Candy Tsourounis, PharmD, UCSF School of Pharmacy faculty member and expert on herbal and dietary supplements, comments on consumer products called ”downer drinks” that are purportedly formulated to help people unwind and relax. Tsourounis warns that there is a dearth of research on these products and questions whether the chemicals in these drinks, such as melatonin, are in therapeutic or insignificant—‘fairy dust’—amounts. She also urges that insomnia and the inability to relax might be indicative of other health issues that need to be addressed. The interview appeared April 7, 2010, on AP TV as part of a segment on downer drink products.

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AP: Are Relaxation Drinks Worth It? (Video, 2 minutes, 8 seconds)