A Drink That Promises A Sleepy Night
They promise to help people unwind and fall asleep. But do ‘relaxation’ drinks really work? One local doctor says there is no concrete scientific proof.
KRDO News Channel 13 found brands like Nero Sleep and Dream Water on local store shelves. They contain ingredients like Hydroxytryptophan or HTP, Melatonin, Magnesium and L-theanine.
Dr. Kevin Cuccinelli, Premier Urgent Care, said melatonin is also taken as a non-liquid for people to use as a sleep aid. But said there is no specific findings that prove the natural hormone induces sleep.
ABC News reported a study by Prevention magazine that sent five popular brands to a chemistry professor for analysis.
In testing, some of the active ingredients promoted in the drinks differed from batch to batch. In some of the drinks, they were barely present.
These drinks are not FDA regulated and many labels cite a small handful or blend of the each active ingredient.
“I don’t think there should be anymore concern than over-the-counter supplements that also are not FDA regulated. From a safety perspective, there wasn’t a whole lot of evidence there is a lot of danger with one exception, the ingredient kava,” said Dr. Cuccinelli. The FDA warns of potential liver damage from kava products.
The report also states there is limited research on how these relaxants interact with one another.
During the lab test. They tested Dream Water. It promotes 5-HTP on the label, but it wasn’t detected in any of their samples. The amino acid decomposes in liquid. As for the neurotransmitter GABA, we found only 0.3 mg in a serving–insufficient for any relaxing effects.
The ABC report breaks down the most popular ingredients with the help of Dr. Andrew Weil, director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine.
It stated the following information about these ingredients:
Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that helps regulate your sleep cycle by sending the message to your brain that it’s time for bed.
Valerian Root has been used throughout history as a sleep aid, but some research suggests that its ability to calm may be chalked up to a placebo effect.
L-Theanine, an amino acid, has been shown in studies to produce relaxing alpha waves in the brain.
KAVA, an herb, has been used as a ceremonial drink in the Pacific Islands for centuries because of its mellowing effect on mood.
