Health Benefits of Theanine in Green Tea: A Review

Theanine is an amide exclusively present in tea and some fungi, and is an important bioactive component of tea. The bioactive effects of theanine include antitumour, anti-diabetic, antihypertensive, anti-stress activities, and the ability to improve cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. It also has protective effect on nerve cells against damage induced by environmental neurotoxins as well as on liver from injury induced by excessive alcohol intake. The bioactive functions of theanine as well as its pharmacokinetics are presented in this review.