CANBERRA, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Eating a healthy plant-based diet could be the key to preventing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), an Australian study has found.

The study, which was published by Flinders University researchers on Wednesday, found that people with diets highest in plant-based foods were 19 percent less likely to have OSA compared to those eating diets lowest in plant-based food.

Sleep apnea is a disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. OSA is one type whereby breathing is interrupted by a blockage of airflow.

According to a study published by a team of international experts in 2019, more than 900 million people aged 30-69 worldwide suffer from mild to severe OSA, symptoms of which can include high blood pressure, daytime drowsiness, loud snoring and higher risk of heart, kidney and metabolic health complications.

Participants in the Flinders University study were asked to explain everything they had eaten in the previous 24 hours and answered a questionnaire designed to gauge their likelihood of having OSA.

While healthy plant-based foods were found to help prevent OSA, the research found that people with an unhealthy plant-based diet -- typified by high consumption of refined grains, sugar-sweetened beverages, salty foods and desserts -- were 22 percent more likely to have OSA than those eating low amounts of those foods.

"This research doesn't tell us how diet changes the risk for OSA, but it could be that a healthy plant-based diet reduces inflammation and obesity. These are key factors in OSA risk," Danny Eckert, co-author of the study and director of the Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health at Flinders University, said in a media release.

"Diets rich in anti-inflammatory components and antioxidants, and low in harmful dietary elements, can influence fat mass, inflammation, and even muscle tone, all of which are relevant to OSA risk."

The research found that plant-based diets have a bigger correlation with OSA risk among men and unhealthy plant-based diets are more likely to increase a woman's OSA risk.

The team next plans to investigate the links between eating ultra-processed foods and OSA in the same group of people. Enditem

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