According to a survey by the World Health Organization (WHO), about 10-49% of people worldwide suffer from varying degrees of insomnia. Many insomnia patients take sleeping pills for a long time in order to relieve their symptoms. The percentage of people with various types of sleep disorders in China is as high as 38.2%, higher than the world’s 27%, of which about 20 million people rely on taking sleeping pills to fall asleep every day.

Survey data from iiMedia Research shows that in 2021, 45.3% of Chinese netizens purchased vitamin-based sleep-aid health food, 29.5% purchased melatonin sleep-aid health food, in addition to 22.2%, 19.3% and 15.9% of consumers who purchased herbal extracts, nicotinamide mononucleotide and glycine as sleep-aid health food, respectively. What are the Chinese medicine ingredients often used in health food to improve sleep? Today we take stock.

Reminder: This article is only for professionals to develop food, does not constitute a cure and medication advice, medication, please consult a medical professional.

Chinese medicines with the same characteristics as food and medicine

According to the relevant provisions, sour jujube nut, jujube, lily of the valley, gardenia, poria, Buddha’s hand, etc. can be used as food, but also can be used as medicine, that is, has the characteristics of medicine and food with the same source. Studies have shown that the above Chinese medicines have certain sedative and hypnotic effects.

1.1 Sour jujube kernel

Literature reports that the total saponin, total alkaloids and unsaturated fatty acids in the oil of sour jujube kernel have certain sedative-hypnotic effects, with sour jujube kernel saponin being the strongest. Research shows that spironolactone and sour jujube kernel saponin A is the main component of sour jujube kernel sedative-hypnotic activity, and its mechanism of action is related to the antagonism of post-synaptic 5-HT1A receptor, increase the expression of GABAA receptor, and so on.

1.2 Jujube

Jujubes contain alkaloids (such as light chrysanthemum alkaloids, N-desmethyl hordenine), triterpenoids (such as oleanolic acid, hawthorn acid), glycosides (such as non-spiny jujube benzyl glycoside I, non-spiny jujube benzyl glycoside Ⅱ), saponins (such as jujube saponins, sour jujube saponins) and other constituents. Studies have shown that the alkaloids, flavonoids and glycosides of jujube have certain sedative sleep effects.

1.3 Lily

Lily contains lily polysaccharides, lily saponins and other active ingredients. Literature reports that fresh lily has obvious sedative-hypnotic effect on mice; total saponin of lily has regulatory effect on the function of 5-hydroxytryptamine system in mice.

1.4 Gardenia jasminoides

Gardenia extract contains gardenia yellow pigment, gardenia glycoside, gardenia lactone, gardenia flavonoid and other components. Research shows that gardenia yellow pigment has certain sedative-hypnotic effect.

1.5 Poria

The main active ingredients of Poria cocos are Poria polysaccharides and triterpenoids, Poria acid is a kind of tetracyclic triterpenoid compound unique to Poria cocos. Literature reports that Poria cocos decoction, Poria cocos carboxymethyl polysaccharide, Poria cocos total triterpenoids and Poria cocos acid have sedative-hypnotic effect, and the hypnotic effect of Poria cocos acid is related to the regulation of the expression level of GABAA receptor in the brain.

1.6 Forsythia

Forsythia contains volatile oils (such as β-stilbene, α-stilbene), flavonoids, polysaccharides, polyphenols, amino acids and trace elements and other components. Studies have shown that Buddha’s hand has a sedative effect on mice. The antidepressant effect of the volatile oil of Forsythia showed an obvious dose-related characteristic, which was related to its effects of regulating central functions and improving sleep.

1.7 Perilla

Perilla can be used as medicine in three parts: leaves, peduncles and fruits, of which perilla seeds mainly contain unsaturated fatty acids and proteins; perilla leaves contain volatile oils, the main components of which are perilla aldehyde, limonene, and β-butene, etc.; and perilla peduncles contain perilla aldehyde and isobetulinenone. Literature reports that perilla aqueous extract has good sedative-hypnotic effect on mice.

