by Alejandro Martínez-Rodríguez ^1,2,*,María Martínez-Olcina ¹,Juan Mora ¹,Pau Navarro ³,Nuria Caturla ³ andJonathan Jones ³¹Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Food Science, University of Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain²Alicante Institute of Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain³Monteloeder, S.L., Miguel Servet 16, Nave 17, 03203 Elche, Spain^*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.Academic Editors: Raffaele Antonelli Incalzi, Liborio Parrino and Francesca ScazzinaNutrients2022, 14(1), 218; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14010218 (registering DOI)Received: 7 December 2021 / Revised: 28 December 2021 / Accepted: 2 January 2022 / Published: 4 January 2022(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet and Sleep: The Towers of Lifestyle, Wellness, and Survival)
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Abstract

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. View Full-Text