Hot water, lettuce leaves and courage to try. That’s all you need for this recipe.
Appeared on the social network Tik Tok, lettuce tea would have the same effect as a light sedative to help you fall asleep faster. A study carried out in 2017 even proved its effectiveness on mice.
With 1.4 million views, the Tik Tok of the Englishwoman Shapla Hoque is one of those to have taken up this challenge of infused lettuce-based herbal tea. Anxious, she begins her video by explaining that she just wants to try this trend. After washing a few leaves of iceberg lettuce, she places them in a mug and pours boiling water into them. She adds a bag of peppermint tea (for fear that the plain infusion will taste bad) and let it steep for 10 minutes. Verdict? The tea seems to have no particular flavor and makes her drowsy from the first sips. At the conclusion of her video, with her eyes closed, she admits that the lettuce seems to really work because she falls asleep.
A study proves the effectiveness of lettuce tea
Besides entertainment, this recipe seems to have a real scientific justification. Indeed, according to Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler, also on Tik Tok, a 2017 study proved the effectiveness of this infusion on mice. On the other hand, the experiment was carried out with romaine, not iceberg lettuce. The first would be rich in lactucin, a molecule with sedative properties. In comparison to other types of salads, romaine, according to the study, increased the duration of sleep in the mice studied. Even Dr Boxer Wachler admits to trying and being happy with the results. However, not everything that works on mice works on humans.
A saving Placebo effect?
A journalist from Refinery29 in the United States, used to looking at her smartphone until 1 am to 2 am every day, has tried the experiment. After just one cup, she feels she felt more relaxed than usual and fell asleep by 11pm, which never happens. She even points out that she woke up invigorated.
“I imagine it mostly has a Placebo effect, but if it encourages kids to drink herbal tea and relax before bed, that sounds pretty harmless to me,” explains Doctor Seema Kohsla based in the USA, contacted by Refinery29. And to add: “Anything that can lead people to have a better bedtime routine and better quality of sleep should be encouraged.”