🌿 The Science of Tea's Mood Altering Magic
The need for tea is growing.
For thousands of years, people from all walks of life, all over the world, have consumed tea for its relaxing and soothing qualities. In modern times, scientists are digging deeper to find out why tea has this affect on our mental health, as there is a growing need to find more ways to tackle anxiety, depression, and age-related cognitive decline. What if tea could be an answer?
The Secret Super Power of Tea
L-theanine is an amino acid found in tea leaves and certain types of mushrooms. Theanine is responsible for slowing the “speedy” energizing effect that caffeine has. This explains the difference in how caffeine in coffee vs. tea work in your body. Coffee does not contain naturally occurring L-theanine, and this is why coffee can make you jittery and cause you to "crash" a few hours later. In tea, the amino acid works as a buffer to the caffeine, causing a sort of slow release in your body.
Compared to all other teas, green tea is known to have the greatest amounts of L-theanine, and within the green tea category, Matcha is known to have the highest concentrations. The caffeine and L-theanine in green tea work together by shutting down your "worry" mode and increase your ability to concentrate and focus on your thoughts. Green tea also is high in polyphenols, catechins, and flavonoids that reduce free radicals in the body, as well as fight infection and prevent numerous health conditions, including cancer.
L-Theanine has been shown to:
- balance your sleep and wake cycles
- reduce anxiety
- calm and rejuvenate
- reduce mental and physical stress
- improve cognition and mood in a synergistic manner with caffeine
🌱 GET YOUR L-THEANINE ON 🌱
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