Drink with caution

Chill Out

Brand: Coca Cola Japan/I-ne

Price: 180 yen

Place of purchase: 7-11

Rating:

What caught my eye was the can design - Chill Out in capital letters and an amusing URL for the marketing website - buttfirstchillout.com. The label indicates in small letters that the contents are GABA,L-theanine, hemp seed extract, and hop extract which are touted to promote relaxation. It's free of preservatives, artificial flavors, and colors. I don't know about the L-theanine and extracts, but I was able to confirm that Gamma-aminobutyric acid, GABA, is a brain chemical that relieves stress and high blood pressure. It was okay to drink, not too sweet, and I enjoyed it on an afternoon break. I was not terribly stressed out at the time but felt reasonably chilled out.

Did it really chill me out? It's hard to say if the drink or just taking a break on a day when I'm not run ragged let me wind down a bit. So I looked up the ingredients. Medical research confirms GABA, a brain chemical, does help lower blood pressure and chills you out. However, there is little support to show that taking it orally will have an effect. But it won't hurt you. L-theanine reduces anxiety, but same story - drinking it might not have an effect. Oh, well. Now, for the caution. The US military bans personnel from drinking Chill Out! Although hemp products are legal for food use in Japan and the amount of THC, the chemical that gets you high, is minuscule, drug testing can't differentiate between legally consumed hemp and recreational (and illegal) hemp use. Okay, another cup of cha...