Experts pinpoint foods that could be causing people to feel ‘tired all the time’ – it’s bad news for people who like cheese

It’s not unusual to return home from work after an exhausting day and want nothing more than to crawl straight into bed.

But scientists say five much-loved foods could now be to blame for feeling more tired than usual.

According to American researchers, higher levels of tyramine—a molecule that plays a role in regulating blood pressure—can increase risk of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS).

And five foods in particular—aged cheeses, cured and processed meat, yeast-extract spreads, pickled or salt-dried foods like fish and dried fruit—are all high in tyramine. 

Experts, who labelled the findings important, suggested EDS could be treated with simple dietary changes.  

The researchers say their findings, published in the journal Lancet eBioMedicine, suggest the sometimes-debilitating condition could be treated with simple dietary changes. 

Study lead author Tariq Faquih, a postdoctoral fellow in the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said: ‘Our study suggests diet and genetics may play an important role in EDS.

‘As we learn what’s happening biologically, we are beginning to understand how and why EDS occurs, the early signs that someone might have it, and what we can do to help patients.

The study found a molecule in these foods could be contributing to your daytime sleepiness

‘Conducting a clinical trial would be a big next step and could help us understand if omega-3s and omega-6s obtained from diet could help lower risk of EDS.’ 

Aged cheeses include cheddar, feta, parmesan and brie.

Salami, sausage, bacon, pepperoni and mortadella, meanwhile, are all classed as cured and processed meat. 

Yeast-extract spreads include Marmite and Vegemite, while overripe bananas and avocadoes are common examples of dried and overripe fruits. 

It comes as research published in June found that daytime napping may be linked to an early death.

US scientists, who tracked more than 86,000 healthy middle-aged adults, discovered those who regularly napped—particularly in the early afternoon—were more likely to die prematurely than those who did not.

Experts say daytime sleepiness may be a warning sign of disrupted or poor-quality night-time rest and could point to underlying health problems such as sleep disorders, dementia, or heart failure.