Tea Helps with ADD?

I believe we have covered this component and affect of tea before but our first source today put a different spin on it. Namely Sharon Howell, ADD Management Group Coach, thinks tea is worth a try for those with ADD because of its calming, yet attention focusing effects. She uses information presented at the Fourth International Scientific Symposium on Tea & Human Health last October 2007 in Washington, D.C. by Professor John Foxe, Neuroscience of the Biology and Psychology department at the City University of New York.

His team monitored brain activity after subjects drank solutions containing either 250mg of theanine or a placebo. Afterwards each subject was tested in a variety of attention related activities. Those who did consume theanine had significant improvements in attention. These affects include increasing the brain’s alpha waves activity which induces calm as well. Hey, we all knew a cup of tea was calming.

The professor even went so far as to suggest drinking a cup of tea every there to four hours to maintain the affect on our brains. Seems like this would be a great thing for work where you want to be calm and focused upon whatever you are doing, at least if you have a desk job.

The theanine that causes this affect is almost exclusively found in the tea plant. If I remember correctly, it is only found in one type of mushroom elsewhere among things we grow. Theanine is found in all types of tea. However, the finding that the effects of theanine are even greater when combined with the caffeine found in tea makes a good case for black tea over green for this. But why worry about it? Just drink the kind of tea you prefer.

Source: Tea for ADD

http://www.whatsnewiningredients.com/pages/PRdetail.aspx?articleId=17152