Exploring the Effects of a Calming Herbal Tea Blend on Perioperative Anxiety: A Randomized Clinical Trial

This research aimed to explore the effectiveness of consuming a calming herbal tea blend, comprising Matricaria recutita, Passiflora incarnata L., and Pimpinella anisum L., in comparison to a placebo tea infused with lemon, to ascertain whether the herbal blend possesses anxiety-reducing properties capable of alleviating perioperative anxiety. The study adopted a clinical randomized, double-blind design and collected data from volunteers undergoing elective surgery at Hospital Unimed Erechim in the northern region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. A total of 210 participants were enrolled and randomly allocated into two groups: one receiving the placebo tea and the other the sedative herbal tea. All participants completed a questionnaire postoperatively to assess anxiety levels, employing the adapted Portuguese version of the DASS-21 Scale (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale). Results revealed no significant difference in anxiety levels between the group consuming the calming herbal tea and the group consuming the placebo tea. However, consumption of the anxiolytic herbal tea was associated with a notable increase in positive sentiments toward the surgical procedure (P = .0009). Furthermore, the study demonstrated that the DASS-21 questionnaire exhibited a preoperative profile comparable to the clinical scenarios depicted by the scale. Both the calming herbal tea and the placebo tea were found to effectively mitigate perioperative anxiety. This suggests that both options-soothing herbal tea and placebo tea-can be considered safe, efficacious, and pleasant methods for reducing preoperative fasting requirements.