l-theanine and caffeine are a matcha made in heaven, and they can both be found abundantly in Japanese green tea! In this article, we are going to take a look at l theanine and caffeine to find the benefits of these two compounds together.
We’ll also see how caffeine and l theanine work in synergy to create a long lasting “calm alert” energy that lasts throughout the day.
Let’s get brewing!
l-theanine and caffeine explained
Before we get into the nitty gritty, let’s just explain what l-theanine and caffeine are.
Caffeine in the tea plant
Caffeine is a natural stimulant that blocks signals in the brain that make you feel tired. As a result, caffeine can give you more focus and energy but it can also come with side effects like jitters or nervousness.
Caffeine is used as a defense mechanism in the tea plants. Because it is incredibly bitter, or even poisonous to small insects, it is used as a protective coating. The younger, more tender leaves of the tea plant are more vulnerable, so they produce more caffeine than the mature leaves and stems.
Theanine in the tea plant
Theanine is an amino acid mainly found in tea that helps the brain feel calm and relaxed without making you sleepy. It supports a steady, focused state of mind and can help smooth out the edgy feeling that caffeine sometimes causes.
Theanine is used to transport nitrogen from the soil and help fuel the growth of tea leaves. It has a sweet and savory flavor, but when the tea plant is exposed to sunlight it is converted into bitter catechins. This is why farmers can shade the tea plants to produce a smoother and sweeter tea.
l theanine and caffeine benefits
Now that we’ve completed our primer, let’s talk about the l theanine and caffeine benefits.
Calm alert energy
These two compounds work together in synergy to bring you that balanced “calm alert” energy tea is famous for. Coffee contains high amounts of caffeine, but no l theanine and as a result, coffee drinkers report having this sudden boost of energy followed by a crash.
L theanine helps to buffer a lot of the negative side effects of caffeine, which is why tea drinkers report having a more balanced energy that lasts throughout the day.
Alpha brainwaves
L theanine is also thought to stimulate alpha brainwave activity, the same brainwaves stimulated during long periods of meditation. This state is often linked to reduced stress, improved focus, and greater creativity
l theanine and caffeine side effects
In addition to benefits, there are also l theanine and caffeine side effects. In this next section, we’re going to review some of the common ones, and what you can do to avoid them.
Side effects of caffeine
When it comes to the l theanine and caffeine side effects, caffeine is far more concerning. At higher doses, caffeine can cause jitteriness, anxiety, a racing heart, and digestive discomfort in some people. It may also interfere with sleep if taken late in the day and lead to a sudden energy crash as it wears off.
If you want to avoid these side effects, it’s recommended that healthy adults consume no more than 400mg of caffeine per day. This amount is lower if you are younger, pregnant or breastfeeding.
Side effects of l theanine
The side effects of l theanine are far more rare and less severe than those of coffee. In some cases, you could experience headaches, dizziness or nausea.
If you want to avoid the l theanine and caffeine side effects, you may want to avoid taking l theanine supplements and just stick to the tea leaves themselves. This way, you are getting caffeine and l theanine in much more controllable doses.
Teas highest in caffeine and l theanine
Looking to take advantage of the caffeine and l theanine stack? Let’s go through a list of the teas that are highest in caffeine and l theanine. Luckily, the teas that are higher in caffeine also tend to be higher in theanine as well.
This is because younger leaves contain higher concentrations of both and so do shaded leaves, making teas like matcha and gyokuro powerhouses for caffeine and l theanine.
Matcha
If you’re interested in health benefits, matcha is usually your best bet. This is because it’s mixed directly into water rather than being infused. When you drink matcha, you’re consuming the entire leaf, giving you a higher dose
On top of that, matcha is a long shaded tea made from the younger leaves. This means matcha is loaded with caffeine and l theanine. You will find higher levels of both l-theanine and caffeine when you drink ceremonial matcha.
Gyokuro
Gyokuro is the most prized tea in Japan, made from long shaded tea leaves. The young sprouts are carefully selected and rolled into tight needle shapes to create a tea with a signature sweet and savory flavor. This tea is loaded with both l-theanine and caffeine, and if you want to try the best we’ve found in Japan, you can browse our selection on the website.
Kabuse sencha
After gyokuro, Kabusecha is the top dog in the Japanese leaf tea world. This tea is shaded for between 10-20 days, giving it a light, sweet flavor and plenty of caffeine and theanine.
This won’t be quite as high in either caffeine or theanine compared to gyokuro, but it still compares favorably to every other type of green tea. Even a normal sencha is relatively high in both caffeine and theanine.
