I love the way green tea makes me feel, calm, energized, and centered. It must be the combination of caffeine and theanine that is so wonderfully effective. In the US, we put caffeine in sodas while in Japan, they put theanine. Americans decided against theanine since it makes you calmer. I don't know why being constantly stressed out and anxious, high on caffeine, would be somehow better for the individual or for the society. You'd think the law was created by the makers of Prozac and Zoloft. I love the taste of coffee, but the result of the caffeine high is not nearly as cool as the effect of green tea.
Theanine Health Benefits #1:
Promotes Alpha Brain Waves
Do you know that your brain has 4 wave patterns, each of them associated with a different state of mind? Going from lowest to highest frequency:
In Delta brain waves, you are sleeping deeply.
In Theta brain waves, you are dozing away.
In Alpha brain waves, you are relaxed, and yet alert.
A paper published in the June 1999 issue of Trends in Food Science & Technology found that theanine reduces anxiety in young women aged 18 to 22. They were given either water, 50 milligrams or 200 milligrams of L-theanine once a week. Afterward, their brain waves were measured. Those who received the highest dose (200 mg) produced more alpha waves.
Theanine Health Benefits #2:
Increases Dopamine
Further evidence of theanine’s relaxing properties come from 4 animal studies that found that theanine reliably increases dopamine levels in the brain.
What’s dopamine?
Dopamine is a hormone that is associated with a feeling of well-being. It is a neurotransmitter that is released during pleasurable activities such as eating and sex.
Some studies also suggest that theanine may increase your brain’s production of serotonin and GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). However, these results are still highly preliminary.
Theanine Health Benefits #3
Enhances Learning and Concentration
Theanine enhances the ability to learn, and to remember. It increases concentration, a reason why monks and scholars incorporate tea drinking into meditation and study.
It appears to work quickly and seems to be most effective when you are stressed and your mind is preoccupied by many thoughts. It helps to relax your mind, allowing you to focus on the task at hand.
Because it helps the mind stop racing, it also seems to help promote a more restful, sound sleep. This is because sleep is not interrupted by random thoughts.
A 2007 study conducted by Doctor Foxe found that it synergizes with caffeine to boost the activity of brain neurons. “As little as 100 milligrams enabled people to focus better on complicated tasks, but only when consumed with 60 milligrams of caffeine — a combination found in roughly 4 cups of green tea,” said Foxe more recently. “There was a profound synergistic effect,” he says. “My take is, we’re all self-medicating with this.”
Theanine Health Benefits #3:
Normalizes Blood Pressure
Theanine may bring high blood pressure back to normal, but has no effect on normal blood pressure. In a 1995 Japanese study, rats with naturally occurring high blood pressure were fed theanine. Their blood pressure was reduced significantly. However, the same effects were not observed in rats with normal blood pressure, even though they were given doses as high as 2000 milligrams per kilogram.
Theanine Health Benefits #4:
Reduces Cholesterol
According to a 2002 paper published by Zhang et al., theanine reduced cholesterol counts in both humans and gerbils, showing that it may improve your heart health.
Another 1997 Japanese study also found that theanine prevents cholesterol from turning bad through oxidation (in a process called LDL peroxidation). However, this effect was not as strong as that of green tea polyphenols.
Theanine Health Benefits #5:
Anti-Cancer
A 2002 study published by Sadzuka et al. suggested that theanine may help improve the quality of life of cancer patients by improving the efficacy of cancer drugs, and through its relaxing effects on the mind. Studies have found that theanine has the following benefits for cancer patients:
Increases the concentration of anti-cancer drugs in tumors.
Reduces the concentration of anti-cancer drugs in other tissues, where they are not needed.
Inhibits the growth of cancer tumors themselves.
Theanine Health Benefits #6:
Increases Immunity
A 2003 study conducted by Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School found that it acts as an antigen, increasing the body’s immunity against colds and flu. They concluded that drinking tea can promote a strong immune response.
Theanine Health Benefits #7:
Lose Weight
Green tea helps lose weight, and according to a preliminary 2004 Japanese study, theanine contributes to this effect. In this animal study, rats fed a theanine diet for 16 weeks had significantly lower body weight, body fats and triglycerides (blood plasma fat).
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