"Sleep for 12 hours after drinking it." This bottle of drink is regarded as a "sleeping magic tool" by netizens. Is it really effective?

"Anyone who has trouble sleeping should drink this purple drink"!

Recently, it has become popular to drink purple X to promote sleep. Because this drink contains theanine , some netizens spontaneously recommend it as a new generation of **"sleeping magic water"**. It claims to "cure insomnia", "drink one bottle and sleep for 12 hours", "drink two sips and you will feel very sleepy"...

Screenshot from a social platform

Can a bottle of sports drink really be the "magic water" that promotes sleep?

What is Theanine?

Can drinking it really help you sleep?

L-Theanine is an amino acid naturally found in tea leaves . It is easily soluble in water and can also provide saltiness and umami to tea, reduce the bitterness caused by caffeine and catechins, and enhance sweetness. In short, theanine can make tea more delicious and is one of the main flavor substances in tea soup.

The variety of tea, the planting environment, the picking season, the processing technology, as well as the amount of tea used and the length of time when brewing tea will affect the content of theanine. Generally speaking, the theanine content of green tea is slightly higher than that of black tea .

Theanine was first discovered by the Japanese, who were also the first to use theanine as an additive in food . As early as the 1960s, foods with added theanine were available. The legend of theanine helping with sleep also originated from Japan. Previously, a Japanese drink called "Sleeping Water" was very popular, which also said that it contained theanine and could improve sleep.

So, can theanine help you sleep?

Some studies have shown that theanine can slow down nerve impulses by affecting neurotransmitters in the brain, helping to relieve tension and providing a peaceful state of mind for falling asleep. Other studies have found that theanine can promote the production of the neurotransmitter GABA, adjust the balance of the nervous system, and make people feel a state of pleasure and relaxation when drinking tea, creating good conditions for improving sleep. This is why some people say it can help you sleep.

One study found that taking 450-900 mg of theanine daily for 8 weeks resulted in better sleep satisfaction (participants all suffered from generalized anxiety disorder and were taking antidepressants). Other population studies have also used doses of 200-1800 mg/day.

However, the purple X means that the theanine content in each bottle is ≥3 mg . To reach the experimental dose (450~900 mg), you have to drink dozens or even hundreds of bottles - obviously most people don't have this "stomach capacity".

Each bottle contains ≥3 mg of theanine | Photo by Adu

In addition, in 2011, the European Food Safety Authority conducted a comprehensive evaluation of theanine and concluded that no causal relationship has been found between theanine and improving cognitive function, relieving psychological stress, maintaining normal sleep, and alleviating menstrual discomfort.

In other words, theanine does not have the effect of helping you sleep . Theanine helping you sleep is just a legend made up by netizens. It is not reliable to treat insomnia by drinking beverages with theanine added. Moreover, the brand itself said that theanine mainly plays the role of providing different flavors, which is "theanine-type golden peach flavor", and does not involve other effects.

This doesn't help you sleep | Photo by Adu

In addition, this sports drink contains a lot of sugar. The top three ingredients in the list are: water, white sugar, and fructose syrup , which is no different from other sugary drinks. If you drink such a big bottle every night before going to bed, I don’t know about other things, but it is certain that you will gain weight...

Ingredients of this drink | Photo by Adu

How to improve insomnia?

It’s best to stay away from these foods

If you want a good night's sleep, be wary of these foods.

1

caffeine

Caffeine will remain in the human body for 4 to 6 hours. Some people are more sensitive to caffeine and the effect will last longer. European research shows that consuming more than 100 mg of caffeine a day may affect a person's sleep. If you want a good sleep, it is best to avoid caffeinated foods and drinks, such as not drinking caffeinated drinks after 3 pm .

I would like to remind you that tea contains both theanine and caffeine, and the caffeine content is much greater than theanine content . Especially now, the caffeine content of many milk teas should not be underestimated, so some people will drink a cup of milk tea in the afternoon and stay awake until dawn.