1.8 Black pepper

Black pepper contains piperine, piperine neoalkaloids, volatile oil, piperamidin and a variety of piperamidin and other active ingredients. Research shows that pepper has a significant sedative-hypnotic effect.

1.9 Nutmeg

The seed kernel contains fatty oils (e.g., triglycerides of myristic acid, glycerides of oleic acid), volatile oils (e.g., α-pinene and dextro camphene), and myristyl ether. Literature reports that the volatile oil of nutmeg has some sedative-hypnotic effects.

1.10 Job’s tears

Coix lacryma contains a variety of components such as lipids, polysaccharides, lignans, phenols and adenosine, etc. The oil of Coix lacryma is dominated by oleic acid and linoleic acid. Studies have shown that Coix seed extract can reduce the voluntary activity of mice, increase the amplitude and slow down the frequency of brain waves in rabbits, and present a certain sedative effect.

1.11 Licorice

Glycyrrhiza glabra mainly contains glycyrrhizin, as well as glycyrrhizin, glycyrrhizinogen and other flavonoid components. Literature reports that intraperitoneal injection of licorice infusion in mice can produce significant sedative-hypnotic effects.

1.12 Longan Flesh

The methanolic extract of the aril of longan enhances the hypnotic effect of pentobarbital; the extract of longan flesh has anti-stress and anxiolytic effects, and its active ingredients are adenosine, adenine and uridine.

Chinese medicines that can be used as raw materials for health food

According to relevant regulations, Chinese medicines such as tianma, schizandra, acanthopanax, cyperus rotundus, pearl and shouwu vine can be used in health food. Studies have shown that all the above drugs have a certain sedative-hypnotic effect.

2.1 Tianma

Tianma contains aspalathin, aspalathin, vanillin, vanillin, sesquiterpenes, purines and other components, of which aspalathin is its main active ingredient. Studies have shown that mice given intraperitoneal injection of asparagine or gavage given ultra-micro asparagine powder have the effect of improving sleep.

2.2 Schisandra chinensis

Schisandra contains lignans, polysaccharides, volatile oils, organic acids and other components. Literature reports that the freeze-dried powder of Schisandra chinensis can improve the sleep of Drosophila, and shows certain quantitative and temporal relationship characteristics; the decoction of Schisandra chinensis can prolong the total sleep time and the duration of stage II slow wave sleep in rats. The study showed that lignans are the active components of the hypnotic effect of Schisandra chinensis.

2.3 Acanthopanax

The main components of Acanthopanax are glycosides, polysaccharides and flavonoids, as well as coumarins, fatty acids, volatile oils, amino acids and trace elements. Literature reports that both the aqueous extract of Senticosia root and Senticosia saponins have the effect of improving sleep in rats.

2.4 Cypress kernel

Cypress kernel contains cypress saponin, volatile oil and other components, and the seeds contain cypress alcohol, sterol and diterpenes. Studies have shown that cypress kernel saponin, cypress kernel oil on experimental animals have sedative-hypnotic effect.

2.5 Pearl

Pearl contains a variety of amino acids, trace elements, taurine, small molecule active peptides and porphyrin-like components. Literature reports that ultra-fine pearl powder has the effect of improving sleep in mice.

2.6 Shouwu Teng

Studies have shown that the main extracts of Shouwu vine, such as nightshade glycoside, nightshade anthraquinone and nightshade flavonoid, have the effect of improving sleep, among which nightshade glycoside has a more significant effect.

2.7 Bupleurum

Bupleurum contains flavonoids, volatile oils, phenolic acids and other components. Literature has reported that the alcoholic extracts of Cnidium monnieri have obvious sedative-hypnotic effects on mice.

2.8 Polygala

The main components of Polygala are saponins, now isolated more than 80 kinds of saponins. Studies have shown that the saponin components of Polygala have obvious sedative-hypnotic effect, and its tranquilizing effect has not been affected after honey-roasting under different conditions.

