Debate on the effectiveness of lavender tea (derail from "how many alcoholic drinks is your limit)

[rousseau]

For all of those talking about insomnia, I'll mention it again and again: lavender tea.

I occasionally have issues with hypo-mania and insomnia and a strong, pure lavender tea always knocks me out and leaves me feeling refreshed in the morning.

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/lavender

Medicinal Uses and Indications

A number of studies have reported that lavender essential oil may be beneficial in a variety of conditions, including insomnia, alopecia (hair loss), anxiety, stress, and postoperative pain.

Source: Lavender | University of Maryland Medical Center http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/lavender#ixzz36VJPvHxA
University of Maryland Medical Center
Follow us: @UMMC on Twitter | MedCenter on Facebook

 

[gmbteach]

For all of those talking about insomnia, I'll mention it again and again: lavender tea.

I occasionally have issues with hypo-mania and insomnia and a strong, pure lavender tea always knocks me out and leaves me feeling refreshed in the morning.

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/lavender

Medicinal Uses and Indications

A number of studies have reported that lavender essential oil may be beneficial in a variety of conditions, including insomnia, alopecia (hair loss), anxiety, stress, and postoperative pain.

Source: Lavender | University of Maryland Medical Center http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/lavender#ixzz36VJPvHxA
University of Maryland Medical Center
Follow us: @UMMC on Twitter | MedCenter on Facebook

Thanks. I didn't know about Lavender tea, only Chamomile tea.

 

[rousseau]

For all of those talking about insomnia, I'll mention it again and again: lavender tea.

I occasionally have issues with hypo-mania and insomnia and a strong, pure lavender tea always knocks me out and leaves me feeling refreshed in the morning.

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/lavender

Thanks. I didn't know about Lavender tea, only Chamomile tea.

No problem.

A few years ago I went into a local tea shop and explicitly asked the clerk working there: "which of your teas is best for putting a person to sleep?".

She pointed me right to lavender, no other teas were even in question. It's always worked really well for me.

 

[gmbteach]

Thanks. I didn't know about Lavender tea, only Chamomile tea.

No problem.

A few years ago I went into a local tea shop and explicitly asked the clerk working there: "which of your teas is best for putting a person to sleep?".

She pointed me right to lavender, no other teas were even in question. It's always worked really well for me.

Next time we are at Carindale, I will get some. That is the closest place I can think of to get specialist tea like that. Tonight, it's a couple of glasses of vino.

 

[angelo]

For all of those talking about insomnia, I'll mention it again and again: lavender tea.

I occasionally have issues with hypo-mania and insomnia and a strong, pure lavender tea always knocks me out and leaves me feeling refreshed in the morning.

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/lavender

Thanks. I didn't know about Lavender tea, only Chamomile tea.

Both only placebo effect. Both do not work. Where is the peer reviewed evidence that either of them work as claimed by herbalists.

 

[rousseau]

Thanks. I didn't know about Lavender tea, only Chamomile tea.

Both only placebo effect. Both do not work. Where is the peer reviewed evidence that either of them work as claimed by herbalists.

From the link I posted:

A number of studies have reported that lavender essential oil may be beneficial in a variety of conditions, including insomnia, alopecia (hair loss), anxiety, stress, and postoperative pain. However, most of these studies have been small. Lavender is also being studied for antibacterial and antiviral properties. Lavender oil is often used in other forms of integrative medicine, such as massage, acupuncture, and chiropractic manipulation.

Source: Lavender | University of Maryland Medical Center http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/lavender#ixzz36m6wwEhc
University of Maryland Medical Center
Follow us: @UMMC on Twitter | MedCenter on Facebook

Believe me, it's definitely not a placebo. I have known it not to work with a friend who I suggested it to, although she's a bit of a rare head-case (I don't know if melatonin would slow her down). But I've had times when I've made a very strong lavender tea, and after drinking just a small amount of it I literally couldn't stay awake.

 

[angelo]

You mentioned chiropractic and acupuncture. Both woo medicine. But, whatever floats your boat.

 

[rousseau]

You mentioned chiropractic and acupuncture. Both woo medicine. But, whatever floats your boat.

That part of the quote has nothing to do with the other part of the quote involving insomnia and stress, which has reportedly been studied. Just because the link informs the reader that lavender is being used for woo medicine doesn't mean it's making a claim that those forms of medicine aren't woo, it's just presenting a fact sheet about lavender.

If you want an actual study, here's one: http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/16520572

The problem is that the studies are relatively small.

In any case, I've been using the tea for insomnia for over two years now. If it's a placebo it's a fantastic placebo.

 

[angelo]

It's alternative medicine. It's a small study because the main players are not interested. You do know that placebo can be effective in up to 30% of some cases? A new drug is not released to the public unless it's at least 70% effective.

 

[rousseau]

It's alternative medicine. It's a small study because the main players are not interested. You do know that placebo can be effective in up to 30% of some cases? A new drug is not released to the public unless it's at least 70% effective.

The reason main-players aren't interested is because they can make pills that knock you unconscious in 15 minutes. Why rely on a less effective herbal form when you can knock people cold in other ways? In any case, what I'm trying to tell you is that it's not a placebo.

