Effects of tryptophan-rich breakfast and light exposure during the daytime on melatonin secretion at night

Journal of Physiological Anthropology

Takeshi Morita⁴  Tomoko Wakamura³  Tetsuo Harada¹  Masayuki Kondo²  Yuki Tsumura⁵  Kai Wada¹  Kaoru Inami⁶  Mizuho Tanaka³  Yumi Fukuda⁴  Haruna Fukushige³ 

[1] Laboratory of Environmental Physiology, Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Kochi University, 2-5-1, Akebonocho, Kochi 780-8520, Japan;Comprehensive Housing R & D Institute, Sekisui House Ltd, 6-6-4, Kabutodai, Kizugawa-city, Kyoto 619-0224, Japan;Department of Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 53, Shogoin, Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan;Department of Environmental Science, Fukuoka Women’s University, 1-1-1, Kasumigaoka, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 813-8529, Japan;Department of Food and Nutrition, Junshin Junior College, 1-1-1, Chikushigaoka, Minami-ku, Fukuoka 815-8510, Japan;Department of Living Environmental Science, Fukuoka Women’s University, 1-1-1, Kasumigaoka, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 813-8529, Japan

关键词: Tryptophan;    Sleep;    Melatonin;    Circadian rhythm;    Bright light exposure;   

Others  :  1133116
DOI  :  10.1186/1880-6805-33-33

 received in 2014-05-21, accepted in 2014-10-23,  发布年份 2014

【 摘 要 】

Background

The purpose of the present study is to investigate effects of tryptophan intake and light exposure on melatonin secretion and sleep by modifying tryptophan ingestion at breakfast and light exposure during the daytime, and measuring sleep quality (by using actigraphy and the OSA sleep inventory) and melatonin secretion at night.

Methods

Thirty three male University students (mean ± SD age: 22 ± 3.1 years) completed the experiments lasting 5 days and 4 nights. The subjects were randomly divided into four groups: Poor*Dim (n = 10), meaning a tryptophan-poor breakfast (55 mg/meal) in the morning and dim light environment (<50 lx) during the daytime; Rich*Dim (n = 7), tryptophan-rich breakfast (476 mg/meal) and dim light environment; Poor*Bright (n = 9), tryptophan-poor breakfast and bright light environment (>5,000 lx); and Rich*Bright (n = 7), tryptophan-rich breakfast and bright light.

Results

Saliva melatonin concentrations on the fourth day were significantly lower than on the first day in the Poor*Dim group, whereas they were higher on the fourth day in the Rich*Bright group. Creatinine-adjusted melatonin in urine showed the same direction as saliva melatonin concentrations. These results indicate that the combination of a tryptophan-rich breakfast and bright light exposure during the daytime could promote melatonin secretion at night; further, the observations that the Rich*Bright group had higher melatonin concentrations than the Rich*Dim group, despite no significant differences being observed between the Poor*Dim and Rich*Dim groups nor the Poor*Bright and Rich*Bright groups, suggest that bright light exposure in the daytime is an important contributor to raised melatonin levels in the evening.

Conclusions

This study is the first to report the quantitative effects of changed tryptophan intake at breakfast combined with daytime light exposure on melatonin secretion and sleep quality. Evening saliva melatonin secretion changed significantly and indicated that a tryptophan-rich breakfast and bright light exposure during the daytime promoted melatonin secretion at this time.

【 授权许可】

   
2014 Fukushige et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

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