Vitamin Z for a Healthy Weight

What is vitamin Z? While it is not a vitamin you'll find in your food or a supplement you can buy, it is essential for a healthy mind and body. If you haven't figured it out yet, vitamin Z is sleep, and you need 7 - 9 hours every night.

RDA for Vitamin Z (according to National Sleep Foundation Guidelines for teens and adults):

Teens (ages 14 - 17): 8 - 10 hours sleep / night
Adults (ages 18 - 64): 7 - 9 hours sleep / night
Adults (ages 64 and up): 7 - 8 hours sleep / night

Sleep and Your Weight:

It's no secret sleep makes just about everything better, including your weight. Research has found that people who sleep more tend to maintain lower body weight.

The less you sleep, the greater the risks for obesity.

• 6 hours of sleep increases risk by 23%

• 5 hours of sleep increases risk by 50%

• 4 hours of sleep increases risk by 73%

Have you ever ever noticed that when you are tired, you crave more sugar and fat? Being sleep-deprived messes up the hormones that regulate hunger, causing an increase in appetite and cravings for high calorie, high carbohydrate foods (aka, sugar and fat!).

One study found that sleep-deprived women ate 329 more calories per day than when rested. However, sleeping 7 hours or more per night increased the likelihood of losing weight and keeping it off by 33 percent.

What about occasionally skimping on sleep?

Researchers found that after only two nights of sleeping 4 hours, participants experienced an 18% drop in leptin and a 28% increase in ghrelin. Leptin is the hormone that tells your body to stop eating, whereas the ghrelin hormone tells you to eat more! Keep in mind that this was only after two nights. Imagine what happens to your hormone levels the more sleep-deprived you become?

Bottom Line: Sleep and Your Health

Sleep is not only crucial for balancing your hormones and weight, but it's necessary to fight off infections, boost your immune system, and promote healthy skin!