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Ziziphus seed

Supplement botanical sleep
Aka: Ziziphus jujuba, suan zao ren, sour jujube seed
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Short-term sleep quality in insomnia trials
Studied for
Sleep outcomes were measured at about 4 weeks
Pros & cons
Pros
  • Beat placebo on sleep quality (smd -0.58)
  • Insomnia severity fell 2.68 points at 4 weeks
  • No rise in major adverse events reported
Cons
  • Long-term effects were mixed across trials
  • 9 small trials, study quality varied
  • Gains are patient-reported, not objective
Sources
  1. Suanzaoren (Ziziphi Spinosae Semen) for sleep quality: systematic review and meta-analysis (Integr Cancer Ther 2023) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Compared with placebo, Suanzaoren led to significant subjective sleep quality improvements … (standard mean difference -0.58, 95% CI -1.04, -0.11) … significant decrease in insomnia severity (mean difference -2.68 points) at 4 weeks”
  2. Suanzaoren for sleep quality — trial count, long-term effects and quality (Integr Cancer Ther 2023) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “9 trials … The long-term effects of Suanzaoren were mixed among trials. Suanzaoren did not increase the incidence of major adverse events … Due to the small sample size and variable study quality”
  3. HSA — Guidelines on Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients in Health Supplements and Traditional Medicines (Oct 2025, GL-CHPB-1-012) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The objective of this guideline is to highlight the substances of concern when used in HS and TM and is not meant to be an exhaustive list.”
  4. HSA — Health Supplements Guidelines (Jan 2026, GL-CHPB-3-001 Rev. 020), Tables 4–5 · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “HS for use by the general adult population should not contain vitamins and minerals exceeding the stipulated limits stated in Tables 4 and 5.”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.