L-theanine is derived from green tea. A box of 100 green tea bags costs $1 at the Dollar Tree. I think each bag of green tea has 50 mg of L-theanine. So, if I make two pots of tea, at separate times of the day, each pot with three green tea bags, and drink them, I’m getting 300 mg of L-theanine a day. So, if I buy five boxes of green tea bags, 100 in each box, that will last me 83 days. That means I will be paying $5 every two and a half months for my L-theanine. Of course, there is the issue of caffeine, but green tea has substantially less caffeine than coffee.
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Only around 8 mg of theanine in a cup of green tea.
How Much L-Theanine in a Cup of Tea?
Researchers at the University of Bristol experimented to find out how much l-theanine you’d find in a cup of normally brewed commercial tea. They found that longer brewing times led to higher quantities of the amino acid, but on average:
- A typical 200 ml cup of brewed black tea contained 24.2 mg of l-theanine (+ or – 5.7 mg)
- A typical cup of brewed green tea contained 7.9 mg (+ or – 3.8 mg)
L-theanine supplements are typically sold as 200 mg doses, so if you drink 8 cups of black tea per day – or many more cups of green tea – you’ll get the same quantity of the amino acid as you’d get by taking a supplement.
If you want to get very serious about extracting the maximum quantity of l-theanine from each pot of tea, then follow the advice of researchers from The University of Newcastle in Australia, who tested various extraction methods to see which yielded the best results. They say, to get the highest possible amount of L-theanine:
- Steep tea at 80 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes
- Use a water to tea ratio of 20 ml per 1 gram
- Steep tea that is between 0.5 and 1 mm in particle size
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I thought I read somewhere that green tea was the only plant that produced L-theanine. I need to look that up.
Green tea is complex it just not contain theanine and caffeine alone instead its found to contain many other nootropic compounds its even found to contain small amounts of dopamine. Plus it improves metabolism and other benefits. Though black tea contains more theanine it lacks many of the benefits found in green tea.
To get maximum benefit out of green tea choose pure green version. Brew at 80 to 90c and wait for at least 5 minutes before drinking. It might get bitter but carries more benefits.
There are few other herbal teas too if require theanine life effect.
Chamomile tea - it gives effect similar to benzo.
Tulsi tea - it gives calm feeling a mild antipsychotic effect.
The specialty of these is it doesn’t require much amount to feel the effect and these two improves sleep too thus can be taken late evening too.
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Can you overcook grean tea so that you cook all the L-Theanine out?
Yes but it will be very bitter just like black tea. Caffiene content also increase. A bitter way is keep brewing for long like 30 minutes and after that drink it. Bitterness will not be that high and contains more theanine. Theanine gives a kind of sour taste to green tea.
Different brands of green tea have different amounts of theanine and other beneficial chemicals. Consumerlab had tested a few common brands and published the results. I found that for me Ito En sencha (this one was not tested by consumerlab), and, even better their kukicha green Japanese when I can afford it helps quite a bit. Actually a noticeable improvement in negative symptoms andI well-being I feel throughout the day, so I consume quite a bit as the effect is short-lived. It is however quite pleasurable due to the taste alone and also an aphrodisiac for me.
Examine has a lot of information on different greet tea constituents and their effects.
I get a good feeling from green tea that I know is not just from the caffeine. The only problem is that it also makes my knees and my back hurt when I do the simplest tasks. Maybe my brand of green tea has heavy metals, or some other ungodly substance, in it. I’m in a dilema. Should I take it and enjoy a sense of well being in my mind but also feel physical pain in my back and in my knees? The thing is, with the boxes of green tea I get at the Dollar Tree I can get a month’s supply of l-theanine for one dollar.
It might be due to poor calcium absorption. Green tea should never be taken along with breakfast, lunch and dinner instead should only take in between meals. The reason is tea, coffee etc have tannin in them which makes it hard fr the body to absorb calcium, iron and other minerals from food.
May be its worth to check your vitamin D level as low vitamin D level usually bring such issues and having green tea with low vitamin D makes the issue more significant.
Concerning green tea its best to buy loos tea leaves when compared with tea bags as tea bags can contain small amount of plastic in them and also tea bag contents not as good as tea leaves version.
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