People spend about one-third of their lives asleep. Both sleep quantity and sleep quality have an impact on people’s overall health and well-being.
New research has shown that a specific proprietary bioactive blend can help to improve natural sleepiness and sleep quality. Nestlé Research in Switzerland and the National University of Singapore Sleep Center, where the study was performed, collaborated on the clinical study.
During the clinical trial, the researchers tested the impact of a novel nutritional solution containing a blend of bioactive ingredients on sleep. The results show that the combination of a natural source of tryptophan, vitamin B, magnesium, zinc and nutrients that naturally facilitate the body’s melatonin secretion, combined with mulberry leaf extract, reduced both the measured as well as the self-reported time to fall asleep by approximately 15%. Thanks to the presence of the natural mulberry leaf extract, a traditional ingredient used in China, the bioactive blend reduced the postprandial blood sugar increase after the evening meal and glycemic variation during the night.
Eline van der Beek, Head of Nestlé’s Institute of Health Sciences says: “By leveraging digital technology and wearable devices, we were able to successfully measure and evaluate participants’ glucose levels and sleep quality in the comfort of their own homes. This innovative approach enabled us to gather reliable data on the effectiveness of our nutritional solution in improving sleep quality and mood on the next day.”
Leveraging this scientific discovery, and the knowledge that as people age, they may experience lighter sleep and shorter (deep) sleep duration, R&D scientists developed a new milk powder which contains the patented bioactive blend to promote natural sleepiness and enhance sleep quality. This blend can now be found in the newly formulated Yiyang Wanning milk powder, which has just been launched in China and specifically targets people aged 40-60 years.
The same scientific findings were used by the Nestlé R+D Accelerator in Switzerland to pilot easy-to-use fruit shots. Developed to support sleep by containing the proprietary bioactive blend, the fruit shots were piloted for a limited time in Europe and South-East Asia.
“Matching the deep scientific understanding in metabolic and brain health of Nestlé Research with our expertise in product development allows us to take a pioneering approach to improve sleep quality through nutrition. Thanks to our strong R&D network we are able to translate scientific discoveries across different formats,” says Isabelle Bureau-Franz, Nestlé’s Head of R&D for the Nutrition category.
These new innovations complement existing Nestlé offerings to support sleep. For example, last year the company launched Nature’s Bounty Sleep3 Gummies in the U.S. Developed by experts at the R&D center for Nestlé Health Sciences in Bridgewater, New Jersey, the gummies use a proprietary technology for extended-release melatonin, to help people to relax, fall asleep, and stay asleep so they can wake up feeling refreshed.
