Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Aug 30, 2026 30 minutes ago
Scientists Examine the Diet-Sleep Connection
Carotenoids—the natural pigments that give many red, yellow, and orange fruits and vegetables their color—may have a potential relationship with sleep, according to a review examining evidence from human and animal research.
A major review suggests carotenoid-rich diets may be linked with better sleep quality, duration, regularity, and
fewer nighttime problems
The work was conducted by researchers from the Center of Excellence for Sleep & Circadian Research at Columbia University Medical Center; the Institute of Human Nutrition at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center; the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center; and the Division of General Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center.
Carotenoids include alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene. These compounds have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that could influence biological pathways involved in sleep.
Review Examined 29 Studies
For this Thailand
Medical News report, the review team searched PubMed and Scopus for studies published before July 2026. After 1,042 papers were screened, 29 met the eligibility criteria: 14 human observational studies, 11 human intervention studies, and four preclinical animal studies.
Observational evidence showed higher dietary carotenoid intake or higher circulating carotenoid concentrations were frequently linked with more favorable sleep duration, sleep quality, regularity, and fewer sleep-related problems.
One study of university students found that participants in higher carotenoid-intake groups had 71% and 81% lower adjusted odds of poor sleep quality compared with those consuming the least. Other research found adults sleeping an optimal seven to eight hours generally consumed more carotenoids than short or long sleepers.
Higher carotenoid exposure was also linked with reduced difficulty falling asleep, fewer problems maintaining sleep, less snoring, and fewer reported breathing interruptions during sleep. However, findings involving blood carotenoid levels were less consistent.
Supplement Trials Show Promise, But Not Proof
Nine of the 11 intervention studies—81.8%—reported improvement in at least one sleep-related outcome after carotenoid supplementation. Yet benefits were not consistently significant versus placebo.
Trials involving lutein and zeaxanthin reported improvements in measures including sleep duration, nighttime awakenings, relaxation after waking, and sleep quality in some groups. Crocin supplementation at 30 milligrams daily for eight weeks improved sleep quality versus placebo, while two studies using 7.5 milligrams of crocetin daily for two weeks found improvements in objectively measured sleep regulation.
Animal experiments showed selected carotenoids could increas
e total and non-REM sleep while reducing wakefulness, sometimes in a dose-dependent manner. However, effective animal doses were far higher than typical human dietary exposure, limiting direct translation.
Conclusions
The evidence suggests carotenoids may support healthier sleep through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, but it does not establish that supplements can treat sleep problems. Larger, standardized human trials are needed to identify which carotenoids matter most, determine effective doses and duration, and establish whether whole-food sources produce improvements across diverse populations.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Nutrients.
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/17/2833
Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/supplements
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/diets-and-nutrition
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