芝麻素膠囊對醫院輪班工作者睡眠品質之成效

Effects of Sesamin Capsules on Sleep Quality of Shift Workers in Hospital

輪班工作易導致失眠、慢性疾病發生率增加、降低專注力影響工作表現。芝麻素是芝麻中萃取出的脂溶性抗氧化物質，研究指出可改善睡眠狀態。本研究旨在探討有睡眠困擾的醫院輪班工作者，補充芝麻素合併GABA（γ-aminobutyric acid）、蘆筍萃取物、洋甘菊萃取物的膠囊，對睡眠品質的影響。本研究為單盲隨機對照實驗，招募40名女性，分為介入組與控制組，連續8週每天睡前1小時服用3顆芝麻素膠囊或安慰劑。統計分析使用Microsoft Excel進行獨立樣本與成對樣本t檢定，並以GraphPad Prism 10執行簡單線性回歸分析，p值< 0.05視為具統計顯著性。8週後，兩組的匹茲堡睡眠品質總分均顯著改善，組間無顯著差異。此外，除了介入組的BMI（Body Mass Index）與高密度脂蛋白膽固醇顯著增加，第8週時介入組碳水化合物攝取量，顯著高於控制組，其餘指標均未有顯著變化，組間也無顯著差異。因此，雖然富含芝麻素之產品，可能有助於改善輪班工作者之睡眠品質，但本研究中兩組皆顯示改善，且無顯著差異，結果顯示其潛在效果需進一步研究驗證。

Shift work is often associated with insomnia and an increased risk of chronic diseases, and has also been reported to decrease concentration and negatively affect work performance. Sesamin, a lipid-soluble antioxidant, has been reported to improve sleep quality. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a sesamin-based supplement—combined withγ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), enzyme-treated asparagus extract (ETAS), and chamomile extract—on sleep quality in hospital shift workers experiencing sleep disturbances. This single-blind, randomized controlled trial recruited 40 female participants, who were randomly assigned to either an intervention or control group. Participants took three capsules of either the sesamin supplement or a placebo one hour before bedtime for eight consecutive weeks. Independent and paired t-tests were performed using Microsoft Excel, and simple linear regression was conducted with GraphPad Prism 10. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. After the intervention, both groups showed significant improvements in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) total scores, though no significant differences were observed between the groups. Additionally, body mass index (BMI) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels significantly increased in the intervention group, and their carbohydrate intake was significantly higher than that of the control group at week 8. No other significant changes were observed within or between groups. Therefore, although products rich in sesamin may help improve sleep quality in shift workers, both groups in this study showed improvement with no significant difference. These results suggest that its potential effects require further investigation and verification.