In recent years, there have been some very stealthy researchers and business owners who have been snatching up tea's caffeine and putting it in different products. Tea By C is unmasking two in this blog that we think are actually pretty clever.
The first is a company called NeuroGum that makes gum and mints that increase energy, clarity, and focus. Their proprietary formulas combine caffeine and L-theanine from green tea along with B6 and B12 vitamins. The combination yields a sugar-free mint or gum that can give you an energy boost without the typical caffeine crash you get when you drink coffee.
L-theanine is an amino acid that is naturally present in tea, especially high-quality ones. This amino acid stimulates alpha brain waves, the same brain waves that are stimulated when you do things like daydream or meditate. L-theanine also has positive effects on mood. In combination with caffeine, L-theanine creates a relaxed focus feeling. White tea is especially high in L-theanine and is known as the intellectual's tea.
The second caffeine thief is Zest Tea. Zest tea takes caffeine from tea and then puts it into, well, other tea leaves. Their product is a tea that has as much caffeine as coffee and to achieve this, they have a method of extracting tea's caffeine and adding it back into another batch. They're not sure whether or not they have more L-theanine in their tea compared to an unmodified tea. One thing is for sure, this product is a good way for people with high-caffeine needs to transition from coffee to tea.
Having unmasked the tea caffeine thieves, Tea By C's sleuthing is over for now. Check back next week for another blog post on the latest, greatest, and most interesting tea facts. Cheers!