A peer-reviewed, published registry study shows that supplementing with French oak wood extract can help improve sleep quality and mood and reduce daytime sleepiness and overall fatigue.

The new study, published in Minerva Medica, examined a group of 40 participants who opted into the test group for Robuvit-brand French oak wood extract supplementation or a control group following standard management practices and a healthy lifestyle. Researchers evaluated symptoms of insomnia, fatigue, mood fluctuations, and oxidative stress using a combination of scoring scales, including: the Regensburg Insomnia Scale, Fatigue Severity Scale, and Brief Mood Introspection Scale (BMIS).

“Insomnia and poor sleep quality lead to grogginess and fatigue along with other health implications such as high blood pressure and depression,” says Fred Pescatore, MD, in a release. “This study adds to a growing body of research into Robuvit, which supports this antioxidant’s benefits for fatigue and healthy detoxification. The antioxidant performance of Robuvit is shown here to help support a healthy sleep cycle.”

Participants supplemented with 300mg of Robuvit daily for a period of 8 weeks and reported improvement in all four test categories—mood, oxidative stress, fatigue, and insomnia (MOFI). Researchers advised each participant to take three capsules per day, one capsule in the morning, at lunch, and at dinner. Participants who supplemented with Robuvit experienced improvements such as:

  • 22% improvement in sleep quality (vs no improvement in the control group)
  • 43% reduction of daytime sleepiness (vs 4% increase of daytime sleepiness in the control group)
  • 41% reduction of fatigue brought on by exercise (vs 2% increase of fatigue in the control group)
  • 48% improvement of problems caused by fatigue (vs 4% increase of problems caused by fatigue in the control group)

In addition, researchers found that supplementation with Robuvit improved oxidative stress levels by 16%, while no changes were presented in the control group.

Horphag Research Inc, based in Hoboken, NJ, is the North American distributor for Pycnogenol brand French maritime pine bark extract and Robuvit French oak wood extract.