Ingredient Research
Thoughtfully formulated. Informed by research.
At BNH, published research and traditional ingredient knowledge inform how we develop our formulas. Explore why we select our ingredients, what researchers have found, and the studies behind our approach.
Five formulas. A transparent research library. · Updated November 2, 2026
THE RESEARCH BEHIND OUR INGREDIENT CHOICES
Our scientific foundation
Published research informs our ingredient choices and formulation approach. Explore 30 selected scientific publications on ingredients and related preparations relevant to our five formulas.
Evidence you can explore
Original sources, clearly linked. Every reference links to its PubMed record, with publication details and DOI information where available.
Findings with context. Read what researchers studied, what they found, and how the ingredient, preparation or formula relates to our products.
These counts describe the publications in this ingredient-focused library. Reviews may include trials listed separately.
Explore our Citruslabs product studies, including Eye Empower, Brain Blossom and Libido Lift.
Explore Product Clinical Studies →Ingredient selection. We look to published literature to understand the ingredients we choose.
Thoughtful formulation. We bring selected ingredients together around a clear purpose, from an evening wind-down to everyday eye comfort.
Research you can explore. Read a plain-language overview below, then open any study for its findings, preparation, dose and context.
Each reference identifies whether it studies people, a related formula, or an early laboratory model. This helps you understand how it relates to the ingredients in your product.
Speed Sleep
The thinking behind our evening formula
Speed Sleep brings together wild jujube seed, ashwagandha and other selected ingredients in a melatonin-free formula. Our ingredient choices draw on traditional use and published research into sleep and stress.
Ashwagandha · the stress–sleep connection
Human trials have explored ashwagandha extracts for stress and sleep quality, with improvements reported in several studies. This research helps explain its place in our evening formula.
Wild jujube seed · tradition explored through research
A small human pilot and reviews of suanzaoren preparations report encouraging findings for self-reported sleep quality. They provide context for selecting wild jujube seed as part of our blend.
5-HTP · another area of sleep research
A small trial in older adults explored 5-HTP and reported benefits in selected sleep measures, particularly among poor sleepers. See the study for the preparation and dose used.
Formula & study context
Research on ashwagandha, wild jujube seed, 5-HTP and related traditional formulas. The current label lists a 2,400 mg proprietary blend per serving; individual ingredient amounts are not disclosed. Research doses below are not instructions for using Speed Sleep. No published trial of the current finished 12-ingredient formula was verified in this review.
Human ingredient trial · 2019Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) Root Extract in Insomnia and Anxiety: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Study.
60 adults; 300 mg root extract twice daily; 10 weeks. Sleep outcomes improved versus placebo.
Study context: Small study; the extract and dose are not established as equivalent to Speed Sleep.
Langade D, Kanchi S, Salve J, Debnath K, Ambegaokar D. · Cureus · 2019
PMID: 31728244 · DOI: 10.7759/cureus.5797
Human ingredient trial · 2020A randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study to evaluate the effects of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract on sleep quality in healthy adults.
150 adults; Shoden extract 120 mg/day; 6 weeks. Subjective sleep quality and several actigraphy measures improved.
Study context: A proprietary extract with different specifications; its dose cannot be transferred to our blend.
Deshpande A, Irani N, Balkrishnan R, Benny IR. · Sleep medicine · 2020
PMID: 32540634 · DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2020.03.012
Human ingredient trial · 2021Clinical evaluation of the pharmacological impact of ashwagandha root extract on sleep in healthy volunteers and insomnia patients: A double-blind, randomized, parallel-group, placebo-controlled study.
80 healthy adults or adults with insomnia; 8 weeks. The authors reported improvements in several sleep measures.
Study context: Small subgroups; does not test the BNH formula. Dose equivalence has not been established.
Langade D, Thakare V, Kanchi S, Kelgane S. · Journal of ethnopharmacology · 2021
PMID: 32818573 · DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2020.113276
Human ingredient trial · 2019Adaptogenic and Anxiolytic Effects of Ashwagandha Root Extract in Healthy Adults: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Clinical Study.
60 stressed adults; ashwagandha 250 or 600 mg/day; 8 weeks. Stress scores and reported sleep quality improved.
Study context: Different doses and extract; small sample and short duration.
Salve J, Pate S, Debnath K, Langade D. · Cureus · 2019
PMID: 32021735 · DOI: 10.7759/cureus.6466
Human ingredient trial · 2012A prospective, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of safety and efficacy of a high-concentration full-spectrum extract of ashwagandha root in reducing stress and anxiety in adults.
64 adults with chronic stress; root extract 300 mg twice daily; 60 days. Stress scores and cortisol declined versus placebo.
Study context: Stress research does not establish an immediate sleep effect or a benefit from the finished blend.
Chandrasekhar K, Kapoor J, Anishetty S. · Indian journal of psychological medicine · 2012
PMID: 23439798 · DOI: 10.4103/0253-7176.106022
Human ingredient trial · 2024The impact of 5-hydroxytryptophan supplementation on sleep quality and gut microbiota composition in older adults: A randomized controlled trial.
30 older adults; 5-HTP 100 mg/day; 12 weeks. Benefits in some sleep measures were more apparent among poor sleepers.
Study context: Single-blind study with a no-supplement control; small sample. Griffonia extract is not equivalent to a stated dose of pure 5-HTP.
Sutanto CN, Xia X, Heng CW, Tan YS, Lee DPS, Fam J, Kim JE. · Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland) · 2024
PMID: 38309227 · DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2024.01.010
Human ingredient pilot · 2021Medicinal seeds Ziziphus spinosa for insomnia: A randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over, feasibility clinical trial.
12 participants; Ziziphus spinosa granules 2 g/day; 4-week crossover periods. PSQI improved versus placebo.
Study context: Feasibility study with period effects; most other between-treatment outcomes were not significant. Granules differ from standardized extract.
Shergis JL, Hyde A, Meaklim H, Varma P, Da Costa C, Jackson ML. · Complementary therapies in medicine · 2021
PMID: 33385511 · DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102657
Systematic review · 2021Effect of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract on sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Five randomized trials, 400 participants. Pooled results suggested a modest sleep benefit from ashwagandha extracts.
Study context: Different extracts, populations and doses; long-term safety evidence was limited. Includes trials also listed here; do not add their participants together.
Cheah KL, Norhayati MN, Husniati Yaacob L, Abdul Rahman R. · PloS one · 2021
PMID: 34559859 · DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257843
Systematic review / related formulas · 2023The Herbal Medicine Suanzaoren (Ziziphi Spinosae Semen) for Sleep Quality Improvements: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Nine trials, 905 participants. Suanzaoren interventions were associated with short-term self-reported sleep improvements.
Study context: Interventions included differing preparations/formulas. Long-term results were mixed; not nine trials of Speed Sleep.
Yang M, Wang H, Zhang YL, Zhang F, Li X, Kim SD, Chen Y, Chen J, Chimonas S, Korenstein D, Mao JJ. · Integrative cancer therapies · 2023
PMID: 37014010 · DOI: 10.1177/15347354231162080
Systematic review / related formulas · 2022Suanzaoren Decoction for the treatment of chronic insomnia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Twelve trials, 1,311 patients. Suanzaoren decoction studies reported improved sleep scores.
Study context: Traditional decoction differs from Speed Sleep; trial quality varied. Reviews may overlap in included trials.
Liu XX, Ma YQ, Wang YG, Zhong FX, Yin XP, Zhang QM. · European review for medical and pharmacological sciences · 2022
PMID: 36459033 · DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202211_30388
Human trial / different formula · 2015Clinical Efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Suan Zao Ren Tang, for Sleep Disturbance during Methadone Maintenance: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.
90 methadone-maintained patients; 4 weeks. Suan Zao Ren Tang improved reported sleep quality versus placebo.
Study context: Different formula and a special patient population; not directly transferable to ordinary shoppers or Speed Sleep.
Chan YY, Chen YH, Yang SN, Lo WY, Lin JG. · Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2015
PMID: 26346534 · DOI: 10.1155/2015/710895
Animal research · 2004Anxiolytic-like effects of extracts from Albizzia julibrissin bark in the elevated plus-maze in rats.
Albizia bark extract changed anxiety-like behavior in a rat maze experiment.
Study context: Preclinical mechanism only. Cannot establish a human benefit, effective dose or combination effect.
Kim WK, Jung JW, Ahn NY, Oh HR, Lee BK, Oh JK, Cheong JH, Chun HS, Ryu JH. · Life sciences · 2004
PMID: 15464830 · DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2004.05.024
Animal research · 2005Effect of chronic Albizzia julibrissin treatment on 5-hydroxytryptamine1A receptors in rat brain.
Seven-day Albizia extract exposure altered behavioral and serotonin-receptor measures in rats.
Study context: Mechanistic background only; not a clinical study of relaxation or sleep in people.
Jung JW, Cho JH, Ahn NY, Oh HR, Kim SY, Jang CG, Ryu JH. · Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior · 2005
PMID: 15894080 · DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2005.03.014
Eye Empower
A formula focused on everyday eye comfort
Eye Empower combines ingredients selected for an eye-health formula rooted in traditional practice. Here you can explore the reported Citruslabs product study alongside laboratory research on selected ingredients.
Buddleja flower · exploring ocular biology
Cell and animal studies have examined Buddleja flower preparations in relation to ocular-surface and tear-gland biology. These early studies offer insight into why this traditional ingredient attracts research interest.
Wild chrysanthemum · an emerging research area
Researchers have investigated wild chrysanthemum essential oil in cell and mouse models. This is early ingredient research; the preparation and setting differ from an oral supplement.
For the Citruslabs study of the finished Eye Empower formula, visit our Product Clinical Studies page. The publications below focus on ingredient research.
View Eye Empower product research →Formula & study context
Finished-product study context is presented separately from early ingredient research. The ingredient papers below are laboratory or animal studies and do not establish clinical effects from oral Eye Empower.
Cell and animal research · 2026Wild chrysanthemum essential oil alleviates dry eye disease by inhibiting NF-κB-mediated inflammation.
Wild chrysanthemum essential oil was investigated in corneal cells and a mouse dry-eye model.
Study context: Essential oil and laboratory exposure differ from oral flower ingredients. No human efficacy conclusion.
Tang S, Cai M, Li F, Li K, Zhao C, Zhao L, Su L, Yue Q, Zhang S. · Inflammopharmacology · 2026
PMID: 41615571 · DOI: 10.1007/s10787-026-02116-6
Cell research · 2024Pharmacological in vitro profiling of Buddleja officinalis flower extracts in the context of dry eye disease.
Two Buddleja flower extracts affected inflammatory and oxidative-stress measures in laboratory cell models.
Study context: Human-derived cells are not human participants. Oral absorption, dose and clinical benefit remain untested here.
Areesanan A, Wasilewicz A, Kirchweger B, Nicolay S, Zimmermann-Klemd A, Grienke U, Rollinger JM, Gründemann C. · Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie · 2024
PMID: 39541792 · DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.117685
Animal research / eye drops · 2010Effects of extract of Buddleja officinalis eye drops on androgen receptors of lacrimal gland cells of castrated rats with dry eye.
Buddleja eye drops were examined for tear-film and receptor outcomes in castrated rats.
Study context: Different route of administration and animal disease model; not evidence that oral Eye Empower treats dry eye.
Peng QH, Yao XL, Wu QL, Tan HY, Zhang JR. · International journal of ophthalmology · 2010
PMID: 22553515 · DOI: 10.3980/j.issn.2222-3959.2010.01.10
Animal research · 2010Effects of extract of Buddleja officinalis on partial inflammation of lacrimal gland in castrated rabbits with dry eye.
Buddleja extract was given intragastrically for 30 days to rabbits in a dry-eye model; tear and tissue markers changed.
Study context: Animal results cannot establish clinical benefit or a human dose for Eye Empower.
Yao XL, Peng QH, Peng J, Tan HY, Wu QL, Wu DL, Chen M, Li CK, Li D, Zhu HA. · International journal of ophthalmology · 2010
PMID: 22553532 · DOI: 10.3980/j.issn.2222-3959.2010.02.05
Animal research / eye drops · 2019The Effect of Buddleja officinalis Maxim Eye Drops on Morphology and Apoptosis in Lacrimal Gland of Experimental Dry Eye Rabbit Model.
36 rabbits were assigned to groups examining Buddleja eye drops and lacrimal-gland changes.
Study context: Topical eye drops and oral capsules are different interventions; no human product claim follows.
Qin G, Zhou Y, Peng J, Zhang Y, Peng X, Peng Q, Yang Y. · Journal of ophthalmology · 2019
PMID: 30867962 · DOI: 10.1155/2019/5916243
Digestive Delight
Why we selected a blend for mealtime support
Digestive Delight brings together ginger, fennel and other ingredients traditionally used in mealtime formulas. Our research library explores digestive function as well as how people report feeling after meals.
Ginger · studying digestive movement
Small human studies found that ginger accelerated gastric emptying. Those studies did not find significant symptom improvement, a useful distinction when understanding what the research measured.
Related preparations · understanding the details
Studies of ginger with artichoke and a proprietary Perilla leaf extract add context to digestive research. Their combinations and plant parts differ from Digestive Delight; each study explains those details.
Formula & study context
Human studies of ginger and selected related preparations offer context, including null symptom findings. Different plant parts and multi-ingredient comparators limit transfer to our product. No published finished-product trial was verified in this review.
Human ingredient trial · 2008Effects of ginger on gastric emptying and motility in healthy humans.
24 healthy volunteers; a single 1,200 mg ginger dose accelerated gastric emptying.
