Recommended Teas:
- Chamomile tea
- Green tea
Amongst the many beneficial effects of tea, its effects over mood and relaxation looms rather large. As the second most commonly consumed beverage after water, there is significant aesthetic surrounding tea drinking, most of which stem from tea being regarded as an intuition and creativity facilitator, and as an reagent that promotes a sense of calmness and relaxation.
Tea leaves contain many amino acids, among which theanine and glutamic acid are the most prominent. After tea water is ingested, many free amino acids enter the human body and become part of the metabolic pool. The amino acid most heavily associated with the health effects of tea is theanine. Ever since its discovery, theanine has been regarded as a main component of tea and has undergone extensive research, with a large number of studies indicating that theanine has many beneficial effects in the areas of neuro-protection, nerve calming, mood regulation, increased cognitive competence, and tumor negation.
Tea drinking does not cause hyperactivity and excitability, unlike coffee, despite containing a large amount of caffeine. This is caused not only by the fact that caffeine after linking with other materials in tea is slow to be absorbed, but is also caused by the fact that theanine shows antagonistic effects to caffeine induced excitability. In a study, it was shown that theanine, when the amount reaches 1740 mg / kg is shown to have significant suppressive effects upon central nervous system excitability that was initially caused by caffeine. More recently, an experimenter used electroencephalograph analysis to confirm that under similar molar concentrations, theanine can be used to suppress caffeine caused nervous system excitation.
The cerebral cortex of humans and animals produce weak electric waves, and these waves do vary depending on the mental state of said subjects. They can roughly be divided into four types-alpha, beta, delta and theta-depending on frequency. When the predominant type of brain wave is alpha, the energy expenditure of the body and brain are minimalized, and the brain receives a larger than normal supply of energy. Relative to the other types of brain wave frequencies, the body feels relaxed, and the individual’s awareness feels more clear, therefore, the production of alpha waves are indicative of a well – rested, healthy, euphoric body state.
The effect of theanine on the human body can be explained by the changes in alpha wave appearance in the human brain. In an experiment, researchers isolated subjects in a controlled environment and made subjects imbibe either normal water or different concentrations of L- Theanine (50 mg/ 100 ml, 100 mg / 200 ml), and recorded changes to their alpha waves within a 60 minute time – frame. The experiment concluded with the findings that alpha waves showed a marked increase in the L – Theanine group, with even bigger increases coming at higher dosages. Subjects also reported a feeling of warmth in their hands and feet as well as fingertips, which implies that the capillaries in the body’s extremities have become expanded, subjects also reported feelings of relaxedness, joyfulness, well – being and lack of anxiety.
So what are the teas that one can drink to help achieve relaxation? Chamomile tea and green tea
Chamomile tea is mainly made from brewing Chamomile flowers. It possesses the effects of being able to clear the liver and improve vision, calm the nerves and suppress pain, stabilize mood, eliminate nervous tension, etc., and it is a great tea to help one to relax. Frequent drinking leads to many advantages.
Many Chinese doctors prescribe herbs and teas to help relieve nervous tension, decrease migraine symptoms, and reduce muscle pain. Headaches and muscle pains are often due to long-term nervousness. Psychological issues must be treated through psychological solutions, and one must learn to relax and ease off one’s nervous emotional state. However, taking deep breaths and drinking tea all help.
Chamomile is a class of plant that belong in the Compositae family which originated in Europe, it has a sweet taste tinged with a bitter note, it has the effects of lowering the liver energy and brightening vision, calming the nerves and suppressing pain, eliminating nervousness, boosting sleep, enhance intelligence, improve memory, lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol. It is especially effective against pains caused by psychological nervousness, such as migraines, muffled muscle pains etc.
Chamomile tea for relaxation
[Assembly of the tea prescription] Dry Chamomile 3-5 grams, green tea 3 grams, honey used in moderation.
{Preparation method] Place dry chamomile and green tea into cup, fill with 300 ~ 400 milliliters of boiling water, add cover and let stand for 5 ~ 10 minutes, then blend in honey, and then beverage is ready for serving.
This type of tea has the ability to nourish the vital / bodily fluids and enrich the lungs, serve as an expectorant and relieve coughing, lower the liver energy and brighten vision, calm the nerves and suppress pain, stabilize mood, eliminate nervousness, facilitate sleep, serve as a nootropic, improve memory, lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, improve digestion, and moisturize skin. In addition to being well suited for treating nervous induced headaches and muscle pains, it also helps with neuralgia, tooth aches, earaches, backaches, menstrual cramps and Gastroenteritis. It is also well suited for treatment against colds ,bronchitis, asthma, and Menopause.
If one does not wish to use green tea, one may brew singularly with Chamomile. But one must be careful, Chamomile can not be ingested in excessive amounts, usually for one person the appropriate intake amount is 3 – 5 grams per day. Also, it has cold properties as a plant, and should not be imbibed by pregnant women, or else it will pove to be detrimental to the fetus. Also, those with low blood pressure and those with cold physical constitutions should use doctor’s recommendations and drink accordingly, in order to avoid bad consequences.
There is beauty in simplicity, and sometimes the simplest hypotheses also turn out to be the correct one. The beliefs that ancient people have held about tea, its relaxing, spiritually enlightening properties, have, when held up against a backdrop of scientific examination, actually withstood the test of time. And as the truth becomes clearer the more it is debated, the beneficent effects of pre – modern inventions will only become more obvious the more it is investigated. Based on current evidence, it is unlikely that we have combed the depths of this treasure trove known as tea, yet.