http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...dc&sid=95832458

Low-Carb Diet May Curb Daytime Sleepiness

Wed Jun 30, 5:03 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A low-carbohydrate diet leads to modest improvements in daytime sleepiness in patients with narcolepsy -- at least, if the results of a very small study are any indication.

People with narcolepsy fall asleep involuntarily during the daytime, even when it can be very dangerous to do so, such as when driving.

Dr. A. M. Husain, of Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, and colleagues examined the effects of a low-carbohydrate diet on daytime sleepiness and other symptoms in nine patients with narcolepsy. The findings are reported in the medical journal Neurology.

The participants were asked to follow diet guidelines based on the popular Atkins approach. Their symptoms were assessed when the study began and after 2, 4, and 8 weeks, using three standard sleepiness tests.

One patient withdrew from the study due to an inability to adhere to the diet. In the remaining subjects, one of the tests showed a significant improvement in sleepiness, whereas the others did not.

Temporary side effects were observed in four patients. These included headache, leg cramps, irritability, and difficulty in concentrating.

Despite the encouraging findings, the researchers conclude that additional studies are needed to determine if the observed reduction in sleepiness was actually due to the low-carb diet or some other factor.

SOURCE: Neurology, June 22, 2004.

What do they suppose it was if not lowcarb, the phase of the moon, the planetary alignment or what?[/sarcasm]
I remember so vividly the after-meal sleepiness on my previous diet. Pasta was the surest, quickest way to an afternoon nap. Doesn't it make sense that narcoleptics would suffer even more from after-meal sleepiness than regular people and LC would improve that?

I just drove home from visiting my daughter. We went to dinner right before I left for home.

I had a high carb dinner....pasta, bread...and about 1hr after I hit the road I was so sleepy I could barely keep my eyes open! Now it is a long and lonely ride (from the Boone to Durham, NC...170+ miles), but I have driven it with much less sleep and much later at night without having any problems!

I used to be so sleepy at my desk sometimes, and now I connect it with a high carb lunch, because it has completely gone away.

My son was hospitalized on Friday night and completely stressing out I gorged myself with carbs all day Saturday. Needless to say, I was sleepy all day Saturday and Sunday. Never again. I had forgotten that this is how I felt every day before I started low-carbing.

Need more studies? That was one of the best things that happened to me with LC WOE. It immediately stopped my drowsies after lunch. Now why is this important for some people. Well how about being in a business meeting with the CEO. You are sitting there getting the drowsies after lunch. The CEO is watching you. After the meeting your boss rips you apart. Yes that happened to me. I did not realize I had an eating disorder!

After I discovered LC WOE that problem went away immediately Aha! I used to remember the President at the company would eat carefully never having desert. After the lunch he would speak so clearly and alert while I was falling asleep. Now I know what he did.

In my new job I traveled many times with my boss. After lunch every time he would want to drive. After about 1/2 hour he would turn over the wheel to me and go to sleep. After about 3 road trips he asked, "Why do you stay awake after lunch and I fall asleep?" I told him it was the carbs doing it. So he ate like me for the rest of the trip and did not have the problem anymore.

I was listening to the radio news and they talked about the summer starting and people would be driving more so they gave driving tips. I was astounded when one of the suggestions was to not eat sugary foods.

After my Wife and I were married we drove out to Amish country for our Honeymoon. We stopped at an Amish diner and had the typical open roast beef sandwiches on bread with gravy, mashed potatoes and sugar iced tea. We barely made it to the hotel and just crashed and slept!

I don't need no stinkin' studies!

This was brought home to me yesterday, when I ate lunch from the cafeteria upstairs. The pot roast was delectable, but some lunatic had soaked the pea pods in maple syrup!

I didn't eat very many, but wound up eating some of the mac & cheese that I was going to ignore, simply because I was so hungry. And then...sleepy all dang afternoon!

This is your brain on carbs: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz