In China, sleep-enabled foods are still in their infancy.
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Author | Soso(Pan)
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When it comes to functional foods, the word “fried concept” is easy to get into the brain, and sleep aid food is no exception.
Under the rapid rise of the “night economy”, are food companies paying attention to consumers’ enthusiasm, helping people to enjoy themselves, or turning to people with health problems, and paying attention to whether they sleep well? It is easy to add icing on the cake, and it is difficult to send charcoal in the snow. What’s more, the problem to be solved is closely related to one third of the lives of everyone.
Image source: pixabay
The problem of sleep has long been more than just a middle-aged group. Let’s look at the group data first.
According to the 2019 National Health White Paper jointly published by Dr. Clove and Health Report Mobile Health Research Institute, 96% of the respondents indicated that they had health-related problems, and sleep problems ranked third. From the age dimension, the sleep problem ranked first in the health problems after 70 and 80, ranked second in the middle of 70, and fourth in the 90s.
In the 2019 National Health White Paper, the public scored 9.5 points for the importance of sleep, and only 6.7 points for sleep satisfaction. According to the survey data, young people are more troubled by sleep problems than older people, 84% of them have sleep problems after 90, and the number before 70 is 76%.
73% of the respondents will take various measures to solve the sleep problem. In addition to standardizing sleep time, 27% choose to change bedding, 17% adjust diet, choose to take sleep aid, sleep aid They accounted for 4% and 3% respectively. For health-related products, 76% of the public said that their first focus is on product efficacy, followed by price.
This year, Want Want, Mengniu, Junlebao, and Yakult have entered the sleep aid market and launched a sleep aid drink.
In the entry product section, where does the “efficacy” that consumers first focus on come from? Let’s start withIn the case of sleep aid functional components and foreign sleep aid products, rational ideas.
01
What are the actual effects of the three major categories of sleep aids?
1, melatonin, is it really a sleep aid “artifact”?
Melatonin is an amine hormone naturally secreted by the human body and has a relatively obvious circadian rhythm. In China, melatonin is allowed to be used as a raw material for health foods, and the health function is limited to improving sleep. The recommended daily dose is 0.1-0.3 mg.
According to the First Financial and Economic Data Center (CBNData) and Tmall International’s “2018 Cross-Bound Consumption New Normal Youth Group Insight Report”, from December 2017 to November 2018, melatonin helps sleep soft Sugar became the favorite soft candy health product after Tmall International 90/95.
But in most of the sleep aids, the melatonin content is as high as 3mg or even 9mg, far exceeding the physiological demand dose, which will cause the user to get dizzy after getting up the next day. Excessive use of melatonin will also increase the burden on the liver and kidney.
It should be noted that melatonin has only a certain auxiliary effect on the circadian clock disorder and melatonin-sensitive sleep disorder, and it has an ideal hypnotic effect in the national recommended daily dose. Long-term use of exogenous melatonin may result in decreased secretion. In this way, a single melatonin is not a long-term solution.
As the understanding of the limitations and side effects of melatonin has deepened, food companies have turned their attention from a single melatonin to an amino acid with similar efficacy.
2, GABA, L-theanine…Amino acid components come to the forefront
A research paper published in the journal Neuropharmacology analyzes how sleep and awake state are stimulated and suppressed from the perspective of neuron and electrophysiology. Chemicals involved in the regulation of sleep, including 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), acetylcholine, etc., can be an important consideration in the formulation of sleep-enabled functional foods (including dietary supplements). At the same time, L-theanine has been shown to increase dopamine, serotonin and the inhibitory neurotransmitter glycine in the brain.
5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and L-theanine, which can be extracted from natural plants, have already emerged in sleep-enabled foods.
Dream Water, USA, is a gluten-free sleep supplement that claims no dependence, natural ingredients, 0 calories, 74ml small volume, each bottle contains 135mg of GABA, 5mg of melatonin and 10mg of 5 -HTP, recommended to drink 30 minutes before going to bed.
Dream Water Sleep Shot, 4 bottles
Image Source: Dream Water’s official website
5-HTP is an amino acid substance that is a precursor of serotonin (5-HT), a neurotransmitter that regulates sleep.
