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Relax & Sleep

Mason Natural

4.4
(3270 ratings)
Valerian 16.25 mg
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Score 20.0

This product offers a blend of traditional calming herbs at an exceptionally low price point, but the dosages of key active ingredients like Valerian, Passion Flower, and Hops are considerably underdosed. While it's very affordable, its efficacy for stress relief, mood support, or sleep aid is likely compromised compared to most available alternatives.

Quantity: 90 Tablet(s)Servings size: 1 Tablet(s) (90 servings)
Selected goals:
Other goals:
Stress Relief
Mood Support
Sleep Support

Score 20.0

This product offers a blend of traditional calming herbs at an exceptionally low price point, but the dosages of key active ingredients like Valerian, Passion Flower, and Hops are considerably underdosed. While it's very affordable, its efficacy for stress relief, mood support, or sleep aid is likely compromised compared to most available alternatives.

Analysis

Mason Natural Relax & Sleep is formulated with a blend of herbs including Valerian root extract, Passion Flower herb extract, Hops extract, Catnip, Celery seed, and dried Orange peel powder, along with a small amount of Calcium. The product aims to support stress relief, mood, and sleep. However, a critical assessment of the ingredient dosages reveals a substantial limitation in its potential efficacy. For instance, the Valerian root extract is only 16.25mg (4:1 extract), which is equivalent to approximately 65mg of the raw root, falling far below the typical 300-600mg often cited for therapeutic effects in scientific literature. Similarly, Passion Flower and Hops extracts are present in very small amounts (16.25mg 4:1 extract and 2.70mg 12:1 extract respectively), diminishing their expected impact on relaxation and sleep. While the inclusion of multiple traditional calming herbs suggests a synergistic approach, their individual concentrations are likely too low to produce noticeable effects for most users. Online reviews are numerous, which could suggest perceived benefit for some individuals, or a general willingness to try a very low-cost option, but from a nutritional and efficacy standpoint, the underdosing is a significant drawback, making its value proposition primarily its low cost rather than its potency.
Pros
  • Extremely low price per serving, making it highly accessible and budget-friendly.
  • Contains a blend of traditional herbs historically recognized for their calming properties.
  • Convenient tablet form allows for easy consumption.
Cons
  • Many key active ingredients (Valerian, Passion Flower, Hops) are present in extremely low, likely sub-therapeutic dosages compared to scientific recommendations and effective alternative products.
  • The overall efficacy for stress relief, mood support, and sleep support is highly questionable due to the diluted formulation.
  • Ingredients like Celery seed powder and dried Orange peel powder are not primary, evidence-backed components for the stated goals at these minimal doses.
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$6.29($0.06 per serving)
Pure Formulas
$ 6.29
iHerb
$ 6.53
Vitacost
$ 6.89
Amazon
$ 19.59
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Effectiveness for goals

Dosage, timing & forms

Safety & interactions

Ingredients

IngredientAmount per serving
Calcium
70 mg
Valerian root extract 4:1
16.25 mg
Passion Flower herb extract 4:1
16.25 mg
Celery seed powder
65 mg
Catnip powder
65 mg
Hops 12:1 extract
2.7 mg
dried Orange peel powder
32.5 mg
Gluten Free Adults 18–50
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Categories

While Valerian root extract is listed as a core component in this product, its dosage of 16.25mg (4:1 extract, equivalent to 65mg raw root) is exceedingly low when compared to other Valerian-focused products on the market. Many effective alternatives offer 400-1500mg of either raw root or equivalent extract per serving, indicating this product's Valerian content is largely symbolic rather than therapeutically significant.