Study context: No significant gastrointestinal symptom improvement. Physiological changes are not proof of feeling less bloated.
Wu KL, Rayner CK, Chuah SK, Changchien CS, Lu SN, Chiu YC, Chiu KW, Lee CM. · European journal of gastroenterology & hepatology · 2008
PMID: 18403946 · DOI: 10.1097/meg.0b013e3282f4b224
Human ingredient trial · 2011Effect of ginger on gastric motility and symptoms of functional dyspepsia.
11 patients with functional dyspepsia; 1.2 g ginger accelerated gastric emptying.
Study context: Symptoms did not improve significantly; small, single-dose study. Does not establish Digestive Delight efficacy.
Hu ML, Rayner CK, Wu KL, Chuah SK, Tai WC, Chou YP, Chiu YC, Chiu KW, Hu TH. · World journal of gastroenterology · 2011
PMID: 21218090 · DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v17.i1.105
Human trial / different formula · 2015The Effect of Ginger (Zingiber officinalis) and Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus) Extract Supplementation on Functional Dyspepsia: A Randomised, Double-Blind, and Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.
126 patients; ginger plus artichoke extracts for 4 weeks. The combination improved several digestive symptom measures.
Study context: Artichoke combination is not our formula; effects cannot be attributed to ginger alone.
Giacosa A, Guido D, Grassi M, Riva A, Morazzoni P, Bombardelli E, Perna S, Faliva MA, Rondanelli M. · Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2015
PMID: 25954317 · DOI: 10.1155/2015/915087
Human ingredient pilot / different plant part · 2014Perilla extract improves gastrointestinal discomfort in a randomized placebo controlled double blind human pilot study.
50 adults; 4-week Perilla extract pilot. Several symptoms improved over time; a female-subgroup composite differed from placebo.
Study context: The study used a proprietary leaf extract, while the BNH ingredient page lists stem. Within-group improvement is not proof of superiority to placebo.
Buchwald-Werner S, Fujii H, Reule C, Schoen C. · BMC complementary and alternative medicine · 2014
PMID: 24885816 · DOI: 10.1186/1472-6882-14-173
Headache Hero
The research context for our ingredient choices
Headache Hero brings together ginger and other selected ingredients in a formula designed for occasional head and neck tension support. The ginger papers below explore a separate clinical topic: migraine.
Ginger · looking at the whole picture
Research includes an acute-treatment comparison and a prevention trial with no benefit over placebo. We present both so you can see how the outcome depends on the question studied. These trials do not establish a migraine-treatment or prevention benefit for Headache Hero.
Formula & study context
Ginger research includes positive acute-treatment reports and a negative prevention trial. These clinical studies do not establish that Headache Hero treats or prevents migraine. No published finished-product trial was verified in this review.
Human ingredient trial / clinical context · 2014Comparison between the efficacy of ginger and sumatriptan in the ablative treatment of the common migraine.
100 patients were randomized to ginger or sumatriptan for acute migraine. Both groups reported improvement.
Study context: No placebo arm; does not prove equivalence to medication. Disease, preparation and dosing differ from everyday head/neck support.
Maghbooli M, Golipour F, Moghimi Esfandabadi A, Yousefi M. · Phytotherapy research : PTR · 2014
PMID: 23657930 · DOI: 10.1002/ptr.4996
Human ingredient trial / null finding · 2020Double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial of ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) in the prophylactic treatment of migraine.
107 patients; ginger extract 200 mg three times daily for 3 months. Migraine prevention outcomes did not differ from placebo.
Study context: An important negative result. Do not claim that Headache Hero prevents migraine based on ginger research.
Martins LB, Rodrigues AMDS, Monteze NM, Tibaes JRB, Amaral MHA, Gomez RS, Teixeira AL, Ferreira AVM. · Cephalalgia : an international journal of headache · 2020
PMID: 31398997 · DOI: 10.1177/0333102419869319
Mood Melody
The thinking behind our daily mood formula
Mood Melody includes saffron stigma, silk tree flower, Hemerocallis and other selected ingredients. Research on saffron is one part of the scientific context for our focus on everyday emotional well-being.
Saffron · human research on mood
Randomized trials of standardized saffron extracts have reported improvements in selected mood measures. Results vary by dose and outcome; a larger 2025 study found a benefit on its primary mood measure but not on other secondary measures.
Mood and sleep · connected research questions
Several saffron studies also investigate sleep and perceived stress. These studies help frame the ingredient research, with the exact extract, dose and population described in each reference.
Hemerocallis · early mechanistic research
Preclinical and computational work explores pathways that may help explain the traditional interest in this ingredient. This part of the library is labeled as early research.
