When You Drink Tea, How Does It Affect Your Brain?

What Happens to Your Brain When You Drink Tea?

Normally, people focus on the effects of coffee on the brain rather than tea. However, they seem to forget that tea has its own antioxidant properties! Containing caffeine, which stimulates the brain as well as amino acids which can help reduce anxiety, tea’s effect on the brain is worth exploring. Anxiety reduction and stimulation are just a few of the effects tea has on the brain, here’s some more, in detail. You’ll definitely want to drink tea after this.

Caffeine

Though not as noticeably caffeinated as coffee, tea still contains traces of caffeine. Depending on the type of tea, more or less caffeine may be present. This is why you can buy “decaffeinated” tea, as those who are caffeine sensitive can drink tea and pick up on the effects and react badly.

The effect of caffeine on the brain is stimulating the nervous system. In turn, it then reduces feelings of drowsiness and increases feelings of alertness. Chemically, caffeine is very similar to a neurotransmitter called adenosine. Adenosine is what is responsible for making us need to rest. Caffeine binds to adenosine, preventing tiredness from taking over your body and keeping you energised.

L-Theanine

This is an amino acid which is responsible for relaxing the nervous system. Ever feel calm and soothed after a mug of tea? This could be why. L-Theanine helps to lower anxiety, makes you feel more relaxed and can help increase levels of dopamine. Dopamine is the chemical you release when you fall in love. Maybe that’s why we love tea so much?

Some studies have suggested that L-Theanine, especially when combined with caffeine, can improve attention and brain function. Caffeine essentially boosts the L-Theanine and makes it more effective at what it does!

EGCG

A potent antioxidant, EGCG is great for your body. Antioxidants as powerful as this one have even been said to help prevent cancer. This is owing to the way they prevent oxidative damage to the body which is directly linked to cancer.

Specifically relating to the brain, ECGC can help prevent damage to brain cells from oxidisation and improve working memory. However, some of these claims aren’t backed up by the FDA. Individual scientists claim that it is good for the body even if it doesn’t prevent cancer – and the best way to get these powerful antioxidants is from green tea!

There is plenty of scientific evidence to back up the health benefits of tea. The effects it has on the brain are both stimulating and soothing. All the more reason to pick up your mug and make a cuppa straight from your Billi tap. The only way to drink tea. Not only is it great for hydrating you, it will keep you energised and awake and is less addictive than coffee.