From the
NY Daily News:
They're the anti-Red Bulls.
After nearly a decade of exploding energy drink sales, a new batch of relaxation tonics is creeping onto store shelves in the city - one drowsy shot at a time.
The nonalcoholic drinks with slumbering names like iChill, RelaxZen and Dream Water are marketed to teens trying to wind down or adults who have trouble falling asleep.
The relaxation drinks rack up about $20 million in sales a year, compared with $5 billion for energy drinks. Their popularity is growing in New York, but so are concerns about putting sleep-inducing
melatonin in the drinks.
Last month the FDA ordered the makers of Drank, a melatonin-based drink that launched in 2008, to prove that using the hormone in the drink is safe. Drank has 2 milligrams of melatonin - 20 times the body's natural amount.
"Melatonin is a hormone," warned Dr. Charles Czeisler, a sleep expert with Harvard medical school. "[Hormones] should not be put in beverages, since the amount people drink often depends on thirst and taste rather than being taken only when needed like any other drug."
Experts say there haven't been reliable studies to determine the impact of melatonin on adults or children.