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"Most of the sleep-related health functional foods released in Korea have relied on raw materials imported from overseas," a UniBio official said. "It proved the competitiveness of domestic raw materials and the possibility of entering the market."

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Lettuce has ingredients that stabilize the nervous system and induce a good night's sleep. Unibio conducted a four-week human clinical trial on 100 adult men and women aged 30 to 65 (final 91). As a result, it was confirmed that symptoms of sleep disorders improved, such as increased total sleep time and improved sleep efficiency after consumption of lettuce extract. Subjective surveys and objective sleep polymorphism tests showed clear improvement, showing different mechanisms of action from existing GABA-based ingredients. GABA is a major neurotransmitter that suppresses nerve excitation and calms the nervous system's activity in the brain.

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An official from UniBio said, "It is a significant achievement in that it strengthens the competitiveness of the domestic sleep health functional food industry and increases the possibility of K-materials entering overseas markets," adding, "We expect it to be a new option in the domestic and international sleep functional food market."

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Reporter Lee Han-kyu hanq@donga.com