Relaxation Drinks: What Are They and Should You Try One?

by Amanda MacMillan

OK, so I'm sure you guys know by now about all the potential health hazards of drinking too many caffeine-packed energy drinks -- how they rot your teeth, mess with your heart and have been implicated in plenty of emergency room visits (and even some deaths) in recent years. But, chill out: We don't need to talk about that right now. What we do need to talk about, is a new trend on the market that seems to be going in a totally opposite -- but possibly just as controversial -- direction: relaxation drinks.

Now that people are looking for ways to unwind this summer, I'm seeing these bottled beverages everywhere -- in my corner bodega, in press releases filling up my inbox, even on the Dr. Oz show. They have dreamy sounding names like iChill, Unwind, Vacation in a Bottle and Marley's Mellow Mood, to name a few, and they contain ingredients like valerian, melatonin, L-theanine, chamomile, GABA as well as other vitamins and minerals that are supposed to help you feel all mellow and relaxed. But, do they really work? And are they safe?

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Consumer Reports tackled some of these questions with a report released in May on the new industry of relaxation drinks (which, by the way, is predicted to rise from $73.7 million to $223.5 million by 2016 -- yikes!). Interestingly, the folks at CR found that most of the drinks they tested did not contain significant levels of these relaxation-induing ingredients -- in most cases, they were either below the levels claimed on the label, or far below levels tested in legitimate studies. In short, there's little evidence that they'll actually work the way they claim to because they don't contain enough of the ingredients to induce any sort of efficacy.

The report also found that drinking these beverages is safe for most adults, although some have warnings about not drinking them before driving or operating heavy machinery -- just in case. (There have been a few reports of bad reactions in kids, however, so definitely don't let yours drink one yet.)

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But Mayo Clinic nutritionists Jennifer Nelson and Katherine Zeratsky caution that several of these beverages are sold as dietary supplements -- not as conventional beverages. That means the FDA has no control over what goes into them, and there's no way of knowing if what's on the label is really accurate. And Vicky Jones, MD, clinical instructor at NYU Langone Medical Center, tells me, "I would be dubious of any drink claiming to be a quick fix ... There are obviously much better ways to relax, whether that be calming down on the caffeine, exercise, meditation, laughter, playing with pets, being in loving relationships; these are all things we know work."

As with all bottled beverages, it's important to keep liquid calories in mind, too. You'd think that a "relaxation drink" wouldn't include a lot of sugar, but some brands have more than 100 calories a serving -- not to mention artificial colors and flavors. Check the nutrition labels (and any warnings about maximum daily servings), ask your doctor if you have questions about any of the ingredients, and remember that moderation is key. And hey, there's always herbal tea -- or a nice glass of wine.

Have you ever tried relaxation drinks?

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