Bao Yuan Tang Extract and Galactooligosaccharides for Sleep Regulation

The prevalence of suboptimal health status, including sleep disturbances and endocrinedysregulation, has been increasing in recent years, highlighting the significant publichealth and social implications of developing effective health‐promoting interventions.Bao Yuan Tang, a classic traditional Chinese medicine formula with a long history ofclinical application, has shown notable benefits in regulating various aspects ofsuboptimal health status, such as sleep disturbances. All herbs in the composition of BaoYuan Tang, including Codonopsis Radix (Dangshen), Astragali Radix (Huangqi), GlycyrrhizaeRadix et Rhizoma (Gancao), Cinnamomi Cortex (Rougui), Ziziphi Spinosae Semen(Suanzaoren), and charred jujube (Jiaozao), are listed in the catalogue of substancestraditionally recognized as both food and Chinese medicinal materials issued by theNational Health Commission of the People's Republic of China and the State Administrationfor Market Regulation. However, high‐quality clinical studies evaluating its actualefficacy remain limited to date.Galactooligosaccharides (GOS), forming a widely used class of dietary prebiotics, havealso been shown potential benefits in improving conditions such as metabolicabnormalities, constipation, and obesity through modulation of the gut microbiota. Basedon these findings, we developed a combination product containing Bao Yuan Tangfull‐component extract and GOS to investigate whether this combination could exertsynergistic effects on improving suboptimal health status. This study is planned toevaluate the effects of a combination product, and Bao Yuan Tang extract or GOS alone, inyoung female registered nurse aged 25‐45 years with night‐shift exposure on suboptimalhealth status‐related outcomes, including sleep disturbances, fatigue, endocrinedysregulation, and glucose and lipid metabolic abnormalities. Given the uniqueoccupational characteristics of nursing staff, including irregular working hours andsubstantial work‐related stress, this population considered suitable for inclusion in thepresent study.