Theanine: The Beneficial Amino Acid Found Only In Tea
L-theanine acts on the brain in ways that can make you calm and happy.
“Plants know how to make food and medicine from light and water, and then give it away.”
- Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass
Have you ever wondered why tea drinkers always seem so calm? A cup of tea can lift mood, improve focus, reduce anxiety, and perhaps ward off dementia.
That’s because tea contains a unique combination of caffeine and a non-protein amino acid called theanine (also known as l-theanine). Only found in tea and a rare mushroom, theanine may be the best-kept secret behind tea drinkers’ calm happiness.
These two ingredients have an extraordinary effect on the brain. Theanine has a very calming effect, while caffeine is a stimulant. Theanine modulates the caffeine, reducing its jittery effects and creating a calm and focused state of mind.
I’m referring to the Camellia sinensis plant’s black, green, white, a…