scholarly journals Anxiolytic Effect and Improved Sleep Quality in Individuals Taking Lippia citriodora Extract

Nutrients ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 218
Author(s):  
Alejandro Martínez-Rodríguez ◽  
María Martínez-Olcina ◽  
Juan Mora ◽  
Pau Navarro ◽  
Nuria Caturla ◽  
...  

The current fast-moving, hectic lifestyle has increased the number of individuals worldwide with difficulties in managing stress, which in turn is also affecting their sleep quality. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to assess a natural plant-based dietary supplement comprised of lemon verbena (Lippia citriodora) extract, purified in phenylpropanoids, in alleviating stress and improving quality of sleep. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted for 8 weeks, followed by a 4-week washout period. Both validated questionnaires and functional tests were performed during the study, whereas questionnaires were used after the washout. As a result, the group taking the lemon verbena extract significantly reduced their perception of stress after 8 weeks, which was corroborated by a significant decrease in cortisol levels. After the washout period, the subjects reported to present even lower stress levels, due to the lasting effect of the ingredient. As for sleep quality, the subjects taking the supplement reported feeling better rested, with a stronger effect observed in women. Sleep tracking using a wearable device revealed that the supplement users improved their times in the deeper stages of sleep, specifically their percentage of time in deep sleep and REM. In conclusion, lemon verbena extract purified in phenylpropanoids is revealed as a natural solution to help individuals to improve their stress and sleep quality.

2016 ◽  
Vol 125 (6) ◽  
pp. 1513-1522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nir Shimony ◽  
Uri Amit ◽  
Bella Minz ◽  
Rachel Grossman ◽  
Marc A. Dany ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to assess in-hospital (immediate) postoperative pain scores and analgesic consumption (primary goals) and preoperative anxiety and sleep quality (secondary goals) in patients who underwent craniotomy and were treated with pregabalin (PGL). Whenever possible, out-of-hospital pain scores and analgesics usage data were obtained as well. METHODS This prospective, randomized, double-blind and controlled study was conducted in consenting patients who underwent elective craniotomy for brain tumor resection at Tel Aviv Medical Center between 2012 and 2014. Patients received either 150 mg PGL (n = 50) or 500 mg starch (placebo; n = 50) on the evening before surgery, 1.5 hours before surgery, and twice daily for 72 hours following surgery. All patients spent the night before surgery in the hospital, and no other premedication was administered. Opioids and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs were used for pain, which was self-rated by means of a numerical rating scale (score range 0–10). RESULTS Eighty-eight patients completed the study. Data on the American Society of Anesthesiologists class, age, body weight, duration of surgery, and intraoperative drugs were similar for both groups. The pain scores during postoperative Days 0 to 2 were significantly lower in the PGL group than in the placebo group (p < 0.01). Analgesic consumption was also lower in the PGL group, both immediately and 1 month after surgery. There were fewer requests for antiemetics in the PGL group, and the rate of postoperative nausea and vomiting was lower. The preoperative anxiety level and the quality of sleep were significantly better in the PGL group (p < 0.01). There were no PGL-associated major adverse events. CONCLUSIONS Perioperative use of twice-daily 150 mg pregabalin attenuates preoperative anxiety, improves sleep quality, and reduces postoperative pain scores and analgesic usage without increasing the rate of adverse effects. Clinical trial registration no.: NCT01612832 (clinicaltrials.gov)


1983 ◽  
Vol 17 (10) ◽  
pp. 732-734 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milap C. Nahata ◽  
Carole A. Slencsak ◽  
Judith Kamp

This randomized, double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled study involved 20 incontinent geriatric patients; all had indwelling Foley catheters. Each patient received chlorophyllin 100 mg/d for two weeks and placebo daily for two weeks, separated by a washout period of one week. For each subject, the intensity of urinary odor was measured ten times during both the treatment and placebo regimen and three times during the washout period, using a visual analog scale. A decrease in urinary odor was associated with chlorophyllin in 12 patients and with placebo in 6 patients at the end of two weeks on each regimen. Chlorophyllin treatment was associated with about a 21-percent decrease in mean urinary odor intensity, whereas placebo increased the odor by about 9 percent. The mean intensity of urinary odor was lowest during the second week of chlorophyllin treatment. Despite the decrease in urinary odor in many patients receiving chlorophyllin, its effect was not significantly greater than that of placebo. Our data suggest that chlorophyllin 100 mg/d for two weeks may not be effective in incontinent geriatric patients with mild to moderate urinary odor.