2.9 Cortex Eucommia Dulcis

Cortex Eucommia contains eucommia gum, eucommia glycosides, eucommia alcohol, phenols, organic acids, flavonoids and other components. Literature reports that the ethyl acetate part, water-saturated n-butanol, and aqueous layer dissolved part of Cortex Eucommiae have the effect of improving the sleep of mice, with the ethyl acetate part being stronger.

2.10 Salvia miltiorrhiza

The chemical composition of Salvia miltiorrhiza can be divided into two major parts, fat-soluble and water-soluble, the former being tanshinones, such as tanshinone I, tanshinone IIα, tanshinone IIβ; the latter mainly being phenolic acids, such as tanshin, protocatechuic aldehyde. Studies have shown that the aqueous extract of Salvia miltiorrhiza has obvious sedative-hypnotic effects.

2.11 Astragalus

Astragalus mainly contains saponins and flavonoids, such as astragaloside, soybean saponin, a variety of glucosides, prickly aristolochicin, mullein isoflavones. Literature has reported that the aqueous extract of Astragalus has certain sedative-hypnotic effects on mice.

2.12 Radix Rehmanniae Praeparata

Radix Rehmanniae Praeparata contains a small amount of cyclic allyl ether terpenes (e.g., motherwort glycosides, peach leaf coral glycosides) and monoterpenes (e.g., pyroxylin A, B, and C), as well as amino acids, sugars, and other components. Studies have shown that the decoction of Radix Rehmanniae Praeparata and Radix Rehmanniae Polysaccharides have significant sedative-hypnotic effects on mice.

2.13 Centella asiatica

Centella asiatica mainly contains triterpenoid saponins (e.g., hydroxy Centella asiatica glycosides, Centella asiatica glycosides), polyalkynes (e.g., C19H28O3, C16H21O2), volatile oils (e.g., stigmasterol, stigmasterol) and other components. Literature reports that centella asiatica glucoside has obvious sedative-hypnotic effect on mice.

2.14 Leaves of Cyperus rotundus

The leaves of Pterocarpus indicus contain volatile oils (e.g. pterocarpene, pterocarpone), flavonoids (pterocarpene, quercetin) and other components. Studies have shown that the volatile components of the leaves have a certain sedative-hypnotic effect on humans and experimental animals.

2.15 Peony Bark

Peony bark contains peony phenol, peony phenolic glycosides, paeoniflorin and other components. Literature has reported that extracts of peony bark, danpi phenol and total danpi glycosides have certain sedative-hypnotic effects.

2.16 Ganoderma lucidum

Ganoderma lucidum spores are extremely fine particles ejected from the cap of Ganoderma lucidum during the growth and maturation period, and are rich in proteins, amino acids, glycopeptides and triterpenoids. Literature has reported that Ganoderma lucidum spore powder and wall-broken Ganoderma lucidum spore powder have certain improvement effects on sleep in mice. In addition, there are differences in the efficacy of different groups of Ganoderma lucidum, with the Purple Ganoderma lucidum and the American Da Lingzhi group having a better effect on improving sleep.

2.17 Valerian

Valerian root contains volatile oils (e.g. valerian aldehyde, valerian terpene, valerianone), alkaloids (e.g. valerianine, brucine, valerianinine) as well as valerian tri-ester and valerian diol ester. Studies have shown that the alcoholic extracts of four domestically produced medicinal plants of the genus Valerian (Chinese Valerian, Broad-leaved Valerian, Spiderwort and Blackwater Valerian) have sedative-hypnotic activity, among which Broad-leaved Valerian and Spiderwort are of more developmental value.

2.18 Angelica sinensis

Angelica sinensis contains volatile oil, the main components of which are ligustilide, n-butyl phthalide, angelica ketone, etc.; water-soluble components include sodium ferulate and angelica polysaccharide. Studies have shown that Angelica sinensis has a central inhibitory effect and ligustilide has a sedative effect.

