Tea Sippers

More good stuff found in tea. Although I just found out this information by reading an article from our source today, ArabianBusiness.com, apparently this is something that has been known for some time. One source stated it was first found and isolated in the late 1940s. Another says it was found when research began in the 1960s.

What is “it”? It is L-theanine. Apparently it is found in nature only in tea leaves and one type of mushroom. Seems that this amino acid is the one responsible for the relaxing, feel good quality of tea. This amino acid does this by stimulating alpha waves in the brain which creates a state of relaxation.

There is also a Japanese study done in 1999 that shows L-theanine may help with blood pressure regulation, improved learning ability, mental clarity and concentration. It may also reduce the concentration of serotonin in the brain. And ladies, it has been found to “alleviate the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS)” in research conducted at the University of Shizuoka.

Looks like it’s more than just the sitting for a few minutes to drink the cuppa that does a body good.

Sources: http://www.arabianbusiness.com/index.php?option=com_pressreleases&view=detail&pr_id=16388&Itemid=77&ln=en
http://www.allergyresearchgroup.com/Zen-in-Bottle-sp-37.html
Theanine Science
http://www.itmonline.org/arts/theanine.htm