2

Alcohol

Although drinking alcohol may make people feel easier to fall asleep, it can make people's sleep shallow, unable to enter high-quality sleep, and easily wake up . Therefore, if you want a good sleep, it is best to drink less.

3

cigarette

Nicotine in cigarettes can also excite people's nerves, which is why many people smoke at work. If you want to have a good sleep, stay away from cigarettes.

Foods that improve insomnia

Balanced diet & bedtime diet

If your insomnia is really severe, you should still seek medical advice and take medication if necessary.

Eating only one kind of food cannot cure insomnia! However, a regular diet can still improve sleep to a certain extent. It is recommended to start from the following aspects:

❶ Pay attention to food diversification and balanced nutrition in your daily diet. Moreover, eating too much can easily lead to insomnia.

❷ Have a light dinner and don’t eat too much spicy food.

❸ Don’t eat too late. It is recommended not to eat within 3 hours before going to bed .

❹ Don’t go to bed on an empty stomach. If you feel hungry before going to bed, you can eat some starch-based foods , such as oatmeal porridge, millet porridge, etc.

❺ Don’t drink too much water before going to bed, and try to avoid foods containing caffeine, such as tea, coffee, milk tea, cola, chocolate, etc.

❻ Don’t smoke or drink before going to bed.

Reference for a balanced diet | Image from the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents

Some people may think that the above suggestions are "correct nonsense", but that is the fact. Just like everyone knows the correct way to lose weight, and some "folk remedies" take advantage of people's tendency to "try anything possible" and seize the weakness of people wanting to see immediate results, but in fact they are of no use at all.

In addition to paying attention to your diet, taking a hot bath before bed and staying away from mobile phones, computers, and televisions can also help you fall asleep.

Finally, I strongly recommend not playing games before going to bed , and try not to watch short videos .

References

[1] Liu Kunyan, Feng Jinyu, Xiao Wenjun. Research progress on theanine synthesis and physiological effects[J]. Tea News, 2014, 41(04): 3-7.

[2] Yue Jie, Li Dan, Yang Chun, et al. Analysis of amino acid composition and content in different tea varieties[J]. Hunan Agricultural Science, 2010, (23): 141-143. DOI: 10.16498/j.cnki.hnnykx.2010.23.034.

[3] Xu Mao. Research on theanine in green tea, Pu'er tea and oolong tea[D]. Southwest University, 2010.

[4] Guo Xiangyang. Role and mechanism of theanine in the formation of tea roasting aroma[D]. Anhui Agricultural University, 2019.

[5] Liu Yang, Li Song, Wang Chunling. Research progress on the health benefits of theanine[J]. Food Research and Development, 2016, 37(17): 211-214.

[6] Zhang Ying, Wang Xin, Liu Yajuan, et al. Research progress on the effect of L-theanine on improving sleep[J]. Food Industry Science and Technology, 2021, 42(16): 361−366. doi: 10.13386/j.issn1002- 0306.2020070289

[7] Sarris J, Byrne GJ, Cribb L, Oliver G, Murphy J, Macdonald P, Nazareth S, Karamacoska D, Galea S, Short A, Ee C, Birling Y, Menon R, Ng CH. L-theanine in the adjunctive treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. J Psychiatr Res. 2019 Mar;110:31-37. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2018.12.014. Epub 2018 Dec 8. PMID: 30580081.

[8] EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA); Scientific Opinion on the

substantiation of health claims related to L-theanine from Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze (tea) and improvement of cognitive

function (ID 1104, 1222, 1600, 1601, 1707, 1935, 2004, 2005), alleviation of psychological stress (ID 1598, 1601),

maintenance of normal sleep (ID 1222, 1737, 2004) and reduction of menstrual discomfort (ID 1599) pursuant to Article

13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. EFSA Journal 2011;9(6):2238. [23 pp.]. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2011.2238

Planning and production

Source: Food_Lab

Editor: He Tong

Proofread by Xu Lailinlin