GABA, gamma-aminobutyric acid, is a naturally occurring non-protein amino acid that is an important inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system, promoting blood circulation and oxygen supply in the brain, soothing Brain tension, promotes the synthesis of growth hormone and good sleep.
L-Theanine is a unique free amino acid in tea, which has the effect of calming and relieving stress. Japan’s functional sleep aid food, prefer to add this ingredient.
Japan Coca-Cola launched a functional drink, Glaceau Sleep Water, in 2016. Each bottle of 410ml contains 200mg of L-theanine, which relaxes before bedtime and relieves fatigue and drowsiness after getting up.
Image Source: Glaceau Sleep Water Facebook
American brand Som Sleep launched a 240ml metal canned functional drink Som Sleep Drink in January this year, each containing 357mg of GABA, L-theanine and melatonin patented mixture, and 40mg of magnesium and 2mg Vitamin B6, by supplementing targeted nutrition, relaxes the body and mind and helps maintain a natural and regular sleep.
Image source: Som Sleep Facebook
3. Herbs with homologous herbs and herbs, mild sleep inducer
Specific herbs contain a wide range of small molecules that are involved in the synthesis, secretion, and metabolism of neurotransmitters, and are also used in sleep aids. For example, chamomile is widely considered to be a natural sedative and sleep inducer because it contains flavonoids that bind to benzodiazepine receptors in the brain.
At the same time, the natural and gentle temperament of the herb itself is more acceptable to consumers.
Nighty Night® from the American herbal tea brand Traditional Medicinals, using organic herbs such as passionflower, chamomile, eucalyptus, nepeta, hops, supplemented with spearmint, lemon verbena, lemon peel, and west Indian citronella is an organic tea that acts as a calming, soothing and sleep aiding effect.
Another organic herbal tea called Nighty Night® Extra from the same brand uses a more powerful valerian root, passionflower, fragrant bee leaf, mint, etc. to further release the herbicidal effect of the herb.
Image source: Traditional Medicinals official website
Slovak company Good Night Drink’s sleep-making drink in Austria, Good Night Drink’n’Dream, uses alpine sparkling water to relieve natural herbal extracts such as Melissa officinalis and Humulus lupulus. Stress and promote sleep. The official website indicates that this product contains no preservatives, artificial colors and sweeteners, no side effects, slightly carbonated taste, slightly sweet, and has a taste similar to cactus fruit. 250ml per can, should be consumed 30 to 45 minutes before bedtime.
Image Source: Good Night Drink Facebook
In summary, the raw materials and ingredients that have the effect of helping sleep have basically surfaced, and the combination and arrangement of these elements in foreign sleep aid products are relatively clear. How do Chinese food companies take their essence and introduce sleep-friendly foods that are more suitable for Chinese people? What is the situation in China’s sleep-enabled functional food market?
02
In the era of sleep aid 3.0, companies such as Want Want, Mengniu and Junlebao have entered the game
Introduction to sleep products, from the era of sleeping pills 1.0 for pathological sleep disorders, to the 2.0 era of hormonal melatonin health products, to the sleep-free drinks based on pure natural plant extracts and containing no pharmaceutical ingredients. Efforts to bid farewell to dependence, reduce side effects, and use pure natural ingredients have helped the Sleeping 3.0 era.
Chinese food companies, such as Want Want, Mengniu, and Junlebao, have launched sleep-enabled beverages this year, entering the sleep-enabled functional food market.
1, policy first, GABA, theanine has joined the ranks of China’s new resource foods
As the age increases and the body functions aging, the amount of GABA produced and secreted will gradually decrease, resulting in problems such as poor sleep, anxiety, blood pressure, and memory impairment. Studies have shown that the lack of GABA in the human body is difficult to synthesize itself, and can only be supplemented by eating foods and nutrients containing GABA.
In 2009 and 2014, the National Health and Family Planning Commission of China approved γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and tea theanine as new resource foods, which can be used in food processing. At the same time, the intake of GABA needs to be ≤500mg/day, and the amount of tea theanine needs to be ≤400mg/day.
