The Anti–Red Bull: A Drink to Calm You Down - TIME
Drank's ingredients could stir an even bigger controversy. Melatonin, valerian root and rose hips give Drank its calming effect. Melatonin is a hormone that is sometimes used to treat insomnia and jet lag. A medicinal herb, valerian root relaxes the central nervous system and can quell anxiety. The rose hips provide antioxidants. But do I really want to buy a pharmacological mix at 7-Eleven? Is it safe to drink this cocktail over the counter? "I would not recommend it," says David DiPersio, clinical pharmacist at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. "Valerian roots and rose hips are not really reviewed by the FDA. You can't be certain of the safety and efficacy of the drink." DiPersio adds that withdrawal from valerian root has caused seizures.
Bianchi notes that melatonin, valerian root and rose hips are all on the FDA's list "Generally Regarded As Safe," or GRAS, right alongside sugar and salt. "Anything to excess is going to be bad for you," Bianchi says. "I can sleep at night with confidence that our consumers can enjoy and be fine with the product." The CEO says no one has complained of Drank side effects. For DiPersio, however, GRAS isn't good enough. "Just because something is on the GRAS list doesn't mean the product is definitely safe," he says. "You don't know the source or purity of possible contaminants."
We're a caffeinated culture, so will the masses want to move in the other direction and drink Drank to come down? We know beer and wine will relax us, but how exactly are these weird chemicals in a purple can altering our body chemistry? On the flip side, the Drank concept taps into the dominant trend in the beverage industry. Cola sales have sunk as people move to functional drinks that promise to hydrate you, focus you, give you a boost and perhaps calm you down. "Consumers want the added benefit," says Tom Pirko, president of Bevmark LLC, a consulting firm. "If you're a new player, the label on the can better send a very strong message that it's doing something else for you besides just tasting good. The industry is verging on pharmacology."
