[asadkn]

I have personally observed something similar with black tea but I am not sure if's just the theanine + EGCGs or something else.

A while back, I noticed that 'chai' helps me focus and relax (improved mood, less anxiety, etc.) at the same time. It's made of milk, black tea, cardamom, cinnamon, and negligible/no sugar (personal preference).

I prefer coffee in terms of taste, but of all the things I have tried, this has been the best for me. Black tea alone doesn't have the same effect on me, nor does green tea, or coffee with or without milk/cream/sugar.

So I wonder if it's the combination that matter and not theanine alone.

[ValentineC]

> A while back, I noticed that 'chai' helps me focus and relax (improved mood, less anxiety, etc.) at the same time. It's made of milk, black tea, cardamom, cinnamon, and negligible/no sugar (personal preference).

I know Starbucks et al market the above as 'chai', but I think 'masala' (as in 'masala chai' [1]) should be the keyword.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masala_chai

[scns]

to keep it DRY: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27916094

[ac29]

> It's made of milk, black tea, cardamom, cinnamon, and negligible/no sugar

Maybe you mean no added sugar? Milk has 1.5g of sugar / oz (about half that of orange juice, as a comparison).