Goals

Valerian, Hops, and Passion Flower are well-known for their mild sedative and sleep-promoting properties, making them relevant for sleep support. However, the minuscule amounts of their extracts in this product (e.g., 16.25mg of Valerian root extract 4:1) are highly unlikely to induce significant improvements in sleep onset or quality for most individuals when compared to products offering melatonin or higher, therapeutic doses of these same herbs, as frequently noted by online reviews and expert opinions on effective sleep aids.
The dosages of known stress-relieving herbs like Valerian, Passion Flower, and Hops in this product are significantly lower than what is typically required to elicit a noticeable calming effect. While these ingredients are traditionally associated with stress reduction, their minimal presence in this formulation makes it unlikely to provide substantial relief compared to products with adequately dosed adaptogens or anxiolytics, as supported by nutritionist recommendations.
The herbal components included in this blend are primarily associated with mild calming and relaxation rather than direct mood enhancement or upliftment. Given their exceedingly low concentrations, any potential indirect benefits to mood through reduced stress are improbable, positioning this product poorly for robust mood support compared to alternatives containing ingredients like St. John's Wort, L-Theanine, or adaptogens at effective, clinically studied doses.
90 Value

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For a marginal increase in cost per serving, this product delivers a much more impactful blend of sleep-supporting ingredients, including Valerian, Melatonin, and GABA, offering superior overall efficacy.
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While slightly higher in price per serving, it offers an immensely greater Valerian content, providing a more effective dose for those seeking strong Valerian benefits, representing much better value for targeted support.
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Offers a synergistic and more potent blend of Valerian (250mg), Chamomile, and Hops at a very reasonable price, providing a more effective and balanced herbal approach for relaxation and sleep.
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Offers substantially higher doses of Valerian, Hops, and Passionflower, combined with GABA, providing a far more effective and scientifically backed solution for sleep and relaxation.
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A significantly more potent and diverse formula for stress, mood, and sleep, incorporating a wider range of adaptogens and calming ingredients for comprehensive support.
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4.5
(168 ratings)
Provides a much higher Valerian dosage and a more targeted blend of effective calming herbs like Passionflower, Skullcap, Hops, and Chamomile, offering a stronger impact.
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Valerian Root 475 mg

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(1761 ratings)
Offers a significantly higher dose of pure Valerian at an even lower price per serving, providing more targeted support.
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Sleep Essentials

Swanson
4.5
(718 ratings)
Though slightly more expensive per serving, it offers a more robust blend including Melatonin, GABA, and more substantial doses of Valerian and other herbs, making it a highly cost-effective multi-ingredient option.
85 Budget

Valerian 470 mg

Solaray
4.8
(4298 ratings)
A pure Valerian product with a much higher effective dose, offering excellent value and direct Valerian benefits at a very competitive price.
90 Value

Sleep Essentials

Swanson
4.5
(718 ratings)
For a marginal increase in cost per serving, this product delivers a much more impactful blend of sleep-supporting ingredients, including Valerian, Melatonin, and GABA, offering superior overall efficacy.
87 Value

Valerian Root 1000 mg

Nutricost
4.7
(488 ratings)
While slightly higher in price per serving, it offers an immensely greater Valerian content, providing a more effective dose for those seeking strong Valerian benefits, representing much better value for targeted support.
85 Value

Full Spectrum Valerian Chamomile & Hops

Swanson Premium Brand
4.6
(1375 ratings)
Offers a synergistic and more potent blend of Valerian (250mg), Chamomile, and Hops at a very reasonable price, providing a more effective and balanced herbal approach for relaxation and sleep.
95 Performance

Sleep

NOW
4.3
(4327 ratings)
Offers substantially higher doses of Valerian, Hops, and Passionflower, combined with GABA, providing a far more effective and scientifically backed solution for sleep and relaxation.
92 Performance

StressMaster

Advanced Nutrition by Zahler
4.3
(153 ratings)
A significantly more potent and diverse formula for stress, mood, and sleep, incorporating a wider range of adaptogens and calming ingredients for comprehensive support.
88 Performance

Valerian Passion Flower

Eclectic Herb
4.5
(168 ratings)
Provides a much higher Valerian dosage and a more targeted blend of effective calming herbs like Passionflower, Skullcap, Hops, and Chamomile, offering a stronger impact.
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