'Adaptogenic mocktails' are the latest health craze—but may come with their own set of health risks
Key Takeaways
Industry Buzz
“Not every ‘herbal supplement’ is good for you or is safe.” — Dana Hunnes, PhD
“Anything that is being marketed as mind-altering—but you don't know exactly what's in it and at what quantity— causes me [to] be concerned.” — Brian Lee, MD
“I would be extremely cautious, because anything that is a supplement is not subject to FDA approval or testing.” — Amy Richards, MD
Find more of your peers' perspectives and insights below.
Move over cocktails, "adaptogenic mocktails" are trending among the sober curious, or those who are leading sober lifestyles.
We’ve previously covered the concept of maintaining a “California sober” lifestyle, and questioned whether celebs are leading the cultural shift toward sobriety, but are you familiar with the increasing popularity of "functional beverages"? These drinks, many of which are the latest business ventures from your favorite celebrities, often promise all the fun of an alcoholic drink—without the alcohol.
They use herbs and adaptogens instead of alcohol, but are they actually safe? And do these adaptogens actually do what they claim to, or is it a bunch of bogus?
About adaptogens
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According to Dana Hunnes, PhD, Senior Dietitian Supervisor at RR-UCLA Medical Center, adaptogens are derived from herbs, roots, and other plant materials—such as mushrooms—and may help reduce or manage the impact of physical or emotional stressors on our health, including stress from physical injuries and burnout.
“It’s unknown whether the dose of adaptogens that most people can buy, or the amounts found in supplements or beverages on the market, are high enough to produce a medicinal effect,” Dr. Hunnes tells MDLinx. “Sometimes they are high enough, but part of this [uncertainty] is related to the fact that supplements—and adaptogens fall under the category of supplement, and not medicine—are not regulated in the way that drugs are. So, what you think you’re buying may not actually contain as much, or may sometimes contain more than you think.”
What do adaptogenic mocktails claim to do?
Adaptogenic drinks claim to help people relax, create a buzz, or give a sense of euphoria using only herbs, extracts, and adaptogens. But the research in the area is limited.
“Much of the research so far on adaptogens seems to have been done primarily as observational review papers of athletes, or in individuals with depression,” Dr. Hunnes says. “[There haven’t] really been any gold-standard, peer-reviewed, randomized control trials that seek to find more ‘causal’ associations of the potential health benefits of adaptogens.” Without these trials, she says, it’s hard to know if the “mind alteration” or “buzz” is a psychological/placebo effect, or if it is the adaptogen causing the buzz.
Dr. Hunnes argues that just because these beverages are non-alcoholic doesn’t mean they don’t pose a health risk. Ashwaganda, for example, is an adaptogen that has been associated with acute liver toxicity. Dr. Hunnes cautions that it’s also not safe for pregnant women, and it may increase a person’s testosterone levels.
"Not every ‘herbal supplement’ is good for you or is safe."
— Dana Hunnes, PhD
The risks of unregulated drinks
Brian Pei Lim Lee, MD, is a hepatologist with Keck Medicine of USC. He says the lack of FDA regulation of the drinks is worrying.
“My issue with these is that they are totally unregulated products. So to me, anything that is being marketed as mind-altering—but you don't know exactly what's in it and at what quantity—that causes me [to] be concerned,” he tells MDLinx.
Amy Richards, MD, an assistant clinical professor of family medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a board-certified addiction medicine specialist, says there are other choices on the market that may be a better option than choosing an adaptogenic mocktail.
"I would be extremely cautious, because anything that is a supplement is not subject to FDA approval or testing, so we can never verify the safety or efficacy of these types of supplements."
— Amy Richards, MD
“Fortunately, as Americans, we have a lot of options. When I was growing up, soda was pretty much the only carbonated beverage that was available. But now we have seltzer waters, and there are a lot of prebiotic and other drinks that people might find satisfying. I think patients have to be informed consumers. Know what ingredients you're consuming, and especially if you have any medical conditions, it's something you need to be cautious about.”
Read Next: Are celebs leading the cultural shift toward sobriety?