Dietician Margarita Koroleva (Russia) shared her opinion about foods that can help improve sleep quality.

In an interview with Moskva 24, the specialist recommended paying attention to foods with tryptophan, because it promotes the production of serotonin, the precursor of melatonin, or the sleep hormone. The specialist considers fish and steamed poultry to be the best sources of this amino acid.

The nutritionist encouraged eating fish, chicken or turkey along with complex carbohydrates, such as broccoli. But eating simple carbohydrates, such as fried potatoes, is undesirable, because they do not allow tryptophan to pass into the brain structures. You can also drink kefir in the evening, according to a specialist.

"If the gut is healthy, it, like the brain, produces serotonin in sufficient quantities, so the health of the microbiome matters. And kefir as a probiotic can help improve sleep, among other things," said Koroleva.