Author(s):  
Yonghwan Kim ◽  
Hee-Taik Kang ◽  
Duk-Chul Lee

Melatonin is a hormone produced in the pineal gland that controls sleep and circadian rhythm. Some studies have reported antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of melatonin that could benefit cardiometabolic function; however, there is a lack of evidence to support these assertions. The aim of this study was to investigate whether melatonin has beneficial effects on arterial stiffness and mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in humans. Methods: This study was designed as a double-blind randomized controlled study. Thirty-eight healthy women aged 55 years and older were enrolled. All had insomnia (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) ≥ 5), not treated with any medications, for at least three months before enrollment. Subjects were divided into a melatonin and a placebo group according to melatonin supplementation. The melatonin group took 2 mg melatonin every night for six weeks. The cardio–ankle vascular index (CAVI) was used as an indicator of arterial stiffness. After six weeks, CAVI, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number in white blood cells (WBCs), and other metabolic indices, such as homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), were checked. Results: Sleep quality index using PSQI was improved in the melatonin group from a score of 11 to 8 (p = 0.01), but did not change significantly in the control group. However, there was no significant intergroup difference in PSQI. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) decreased in the melatonin group from 135 to 128 mmHg (p = 0.015), while remaining stable in the placebo group. Right CAVI, mitochondrial DNA copy number, and HOMA-IR were not altered in either group. There were no intergroup differences in CAVI, mtDNA, HOMA-IR, or SBP between baseline and week six. Conclusions: We found no evidence that melatonin supplementation improved cardiometabolic parameters like arterial stiffness, mtDNA, or insulin resistance compared to the placebo between baseline and week six. Sleep quality was improved in the melatonin group. Further research, including longer-term studies with higher doses of melatonin, is warranted.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 130 (3) ◽  
pp. 465-471 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. A. Cohen ◽  
J. Rozen ◽  
H. Kristal ◽  
Y. Laks ◽  
M. Berkovitch ◽  
...  

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1473
Author(s):  
Barbara D. Pachikian ◽  
Sylvie Copine ◽  
Marlène Suchareau ◽  
Louise Deldicque

A saffron extract has been found to be effective in the context of depression and anxiety, but its effect on sleep quality has not been investigating yet using objective approaches. For this purpose, a randomized double-blind controlled study was conducted in subjects presenting mild to moderate sleep disorder associated with anxiety. Sixty-six subjects were randomized and supplemented with a placebo (maltodextrin) or a saffron extract (15.5 mg per day) for 6 weeks. Actigraphy was used to collect objective data related to sleep quality at baseline, at the middle and at the end of the intervention. Sleep quality was also assessed by completion of the LSEQ and PSQI questionnaires and quality of life by completion of the SF-36 questionnaire. Six weeks of saffron supplementation led to an increased time in bed assessed by actigraphy, to an improved ease of getting to sleep evaluated by the LSEQ questionnaire and to an improved sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, and global scores evaluated by the PSQI questionnaire, whereas those parameters were not modified by the placebo. In conclusion, those results suggest that a saffron extract could be a natural and safe nutritional strategy to improve sleep duration and quality.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-136
Author(s):  
M. Calgaro ◽  
M. Pandolfo ◽  
E. Salvetti ◽  
A. Marotta ◽  
I. Larini ◽  
...  

In a previously published double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we showed that probiotics intake exerted a positive effect on sleep quality and a general improvement across time in different aspects of the profile of mood state, like sadness, anger, and fatigue in 33 healthy individuals. The present work investigates the impact of the probiotic product, constituted of Limosilactobacillus fermentum LF16, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus LR06, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LP01 (all former members of Lactobacillus genus), and Bifidobacterium longum 04, on the gut microbiota composition of the same cohort through a metabarcoding analysis. Both the placebo and probiotic treatments had a significant impact on the microbiota composition. Statistical analysis showed that the microbiota of the individuals could be clustered into three groups, or bacteriotypes, at the baseline, and, inherently, bacterial compositions were linked to different responses to probiotic and placebo intakes. Interestingly, L. rhamnosus and L. fermentum were retrieved in the probiotic-treated cohort, while a bifidogenic effect of maltodextrin, used as placebo, was observed. The present study shed light on the importance of defining bacteriotypes to assess the impact of interventions on the gut microbiota and allowed to reveal microbial components which could be related to positive effects (i.e. sleep quality improvement) to be verified in further studies.


Author(s):  
Sepideh Mashayekh-Amiri ◽  
Mouloud Agajani Delavar ◽  
Fatemeh Bakouei ◽  
Mahbobeh Faramarzi ◽  
Sedighe Esmaeilzadeh

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