Vegetarian, healthy plant-based diets lower odds for OSA

Key takeaways:

• The odds for obstructive sleep apnea went down with higher adherence to a general and healthy plant-based diet and a pro-vegetarian diet.
• The link between diet and sleep apnea differed by sex.

Consuming a healthy plant-based diet or a pro-vegetarian diet lowers an individual’s likelihood for obstructive sleep apnea, according to results published in ERJ Open Research.

“This research doesn’t tell us why diet is important, but it could be that a healthy plant-based diet reduces inflammation and obesity,” Yohannes Adama Melaku, PhD, senior research fellow at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, said in a press release. “These are key factors in OSA risk. Diets rich in anti-inflammatory components and antioxidants, and low in harmful dietary elements, can influence fat mass, inflammation and even muscle tone, all of which are relevant to OSA risk.”

Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Melaku and colleagues assessed 14,210 individuals (49.4% men) who reported their food consumption over the last 24 hours to find out how various plant-based dietary indices are linked to OSA odds through logistic regression.

Researchers looked at OSA odds in relation to four plant-based dietary indices: general plant-based diet, healthy plant-based diet (including whole grains, vegetables, fruit, nuts, tea, coffee), unhealthy plant-based diet (including refined grains, sugary drinks, sweets/desserts, salty foods) and pro-vegetarian diet.

Additionally, the STOP-BANG questionnaire was used to identify each individual’s likelihood for OSA. Of the total cohort, most individuals had a low risk for OSA (50.5%), followed by a high risk (25.1%) and an intermediate risk (24.4%).

Based on adherence to general plant-based foods, individuals with high vs. low adherence faced a lower likelihood for OSA (OR = 0.81; 95% CI, 0.66-1).

Researchers further observed reduced odds for OSA among those with high adherence to a healthy plant-based diet (OR = 0.83; 95% CI, 0.69-1.01) and those with high adherence to a pro-vegetarian diet (OR = 0.84; 95% CI, 0.68-1.05) vs. individuals reporting low adherence.

In contrast, the odds for OSA increased among individuals reporting high adherence to an unhealthy plant-based diet (OR = 1.22; 95% CI, 1-1.49).

Within the relationship between a general plant-based diet and OSA, researchers found lower odds for OSA among men (OR = 0.71; 95% CI, 0.56-0.9) vs. women (OR = 0.93; 95% CI, 0.68-1.28).

Both men and women following an unhealthy plant-based diet faced elevated likelihoods for OSA, but women had higher increased odds for this outcome (OR = 1.42; 95% CI, 1.03-1.97) compared with men (OR = 1.13; 95% CI, 0.89-1.44).

Among those with high adherence to a healthy plant-based diet, women had lower decreased odds for OSA (OR = 0.77; 95% CI, 0.54-1.09) vs. men (OR = 0.9; 95% CI, 0.68-1.18).

The odds for OSA did not differ by sex in the pro-vegetarian diet group, according to researchers.

“These results highlight the importance of the quality of our diet in managing the risk of OSA,” Melaku said in the release. “It’s important to note these sex differences because they underscore the need for personalized dietary interventions for people with OSA.”

Reference:

• People who eat a healthy, plant-based diet are less likely to suffer with dangerous snoring. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1034401. Published Feb. 20, 2024. Accessed Feb. 20, 2024.