Supplementing with maizinol, an extract from the leaves of young corn plants, improves sleep. This is evident from a human study published in 2016 in Food Science & Nutrition. The active ingredient in maizinol is likely 6-MBOA.

Study
Researchers from the Canadian company KGK Science, a research company that conducts clinical studies for supplement manufacturers, conducted a trial involving 80 adults aged 18-65. The participants all had persistent, but subclinical sleep problems in common. They regularly had trouble falling asleep and would lie awake for at least half an hour. Or they would frequently wake up during the night and then have trouble falling asleep again.

For 28 days, 40 participants took a capsule containing no active ingredients every evening, an hour before going to bed. Another 40 participants took a capsule containing 500 milligrams of maizinol, an extract from the leaves of young corn plants 20 to 30 days old.

Results
Maizinol is a product of the American company Unigen, which also funded the research. Maizinol is a 60:1 alcohol-based extract. The main active ingredient is 6-methoxybenzoxazolinone, or 6-MBOA. A 500-milligram capsule contains 1 to 1.5 milligrams of 6-MBOA.

In animal studies, 6-MBOA can interact with the receptors for melatonin and GABA.

Results
On day 28, the subjects taking maizinol slept significantly better than immediately before supplementation. They spent less time awake during the night, even if they did wake up unexpectedly. They slept more efficiently.

On average, the subjects in the supplementation group slept 35 minutes longer on day 28 than before supplementation. This difference is not only statistically significant but also clinically significant.

The subjects in both the placebo and supplementation groups felt they had improved their sleep. This subjective improvement in sleep was approximately the same in the supplementation group as in the placebo group.

Conclusion
"The findings suggest that corn leaf extract may play a role in improving various aspects of sleep, relevant for the maintenance of health and risk reduction of chronic disease", the Canadians write.

"Importantly, corn leaf extract supplementation was safe and well-tolerated, which is relevant given the safety concerns of prescription sleep aids."

More coming soon.