From The September 2000 Issue of Nutrition Science News

Nutraceutical of the Year

Green tea is a paradox. Like coffee, it contains the stimulant caffeine. Unlike coffee, however, green tea is more relaxing than stimulating. Why is that?

It's the amino acid, L-theanine, found almost solely in tea plants (Camellia sinensis). L-theanine acts antagonistically against the effects of caffeine, and it demonstrates relaxation effects without promoting drowsiness. A Japanese company, Taiyo Kagaku, has developed an enzymatic method to manufacture synthetic L-theanine on an industrial scale, and introduced their Suntheanine branded product as a food ingredient into the U.S. market earlier this year.

For their efforts, Taiyo's Suntheanine received the Nutracon 2000 Nutraceutical of the Year award. The 1999 winner was SAMe, which has indications for arthritis, depression and other ailments. SAMe is now one of the more popular supplements in the U.S. market.

The Suntheanine product is currently available as a dietary supplement, sold as Metaform Recovery Stack. According to Taiyo Senior Manager Scott J. Smith, the company plans to introduce four additional L-theanine products aimed at those experiencing anxiety and stress, in both dietary supplement and beverage form (the amino acid has no taste or color). In laboratory tests, L-theanine did not degrade in beverages heated at 121šC for five minutes and is stable in solutions between pH 3.0 and 6.6.