Natural Home Remedies and Relaxation Drinks

I have been doing a series on natural home remedies for insomnia and anxiety over the last few weeks. I have been seeing commercially marketed products calling themselves “relaxation’ or “serenity” drinks. I did a little research to see what I could find out about them.

It seems like there are new “relaxation” drinks on store shelves every week, my concern is that most are just trying to make a quick buck, and may not be very effective.

I found an article on Prevention magazine’s website about these so-called “relaxation” drinks:

“Stressed and sleep deprived? In our frazzled world, ample sleep and relaxation seem to be elusive goals. Now manufacturers are trying to cash in on our need to relax, and the market is anything but sluggish. More than 350 varieties of so-called relaxation drinks have hit the shelves, with revenues expected to reach $73 million this year.

 But do they work? Prevention investigated and found some unpleasant surprises with these 'serenity sips.' Because they're not FDA regulated and many labels cite a proprietary blend, a buyer has no idea how much of each active ingredient--melatonin, valerian, L-theanine, and others--is actually captured in the can or bottle. There's also limited research on how these relaxants interact with one another. Nor are they all shelf stable: Some of these compounds degrade in liquid.”

Read the full article here: Relaxation Drinks

The article did not conclude that any of the drinks they tested were worthwhile as relaxation aids. After reading the article, I will personally stick with preparing my own “relaxation” drinks. Chamomile tea is relaxing, and much cheaper than these new products; green tea is a natural source of L-theanine, and some research has shown that if you take a supplement of L-theanine, if you take it with green tea, you absorb more of the active constituents.. If I want to use some of the other supplements mentioned I will look for a standardized supplement by a manufacturer who has been around long enough to earn my trust.