Comment · Sun, January 2, 2022 · Natrium Health & Nootropics Depot
Does chamomile tea work better than melatonin for anyone else?
Original post in this thread
Beneficial_Ask_9575 · 112 points
I drank a cup of chamomile tea last night and it knocked me out and I didn’t have the awful effects of melatonin like next day grogginess (I get this even when I split my 1 mg pill in thirds). It’s weird because I’d never think an herbal tea would be more effective than a well known sleep aid
What they were answering
trusty20 · 2 points
Burning question about apigenin I've always wanted to ask: is there significant evidence that apigenin actually makes it into the brain? I've always been a bit skeptical given that flavenoids are notorious for very poor systemic bioavailabiltiy - most of the practical benefits seems to be confined to gut health since they can act topically there. I know some specific ones manage to get transported across the gut lining but even then they get slammed by first pass metabolism in the liver, and what little is left then has to be able to jump across the blood brain barrier.
Is there a good study you're aware of that shows apigenin from tea (any not necessarily just chamomile) showing up in the brain of an animal ? I've seen one or two but they were in-vitro studies just showing it "conceptually" could.
My thought is that even if it doesn't reach the brain much, maybe apigenin could still be the principally active compound, but perhaps its effects are mediated locally in the gut, reducing inflammation, and maybe even interacting with the gut nervous system - this could still surely lead to a feeling of increased relaxation, sleepiness at night etc.
u/MisterYouAreSoDumb · Natrium Health & Nootropics Depot
Apigenin isn't the most BBB permeable, but it can reach the brain. It can also act systemically to signal via the gut-brain-axis. Also, flavonoids become significantly more bioavailable in combination with each other. So combos of flavonoids can be much more potent than individually.
https://sci-hub.se/10.1016/j.tiv.2013.12.002
https://sci-hub.se/10.1016/j.phrs.2017.10.008
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1043661817312495
That being said, there are ways to improve the BBB permeability of flavonoids that we are exploring.