Formula & study context
The ingredient page lists saffron stigma and Hemerocallis, among other ingredients. Saffron trials use specific standardized extracts and doses; equivalence to this blend is unconfirmed. No published finished-product trial was verified in this review.
Human ingredient trial · 2017affron® a novel saffron extract (Crocus sativus L.) improves mood in healthy adults over 4 weeks in a double-blind, parallel, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
128 adults with low mood; saffron extract 22 or 28 mg/day for 4 weeks. The 28 mg dose improved mood measures; 22 mg did not.
Study context: Self-reported outcomes and a branded extract; individual saffron dose and equivalence in Mood Melody are unconfirmed.
Kell G, Rao A, Beccaria G, Clayton P, Inarejos-García AM, Prodanov M. · Complementary therapies in medicine · 2017
PMID: 28735826 · DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2017.06.001
Human ingredient trial · 2020Effects of Saffron Extract Supplementation on Mood, Well-Being, and Response to a Psychosocial Stressor in Healthy Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel Group, Clinical Trial.
56 adults; standardized saffron 30 mg/day for 8 weeks. Some emotional-wellbeing and stress-response measures improved.
Study context: Small sample, selected outcomes and a different standardized extract. Not a trial of Mood Melody.
Jackson PA, Forster J, Khan J, Pouchieu C, Dubreuil S, Gaudout D, Moras B, Pourtau L, Joffre F, Vaysse C, Bertrand K, Abrous H, Vauzour D, Brossaud J, Corcuff JB, Capuron L, Kennedy DO. · Frontiers in nutrition · 2020
PMID: 33598475 · DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2020.606124
Human ingredient trial · 2025An Examination into the Effects of a Saffron Extract (Affron) on Mood and General Wellbeing in Adults Experiencing Low Mood: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.
202 adults; Affron 28 mg/day for 12 weeks. The primary mood score improved, with no between-group differences in other secondary outcomes.
Study context: Substantial placebo response; exploratory sleep findings were limited to a subgroup. Avoid broad claims across all outcomes.
Lopresti AL, Smith SJ, Marx W, Díez-Municio M, Morán-Valero MI. · The Journal of nutrition · 2025
PMID: 40414301 · DOI: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.05.024
Human ingredient trial / sleep context · 2020Effects of saffron on sleep quality in healthy adults with self-reported poor sleep: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
63 adults randomized; saffron 14 mg twice daily for 28 days. Analysis of 55 participants favored saffron on several self-reported sleep measures.
Study context: Small, short study using a branded extract; no established dose match to Mood Melody.
Lopresti AL, Smith SJ, Metse AP, Drummond PD. · Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine · 2020
PMID: 32056539 · DOI: 10.5664/jcsm.8376
Human ingredient trial / sleep context · 2025Effect of a saffron extract on sleep quality in adults with moderate insomnia: A decentralized, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
165 adults; saffron 20 or 30 mg/day for 4 weeks. Sleep and perceived-stress scores improved; several other measures did not.
Study context: Different standardized extract and a selected insomnia population. Not evidence that Mood Melody treats insomnia.
Schuster J, Mundhenke C, Nordsieck H, Pouchieu C, Pourtau L, Hahn A. · Sleep medicine: X · 2025
PMID: 40698027 · DOI: 10.1016/j.sleepx.2025.100147
Preclinical / computational research · 2024Revealing the Mechanism of Hemerocallis citrina Baroni in Depression Treatment Through Integrated Network Pharmacology and Transcriptomic Analysis.
Hemerocallis research combined chemical profiling, stress-model experiments and pathway analysis.
Study context: Mechanistic hypothesis generation, not a human trial. Does not establish treatment of depression or a benefit from Mood Melody.
Gao S, Lu J, Gu Y, Zhang Y, Wang C, Gao F, Dai Z, Xu S, Zhang J, Yang Y, Lei H. · Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024
PMID: 39770546 · DOI: 10.3390/ph17121704
About this research library
This selected educational bibliography brings together human trials, reviews and early ingredient research. Ingredient studies inform formulation choices, while studies of a finished formula answer product-specific questions. Applicability depends on the species, plant part, preparation, dose, population and duration.
Abstracts and available full texts were consulted; this is not a systematic review or a full risk-of-bias assessment. Reviews may include trials also listed separately, so study and participant counts should not be added together. Funding and commercial affiliations can be checked in the original publications. Research doses are not instructions for using BNH products; follow the product label.
Contact admin@bnh-health.com. For personal use, follow the product label and discuss medication use or health conditions with your healthcare professional. Research dosages are not product recommendations.
This library is educational and does not provide medical advice. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.