of the diverse effects of trace elements in the body. They not only provide a possible explanation of how zinc is related to sleep, but also give initial insights into how sleep itself works and what its actual function is.
Citation
- Cherasse, Yoan, Urade, Yoshihiro (2017). Dietary Zinc Acts as a Sleep Modulator. PubMed Central, International Journal of Molecular Science. doi: 10.3390/ijms18112334.