Eating a plant based diet could reduce snoring, study finds

Could eating a plant-based diet help reduce snoring?

BOSTON - Could eating a plant based diet reduce snoring? Well it depends on what kind of plant-based diet we're talking about.

A new study out of Australia analyzed data on more than 14,000 people and found that those who adhered to a healthy plant-based diet had a lower risk of obstructive sleep apnea while those on an unhealthy plant-based diet were at higher risk.

A healthy plant-based diet is one high in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and nuts not refined carbohydrates like sugary drinks, and high-sugar and high-salt foods.

It's unclear whether a healthy plant-based diet is better than a healthy meat-based diet in terms of sleep apnea risk, but some speculate that plant-based foods can help reduce inflammation in the body, including in the head and neck.

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Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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