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Everything You Need to Know About L-Theanine

Matcha, the focal point of the Japanese Tea Ceremony, is a fine powder made by grinding green tea leaves. Only the finest, young, shade-grown gyokuro tea leaves are used to create matcha. The leaves are plucked and laid out flat to dry. Veins are removed and the leaves, now called tencha, are carefully ground in granite mills until they become the precious powder. Easy preparation is achieved by placing 1 teaspoon of matcha per cup (or to taste) in a cup, adding a few drops of hot water (160-180F) and stirring with a spoon until a paste forms. Add the rest of the water and stir.
Matcha, the focal point of the Japanese Tea Ceremony, is a fine powder made by grinding green tea leaves. Only the finest, young, shade-grown gyokuro tea leaves are used to create matcha. The leaves are plucked and laid out flat to dry. Veins are removed and the leaves, now called tencha, are carefully ground in granite mills until they become the precious powder. Easy preparation is achieved by placing 1 teaspoon of matcha per cup (or to taste) in a cup, adding a few drops of hot water (160-180F) and stirring with a spoon until a paste forms. Add the rest of the water and stir.

Tea is an anomaly, a beverage that can both relax the body as it sharpens the mind. What’s in it that makes this interesting combination are theine, theobromine, caffeine, and theophylline, all alkaloids which provide the stimulants in tea, and L-theanine, a water-soluble amino acid compound that provides the calming elements that help the body relax.

What does L-theanine do and why is it so great?

Evidence from human electroencephalograph (EEG) studies show that L-theanine has a direct effect on the brain, particularly when black tea is consumed. Current research indicates that fully-oxidized black tea has 24.2 ± 5.7 mg per one standard 200 ml cup while green tea has the least, 7.9 ± 3.8 mg.

NOTE: Brewing time was critical to enhancing the amount of L-theanine extracted (3-5 minutes). Added milk and sugar in small amounts offered little or no impact, however, using a lot of milk, 2 ounces or more per cup, lowered the level of detectable L-theanine. This is further evidence that a black tea or a combination of black teas like breakfast blends are ideal choices for morning tea choices to both energize the body and clear the brain.

Matcha is an Exception to Low L-theanine in Green Teas

Although green tea, in general, has lower levels of both L-theanine and caffeine, Japanese matcha has high levels of both. This is because one consumes the entire leaf, ground to a powder, rather than consuming the tea made from steeping full leaves in water. Matcha may have caffeine content as high as 38-54 mg per tsp. Black tea has the most L-theanine of any kind of processed tea, up to four times the amount L-theanine content than other types of tea or 46 mg per tsp.

L-theanine is found primarily in C. sinensis of China, C. assamica of Assam in India, and C. cambodia from Cambodia. Other camellia plants may contain L-theanine, especially C. japonica, although it primarily used for therapeutic medical applications. Although one can brew the leaves for C. japonica for tea, it is not grown for tea consumption but planted primarily for the beauty of its blossoms.

The only non-camellia source is the northern European Bay Bolete mushroom, Xerocomus badius, which has only minute quantities of L-theanine.

Why L-theanine Relaxes, Caffeine Stimulates

L-theanine is more effective in combination with caffeine, both of which are present naturally in tea. For most tea drinkers, this offers an excellent balance of stimulation from the alkaloids caffeine, theine, theobromine, and theophylline which, together, increase alertness and energy but usually not on the level of jitteriness for some who consume coffee. They are balanced effectively by the calming impact of L-theanine, a win-win that makes tea unique in its ability to help keep the body relaxed while it sharpens the mind, whether for monks during meditation or for anyone in their daily lives. As a lovely bonus, tea is delicious. No wonder it’s the most consumed beverage, after water, in the world.

The health benefits of tea’s anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant levels from the flavonoid and antioxidant quality of catechins are well known to fight free radicals which may cause disease. What interests scientists of late is how the effects of L-theanine helps to increase activity in the alpha frequency band, which is how tea can relax the mind without inducing drowsiness. The key to L-theanine’s alpha activity is the presence of neuro-transmitters structured similar to serotonin, dopamine, and Glutamate and Gamma Amino Butyric Acid (GABA) which regulate the brain’s ability to focus, the form new memories, regulate mood, and enjoy a non-sedative calmness, plus a litany of other inter-neuronal functions.

Current and future studies of L-theanine will help determine how this amino acid may benefit sleep quality, physical and psychological stresses, cognitive performance, neuro-protective effects. ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder); GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder), schizophrenia, and Schizoaffective Disorder.