2.19 Chasteberry

Chasteberry contains oleanolic acid, rhodiola rosea glycosides, flavonoids, polysaccharides, volatile oil and trace elements. Literature reports that chasteberry has obvious sedative-hypnotic effect on mice.

2.20 Ginseng

Ginsenoside is the main active ingredient of ginseng. Studies have shown that ginseng has a bi-directional regulatory effect on central functions, which is related to the effects of different saponin components. Generally speaking, ginsenosides Rb analogs have sedative effects, Rg analogs have excitatory effects, and mixtures of Rb and Rc have stabilizing and analgesic effects.

Examples of tranquilizing medicinal diets

Generally speaking, medicinal diets refer to special diets that contain traditional Chinese medicinal ingredients and have the effects of health care, disease prevention and treatment. According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, medicinal diets that are mainly composed of nourishing and tranquilizing medicinal food with tranquilizing effects to prevent and treat mental restlessness are called tranquilizing medicinal diets.

This kind of medicinal diet has the effect of nourishing Yin and blood, tonifying the heart and liver, transporting the heart and kidney, and it is suitable for the cardiac and mental restlessness of partial deficiency, which is slow in onset and manifests as palpitations and heartburn, forgetfulness and insomnia, etc. It is commonly used in plants such as jujubes, longan meat, sour jujube kernel and lily, etc. Representative formulae such as ginseng and ossuary stewed with black-bone chicken, lily congee, sour jujube kernel congee, and cypress kernel congee are also used.

3.1 Ginseng Stewed Black-Bone Chicken

Ingredients include black-bone chicken, ginseng, pig’s elbow, hen and appropriate amount of seasonings, which is used for the deficiency of yin deficiency and internal heat caused by the deficiency of trouble and little sleep, restlessness, five heart-heat, palpitation and fatigue, etc. In the formula, ginseng is sweet and slightly bitter. In this formula, ginseng is sweet and slightly bitter in taste, slightly warm in nature, which can replenish vital energy, nourish yin and tranquilize the mind; black-boned chicken is sweet and flat in nature, which can nourish the liver and kidney, and reduce fever and tranquilize the mind; pork is sweet and flat in nature, which can nourish yin and moisten dryness. The combination of these three flavors can nourish the liver and kidney, reduce yin fire, remove heat and tranquilize the mind.

3.2 Lily Porridge

Ingredients include lily or dried lily powder, glutinous rice, rock sugar, suitable for heart and lung yin deficiency, can also be used for nourishing health care. The lily is sweet, slightly cold, moist, with the effect of moistening the lungs and relieving cough, clearing the heart and tranquilizing the mind; glutinous rice is sweet and flat, which can benefit the qi and replenish the deficiency, set the heart and mind, and remove the thirst. The two together, playing the effect of moisturizing the lungs and nourishing the heart.

3.3 Sour Jujube Kernel Porridge

Ingredients include sour jujube kernel, ripe earth, round-grained rice, suitable for heart and liver blood deficiency, can also be used for health care. In this formula, sour jujube kernel is sweet in taste and flat in nature, and enters the heart and liver meridians; ripened glutinous rice is sweet and warm in nature, tonifying blood and nourishing yin, benefiting the essence and filling in the marrow; round-grained rice is sweet and flat in nature, tonifying the middle and benefiting the qi, strengthening the spleen and the stomach. The three flavors together, the texture is soft and flat, and the effect is gentle.

3.4 Porridge with Cypress Seed Kernel

Ingredients include cypress seed kernel, round-grained rice, honey, suitable for heart and blood deficiency and habitual constipation. In the formula, cypress seed kernel is sweet and flat, entering the heart, kidney and large intestine meridians; round-grained rice can replenish the middle and benefit the qi, strengthen the spleen and stomach; honey “nourishes the spleen qi, removes heartburn”, lubricates the intestines and passes stool. The three flavors are in harmony with each other, non-toxic in nature, and gentle in action.