GABA and L-theanine are well-known in food applications. The daily average consumption is clear, and it also provides the basis and standard for food companies to develop products and consumers to weigh the intake.
2, sitting in China’s 100 billion-level sleep aid market, diet and sleep products began to heat up
According to Boss Data released “2018-2023 China Sleep Medical Market Analysis and Investment Prospect Research Report”, 2017 China’s sleep industry market size is about 279.7 billion yuan, sleep devices account for 89.3% of the market, sleep drugs, sleep The proportion of health care products and sleep services was 4.8%, 4.6% and 1.3%, respectively.
The physical sleep aid is still the mainstream, and the consumption of food and sleep products by online consumers has begun to increase.
According to the “2018 Healthy Sleep Market Consumption Characteristics and Trends Insight Report” released by the First Financial Data Center, sales of health foods and melatonin from online sleep aids from July 2017 to June 2018 Ranked in the ninth and tenth places. And the number of consumers increased year-on-yearThe data show that health food, melatonin, jujube kernel, and soothing brain health products occupy the third, sixth, seventh and eighth places.
Image Source: CBNData “2018 Healthy Sleep Market Consumption Characteristics and Trends Insight Report”
Based on the fact that the therapeutic sleep products are warming up in the sleep aid market in China, the development of functional foods using natural substances such as homologous drugs and small molecular substances with sleep-aid effects is a concern of Chinese food companies. Doing things.
3, Want Want, Mengniu and Junlebao have launched sleep aid drinks
Considering the actual side effects of melatonin, the Chinese food companies are currently introducing sleep aid products, with more attention to the application of GABA and L-theanine. In the category, small-dose drinks are preferred.
As a start-up company, Beijing Goodnight Technology Co., Ltd. launched China’s first functional sleep aid drink in 2016, Good Night Water, 100ml per bottle. The active ingredient for sleep aid is derived from γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and L-theanine, and a jujube seed and chrysanthemum extract having a natural effect are added. GABA in good night water is extracted from rice, beans, kelp and other plants. Stevia is used as a natural sweetener, and it is seasoned with concentrated apple juice and lemon juice, 0 sucrose and low calorie.
The 2018 Chinese Internet Internet Users Sleep White Paper released by the First Financial Data Center shows that nearly 90% of Internet users use mobile phones before going to bed, and the average time is more than 1 hour. 80 minutes. [7] The use of electronic products before going to bed directly leads to a reduction in sleep time, so it is necessary to improve sleep efficiency.
It is worth mentioning that this product of Goodnight Technology is aimed at young people who are accustomed to “retaliatory staying up late”, that is, at the busy work and the night after the end of the study, they are finally free to spend their time and are not willing to sleep. Day and night crowd. Mr. Han Yuzi, the founder of Goodnight Technology, said that good night water for the consumers with less sleep time, by increasing the deep sleep time, improve the quality of sleep, to achieve the effect of sleeping 5 hours = 7 hours of sleep, to ensure a full spirit after waking up.
Image Source: Goodnight Food Tmall Flagship Store
After 18 months of research and development, Wangwang Dream Water, which was warmed up in March this year and officially launched at the end of June, contains 100ml of tea, 376mg of tea theanine and 54mg of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). ) and 35mg of German chamomile extract. It is reported that the GABA raw material in Wangwang Dream Water is a product of fermentation using natural amino acids under the action of microorganisms. Chamomile is mainly used as a natural fragrance and can help relieve fatigue and anxiety.
Why is it preferred to develop a sleep aid drink? Ms. Mao Zhouyi, director of the beverage research and development department of Shanghai Wangwang Food Group Co., Ltd., said that sleep aid foods are generally eaten before going to bed. Drinks, especially 100ml low-dose, low-sugar and low-calorie beverages, will not increase the bedtime routine and will not cause stomach and intestines. burden. At the same time, based on the relatively long-term stability test cycle of milk-based sleep aids, in order to meet the needs of the sleep market, Want Want gives priority to the introduction of this 0-fat flavored beverage, milk products in the development process.
Image source: Koala Haiwang flagship store
Recommended milk, the “1818 Chinese Internet Internet Users Sleep White Paper” released by the First Financial Data Center shows that 45% of Internet users prefer to sleep by drinking milk before going to bed. Combining milk with the elements of sleep aid, Chinese dairy companies have already laid out.
