Brits urged to start eating salmon for surprise benefit

Experts have revealed the amazing benefits of eating more fish, especially around this time of year. The UK has moved on from its scorching summer of heatwaves, when we were treated to almost endless sunshine. While there will be another temporary blast of warm weather in October, colder conditions have well and truly arrived, with some areas of the country dipping as low as 0C.

When the days get colder and darker, we can struggle with fatigue, and getting a good night's rest every night of the week is essential. There are a number of ways to ensure that happens, including avoiding your phone before you go to sleep, getting enough exercise and reading before bed. However, what you eat can greatly impact how you sleep, and certain foods are full of good stuff to assist you in getting a good quality night's sleep.

One of those foods, experts have revealed, is fatty fish. This includes fish like salmon and white fish. That is according to the Sleep Foundation.

They revealed that people who ate salmon at least three times a week had better quality sleep and daytime function, as found in a sleep study. Based on this research, experts believe that fatty fish could help sleep by providing a good dose of Vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids.

Both of these play a part in the body’s release and regulation of serotonin, which is a natural sleep aid. The study focused on fish consumption in the colder months of the year, when people get way less Vitamin D than they do in the summertime.

Another benefit of eating salmon is that it contains tryptophan, which is an amino acid that is a precursor to serotonin and melatonin, which will further boost your body's ability to get a proper night's sleep.

There are different ways that different foods can help you sleep. For example, fruits and vegetables that are high in magnesium can help you sleep, as magnesium naturally relaxes your muscles, helping you get to a relaxed state needed to achieve sleep.

Meanwhile, foods that contain carbohydrates help your brain to metabolize tryptophan, therefore giving you a boost of seratonin and melatonin.