Just because it's herbal and many woo herbal claims are made, does not mean all herbal medicines are woo. I can tell the difference between my imagination putting me to sleep and something making me tired, there has been times where I've literally gone from hypo-manic to restful and calm after drinking the tea, you not believing me does not make that fact untrue, and on the other hand the small amount of evidence that does exist actually contradicts what you are saying, which you have no evidence of at all, so I don't know why you're making the argument you're making.

The main benefit of using lavender over prescription brands is that it's a completely natural remedy, does not cause any type of dependency, and doesn't cause grogginess in the morning. You actually sleep well and are rested in the morning.

 

[angelo]

I found this.................http://nccam.nih.gov/health/lavender/ataglance.htm

 

[angelo]

Because it's natural it can't harm you is a furphy. People have poisoned themselves believing that.

 

[rousseau]

I found this.................http://nccam.nih.gov/health/lavender/ataglance.htm

It says the exact same thing that I've already been saying: "there is little scientific evidence", in other words scientists can't say beyond a measure of reasonable doubt that it's effective, but the results are otherwise are inconclusive. More research would have to be done to say for sure.

In any case I don't need you to convince me of its lack of efficacy because I already know it works.

 

[rousseau]

Because it's natural it can't harm you is a furphy. People have poisoned themselves believing that.

Sure, that's true, but I didn't make the claim that it wasn't, I claimed that Lavender specifically is a good alternative to more artificial forms.

You seem to think I'm a homeopathic quack, which is understandable, but I've actually been trained in the medical sciences. I understand that there is a lot of woo out there but I don't believe that lavender's calming effects are woo. If a study conclusively proved that there was no relationship between lavender and insomnia I'd buy it in a second, I'd be really surprised, but I'd buy it. For now I have to go with the inconclusive evidence that exists, and the anecdotal evidence that lavender has been de-stressing me for two years.

 

[bilby]

That's odd. I heard that anecdotal evidence was valueless.

 

[Emily Lake]

Apologies - I thought I was replying to a post, and seem to have failed to quote. Someone was talking about lavender....

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They use lavender with my cat when she gets stressed. Not as a huge thing, just as a small thing. I mean, it's not going to replace a sedative when something strong is called for, but I don't think it's any less effective than chamomile.

I dunno. Just because it's not modern medicine and isn't refined doesn't mean it's not effective to a smaller degree. A pretty good chunk of our modern medicines evolved from herbal remedies. Aspirin is refined willow bark; St. John's Wort is explicitly called out for drug interactions on a lot of prescription meds. Just because it's herbal doesn't mean it's completely dismissable.

It does, however, mean that it's unproven. It's also not FDA tested, and it's not put through clinical trials. There are no regulatory requirements for consistency and mix from one manufacturer to another - even from one tablet to another. Handling of the raw ingredients can vary greatly from one brand to another, and the intensity of the effect can vary from one growing are to another, from one season to another, from one plant to another - because they're not refined and homogenized. And because they're not tested and refined and regulated... it means that not all of them do anything at all.

So some work, some don't. Some work to a very small degree, some work a little better, some don't work at all. But completely dismissing things out of hand because they're not completely proven shuts down any avenue of inquiry and locks one in to accepting only those things that have already been proven. Which seems pretty boring to me.

Maybe that's just my view.

 

[gmbteach]

Well, I have had a couple of cups of lavender tea for a couple of nights, and I think it has helped me sleep. I will have to trial it again to confirm, but so far so good.

And this is from someone who has (in the last 2 months) tried Melotonin, Nitrazepam and Zipoclone with mixed results. I did try Valerian, and it left me in a weird sense of wakefulness all night, but will try it again.

Lavender tea is something I will try and get in the UK to help me adjust to sleeping in a different timezone, especially as I would need an import license to take any of the abovementioned sedatives into the country.

 

[Emily Lake]

I've always found chamomile to be more effective than lavender if I want sleep... but that might also be because I like chamomile more as far as teas go. Truth be told, my go to favorite is the chamomile lavender, so I suppose it's a bit of both

ETA: Although I also think there's a bit of ritual involved, and the heat is also very soothing. The act of brewing a cup of tea, then sitting there with a nice hot mug in my hands, sipping it slowly and savoring it, breathing in the scents - that in itself is relaxing. I tend to do so while enjoying a book. The entire process revolves around doing things that relax and soothe me. How much of it should I attribute to the chamomile?

 

[gmbteach]

The last few nights I have had a couple of cups of Lavender tea (brewed from the flowers) with a drop of honey. Last night I had Chamomile (without the honey) and I slept just as well.

I do know I have been sleeping better having had the cup of tea before sleep. I usually drink it in bed while reading, and I have found myself falling asleep much more quickly and have been sleeping almost through the night. I will be starting my sleep diary again tonight (I took a week off as requested by the psychiatrist) so hopefully that is the start of the anecdotal evidence.

 

[angelo]

I've always found chamomile to be more effective than lavender if I want sleep... but that might also be because I like chamomile more as far as teas go. Truth be told, my go to favorite is the chamomile lavender, so I suppose it's a bit of both

ETA: Although I also think there's a bit of ritual involved, and the heat is also very soothing. The act of brewing a cup of tea, then sitting there with a nice hot mug in my hands, sipping it slowly and savoring it, breathing in the scents - that in itself is relaxing. I tend to do so while enjoying a book. The entire process revolves around doing things that relax and soothe me. How much of it should I attribute to the chamomile?

To the herb itself? I insist it's zilch until proven wrong. The act of making and drinking and relaxing while doing so is your answer. www.quackwatch.com