At the end of September this year, Junlebao launched a 200ml compound protein drink “one hour before bedtime”, which claims a protein content of up to 3.4g / part, 0 sucrose addition, and added natural tranquilizing ingredient gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) It helps to calm the nerves, relieve stress, help sleep, and improve sleep quality.
Image Source: Junlebao Weibo
After 8 years of research and development, Mengniu’s “Good evening” chamomile flavored milk drink was asked in October this year.In the world, each bottle contains 240mg of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and at the same time, it adds plants or ingredients such as sour jujube kernels, lotus root starch, soothing herbal chamomile, etc., to help sleep with the same medicine and food.
In the sale of products, Mengniu’s “Good Night” adopts a new social retail model, which promotes this functional dairy through the transmission of social relationships, online and offline, and the integration of supply chains.
Image Source: Mengniu Dairy Weibo
The huge sleep economy market is gaining momentum, and the products of decompression, soothing and sleep aid have emerged. Chinese food companies have screened out more natural active ingredient extracts on the basis of foreign sleep-enabled functional foods, and selected low-dose drinks suitable for taking before going to bed.
03
There is a good time to help the food market, but it’s not very good.
For consumers, it is self-evident that the enjoyment of food and the consumption of drugs are more relaxed and enjoyable. But what is unavoidable is that it is increasingly difficult for consumers to recognize “I need” for sleep-help foods, but it is increasingly difficult to express “I believe”. How to make consumers willing to take a critical step in their attempts?
1, key point – safe and stable sleep function without side effects
For sleep, this has a profound experience for everyone. Because of individual differences, whether the product can effectively help sleep, the expectations and standards of different consumers will vary widely.
Accordingly, for the foods that play the “sleep-help function”, the company needs more targeted and sufficiently large-scale product testing in the research and development stage, and the information on the content of ingredients, precautions, and recommended food cycle are more direct and complete. The ground is presented to the consumer, allowing the consumer to combine his or her actual situation with relatively objective expectations of the product.
The functional foods that really focus on the pain points of the audience and are carefully developed will not be buried.
At the same time, for functional products, national qualification certification is also a strong evidence. For example, in the face of the country’s strict review procedures and clinical data standards for health products, Want Want Dream Water is working hard in the direction of applying for the health care product “Blue Hat”.
2, plus points – accessibility of subdivided populations
On the basis of ensuring the sleep aid function, the product is based on the segmentation population and the use of sleep time to add other conditioning auxiliary functions to make the product more targeted. Sleeping speed, deep sleep time, post-waking state, etc. are all measuredWhether the sleep is good or not.
The founder of Goodnight Technology, Mr. Han Yuzi, said that for women, oral beauty elements can be combined; for the elderly, attention can be paid to daily nutrient supplementation and chronic disease management.
In foreign sleep aid products, related products have been launched for the auxiliary functions of the subdivided groups.
Dream Water, mentioned above, is currently selling a Dream Water Beauty. In addition to the sleep aid ingredient, the product also adds nutrients such as hyaluronic acid and bamboo silicon extract to improve skin condition and reduce eye wrinkles. Improve collagen and other effects.
Dream Water Beauty, 12 bottles
Image Source: Dream Water’s official website
Just last month, Yakult, the parent company of Yakult, announced the launch of the new Yakult 1000. According to the official website information, this product has the function of relieving temporary mental stress, improving sleep quality and drowsiness after getting up, and upgrading 10 times of bacteria-containing active lactic acid bacteria, which is beneficial to improve the intestinal environment.
Image source: Yakult official website
In China, sleep-enabled foods are still in their infancy, and consumers are more cautious about it. Talking about the “sleep aid function” is not only the opportunity for consumers to be just needed, but also the driving touch of the standardization of the industry.
In the face of the Chinese sleep market, using the homologous methods of herbs and natural extracts to produce sleep-enabled foods, it has considerable space and potential.
While companies are sharing the market, how to cultivate the market and build trust with consumers is the foundation for the healthy development of the industry and enterprises.
(The cover image is from Pexels)