The banana as a nightcap in Thailand

It happens to me that by the time I want to go to sleep I feel hungry for something to eat. Hungry? I was never allowed to use that word before, my mother: “We were hungry during the war, now you only feel like eating”. Well, have a snack then!

Here in Thailand I usually eat around eight o'clock in the evening and that feeling of wanting to eat something before bed usually comes after eating Thai dishes. Those rice dishes are quite filling, but are also very easy to digest, so it is not surprising if you still feel hungry.

What's the best thing to eat then?

You can then join the many Thais, who you see eating a whole meal late at night either at home or in small stalls in the city. Going to sleep on a full stomach is not good, but going to bed too hungry is also not a good idea, because in both cases your sleep can be disturbed. A better alternative is a piece of fruit because it is light, but still contains filling nutrients such as fiber. The best you can eat? That prize goes to a banana.

Why the banana?

Bananas contain tryptophan. ,, That is a raw material for serotonin. Because your body cannot produce that essential amino acid itself, you have to get it through food," says pharmacist and orthomolecular nutrition specialist Carmen Cheung in a recent article in Algemeen Dagblad, "A deficiency of tryptophan, and therefore also of serotonin, can lead to depression, anxiety, restlessness, irritability and mood swings. Because your body converts serotonin into melatonin, your sleep hormone, when it is dark, you may also suffer from insomnia.

So, you now know that, tryptophan is found in bananas, but also in other foods such as almonds, pumpkin seeds, turkey, avocado and dark chocolate.

In addition, a banana is the ideal snack because of its high number of carbohydrates. According to the National Sleep Foundation, carbohydrates help deliver tryptophan to the brain where it can make serotonin. A banana therefore contains slightly more carbohydrates and sugars than other fruit, but it is a good source of fiber that keeps your intestinal flora healthy.

Finally, there is also a lot of magnesium in the yellow fruit. This vitamin acts as a kind of natural muscle relaxant and also helps to prevent headaches.

In short, the ideal nightcap.

Source: partly from Algemeen Dagblad