Disclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice, and is just the opinion of the writer(s). We recommend that individuals follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to stress and anxiety.
Ü Relax is a drink used to promote relaxation that contains the herb kava, along with other botanical ingredients. The drink is sold by a brand called Calming Co., which claims that their product “takes just a few minutes to set in for up to 4 hours of pure, uninterrupted bliss.”
But does Ü Relax contain research-backed ingredients for promoting relaxation? Does its active ingredient cause liver damage? Does this supplement cause side effects? And is Ü Relax better or worse than popular relaxation supplements like Goli Ashwagandha Gummies?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Ü Relax to give our take on whether it’s likely to be effective for supporting relaxation, and whether or not it's healthy.
We’ll also share our concerns about kava, discuss the risk of side effects, and compare Ü Relax to other popular relaxation supplements to pick our winners (and losers).
Key takeaways:
- Contains active ingredients clinically shown to support relaxation
- Kava can cause severe liver injury
- We do not currently recommend Ü Relax
Ingredient Analysis
The active ingredients in Ü Relax are shown below:
image source: https://www.calmingco.com/
Some of these ingredients have research backing for stress relief.
Kava was described as an effective treatment for short-term (but not long-term) treatment for anxiety in a 2018 meta-study.
Chamomile is a flowering plant that was described as a “mild tranquilizer and sleep inducer” in a 2010 medical review, and was shown to reduce moderate-to-severe anxiety symptoms in a clinical trial published in the Phytomedicine journal.
Lemon balm extract is clinically shown to reduce anxiety and depression, as we documented in our NoonBrew reviews article on another brand that includes this ingredient.
Ashwagandha extract is an adaptogen that was found to have an anti-stress effect in a 2021 clinical trial, with trial participants taking ashwagandha extract 83% more likely to achieve control over their stress than participants taking placebo.
L-theanine is an amino acid that’s well-studied for its effects on anxiety.
A medical review published in the Nutrients journal reported that supplementation of l-theanine reduced stress scores in adults.
Clearly, there are a number of effective active ingredients in Ü Relax, but there are also some inactive ingredients that may be questionable from a health perspective.
The inactive ingredients in Ü Relax are shown below:
image source: https://www.calmingco.com/
Citric acid is a preservative and flavor enhancer shown in a medical review published in the Toxicology Reports journal to cause whole-body inflammation in some individuals.
Natural flavors is healthier than artificial flavors, but a 2013 medical review documented some toxicity concerns with some flavoring additives and their metabolites.
Overall, we consider Ü Relax likely to support stress relief and relaxation.
However, we don't currently recommend this supplement due to the inactive ingredients highlighted above, and due to the inclusion of kava, which we'll discuss more in the next section of this article.
Is Kava Dangerous?
While kava is an effective natural stress reliever, it may injure the liver.
Dietary supplements containing kava have been associated with severe liver injury, according to the FDA.
A medical review published in the Annals of Hepatology documented 14 patients with liver injury suspected to be caused by kava use. The study authors concluded that “...in a few individuals kava may be hepatotoxic.”
A 2010 medical review described the following: “Kava hepatotoxicity is a well-defined herb-induced liver injury, caused by the use of commercial anxyolytic ethanolic and acetonic kava extracts, and of traditional recreational aqueous kava extracts.”
A segment on the Dr. Phil show has over 50,000 views on YouTube and features doctors discussing whether kava and kratom teas are dangerous:
Does Ü Relax Cause Side Effects?
Ü Relax doesn’t appear to be clinically tested, which makes it challenging to say for certain whether or not the supplement will cause side effects.
However, we can make an educated guess based on its active ingredients.
The most common side effect of kava use is a skin rash, according to a medical review published in the Alternative Medicine Reviews journal.
The more serious side potential effects such as liver injury are less common.
Ü Relax uses a proprietary (prop) blend for its active ingredients, which make it more challenging to assess side effect risk because only the total dose is published rather than the individual dose of each ingredient.
When we first published this article, a page on Calming Co’s website suggested that kava is effective “without any side effects,” which we found to be a dangerous and misleading statement given the clinical studies we’ve cited in this article.
The brand has since removed this statement which is a good sign.
On an individual basis, it’s challenging to assess side effect risk, but we do consider Ü Relax more likely to cause side effects than the average anti-anxiety supplement we’ve reviewed on Illuminate Health given our concerns about kava.
Ü Relax vs. Popular Stress Supps
Here's how Ü Relax compares to other popular stress relief supplements in terms of formulation quality, in our opinion:
Goli Ashwagandha Gummies
Ashwagandha extract is clinically shown to reduce stress levels by up to 34%, and the dose in Goli's supplement is within the effective range.
While this supplement contains some inactive ingredients we consider unhealthy, it doesn't contain any ingredients we consider to be acutely dangerous.
We give Goli the advantage from a safety perspective.
Winner: Goli Ashwagandha Gummies
Moment Drink
Moment Drink is a tea formulated to support relaxation.
As we documented in the above-linked article, it contains a sweetener which is clinically shown to be associated with an increased risk of stroke in some individuals.
We consider both products to be equally unhealthy/unsafe.
Winner: Tie
Feel Free
Like Ü Relax, this is a kava-based relaxation supplement.
Ü Relax contains lower ingredient doses, so we consider it to be the (somewhat) safer option.
Winner: Ü Relax
Our Clean Mood Support Pick
Cornbread CBD Lotion is our topical stress-relief pick.
CBD is clinically shown to be absorbed through the skin, and was shown in a 2020 medical review to be a "promising" natural treatment for anxiety disorders.
This supplement is free of ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy.
Ü Relax Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Effective formulation
- Should decrease stress short-term
- All active ingredients have research backing
Cons:
- Doesn’t appear to be clinically tested
- Kava may harm the liver
- Active ingredients are in proprietary blend
- Contains citric acid
- Contains flavoring additives
- Hard to find unsponsored customer reviews
- Brand claims kava doesn’t cause side effects
