If you’ve been feeling particularly tired recently, there’s a wide range of possible reasons. Sure, you may not be getting enough high quality sleep, but there are many other possible culprits. For example, you might be dealing with psychological problemshormonal problems and/or your diet could be playing a role, among other possible reasons.
Now, a new study finds that eating processed meat is linked to mental and physical fatigue.
In it studypublished in the magazine nutrientsThe researchers examined 20 young adults in their twenties and thirties, analyzing their gut microbiome to see how it was related to mental energy and fatigue and physical energy and fatigue.
They found that processed meat was the only type of food associated with changes in these energy levels—increased mental and physical fatigue and decreased mental and physical energy.
Of course, the study didn’t investigate whether eating processed meat caused these effects.
“We found that people who consume more processed meats are more likely to report that they typically have mental fatigue,” says study author Ali Boolani, PhD, MEd. Eat this, not that! “With something like [this], it is very difficult to find causality. We found a relationship and we don’t know if one causes the other.”
Ultimately, more research is needed. As study author Lauri O. Byerley, PhD, RDN, LDN, FAND, adds, “[This] It was a pilot study to encourage other researchers to look at this and see if they find a similar relationship.”
Still, cutting back on your processed meat intake is probably good for your health either way. Samantha CassettyMS, RD, nutrition expert with a focus on mental wellness and co-author of sugar crashexplains to Eat this, not that! that while eating these foods from time to time is probably fine, research is still unclear on how much is actually safe to consume.
“If you want to have a strip of bacon or jerky every once in a while, it’s probably not a big deal, but I’d advise against making these foods part of your regular diet,” he says. “When you swap highly processed foods for nutritious whole foods and emphasize vegetarian foodcan improve the diversity of your microbiome, reduce the risk of numerous diseases and give you more energy.”
Among other negative health effects, processed meat can increase the risk of heart disease and even potentially shorten your life.
To learn more about how your food choices can affect your energy levels, check out these The 30 best foods that give you energy throughout the day, according to experts.
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