A cup of tea has been called many things. That first scent in the rough morning hours. That amazing pick me up in the middle of the day. Soothing, Calming, Energy, Peaceful, and…drunk? Tea drunk is a thing. Have you ever experienced tea drunkenness? It’s not what you think
The feeling of tea drunk
I share my love for tea with you through this blog. I’ve shared the health benefits and all the fun tea accessories. Now I get to share with you a phenomenon that most tea lovers experience. Real tea lovers, you know, the ones that eat, drink, sleep tea and know all about being tea drunk. Yes, it’s a real thing.
There is this feeling that happens at just the right moment. It could be called a euphoric or even a high. But let’s not confuse it with an alcoholic or drug-induced high. A tea high or tea drunk feeling is so different. Yet, it’s still a thing. A “thing” you will feel, notice and experience.
The feeling is euphoric, peaceful, and alert all at the same time. How can that be? This is the cluster of feelings that tea drinker experiences when they say they have been tea drunk.
What’s in that tea?
While tea contains many nutrients and beneficial ingredients. Tea is beneficial and enjoyable. While tea is this amazing drink there are a few things that stand out to create a tea high.
Experiencing a tea high or being tea drunk is not something you can create. It has nothing to do with the type of tea or the strength of the brew. What it does have to do with is the combination of caffeine, catechins, and amino acids.
The interesting part is that other beverages with these same ingredients say they are calming. While the other beverages say they are exciting and create energy. How can that be?
The answer comes from the combination of theanine and caffeine. These two combined cause that wonderful feeling we get from drinking tea. The theanine calms and relaxes while the caffeine stimulates.
You get a teacup (that really is unique) DId you see that handle? This comes with its own infuser as well.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant. Caffeine can help fight off sleepiness and fatigue. It works by increasing alertness. Caffeine is in all teas:
- Black
- White
- Green
- Oolong
The benefits of caffeine need to be balanced against the disadvantages.
The benefits:
- Alertness
- Fight drowsiness
The disadvantages:
- Elevated heart rate
- Jitteriness
- Fidgeting
- Alertness (inability to sleep)
L-theanine
L-theanine is an amino acid. It was first discovered in green tea by Japanese researchers. It’s powerful. The interesting thing about L-theanine is that it has the exact opposite effect of caffeine.
L-theanine is:
- Calms the nervous system
- Reduces stress
- Lowers heart rate
- Helps maintain lower blood pressure levels
L-theanine is the balance to caffeine and helps “calm” the effects of it.
L-theanine then works with caffeine to boost brain activity. The effect also helps with your mood. It’s a boost that causes the body and soul to relax. It is the way of tea. It’s what tea provides and one of the reasons why we love it so much.
Catechins
Working with the caffeine in tea is a catechin called Epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG. EGCG along with other catechins in tea is full of antioxidants and health benefits. Along with amino acids and caffeine, catechins may also have a positive effect on the mind.
Love the way this tea kettle looks. Very eclectic and perfect to set on a tea cozy for dinner or a tea party. Bamboo lid, metal infuser. Perfect.
So, how do we become tea “high” or “drunk”?
Now for a little technical talk.
Cannabis contains cannabinoids. These are called THC and CBD. These affect the body’s endocannabinoid receptors.
Now with tea, it’s believed that the caffeine in tea combined with the EGCG may also impact that very same endocannabinoid receptors.
Those receptors, found in the brain are believed to calm the body and soul. They also support a calming effect, positive mood, and reduce stress.
So, the caffeine combines with the catechins and forms a larger molecule. Because the two items have combined it takes the body a long time to break it down. The effects are removed slower. That is one of the reasons tea does not give you the jittery feeling like other caffeinated beverages do.
The key here is exactly that. The combination of the three ingredients causes a feeling of being “drunk”. But the feeling does not include the jittery uncontrolled feelings. What you get from a tea high is:
- Energy
- Relaxed, yet focused
- Alertness
- Euphoric feelings
BUT, the high is not compared to being intoxicated the same way as alcohol or drugs. It’s not the same, nor a danger.
The way of getting tea drunk is to keep tea in your system long enough. You need to consume the tea and it allows it to pass into the intestines. In doing so one of the best ways to enjoy tea this way is called the Gong Fu Method.
This method is to enjoy full leaf teas over a period of time (or steeps). Small cups of tea, many cups full over a period of time.
Some cautions are to:
- Not drink tea on an empty stomach
- Not drink tea on a full stomach
- Use only a high-quality tea
- Use single leaf or Matcha
When you are ready, find a calm area with few interruptions, sit back, relax and enjoy.
What does it feel like to be tea drunk?
The Chinese have a word they use to refer to being tea drunk. That word is cha zui. The translation means: “Someone who has moved into an altered state of being after drinking tea.”
Imagine being full of energy, focused yet peaceful and relaxed. How can that happen? It happens with tea. It’s a euphoric feeling. The only part that is like alcohol is that shift and change in your senses emotionally, physically, and mentally.
Tea is one of the safest ways to replace an alcoholic beverage. Tea is a great detox for alcohol and aids with withdrawal. Tea is also full of nutrients and healthy beneficial ingredients to help the body heal. While tea can be a diuretic it is also a great way of hydrating the body, as well.
In an article by Psychology Today, the Janus effect is discussed in relation to being tea drunk. I had to look up what the Janus effect actually is.
Take a moment to read the article. It’s interesting how the psychology of the mind and the Janus effect work together. They work together to produce an opposite effect that leaves the tea drink feeling “drunk”.
From the English Encylopedia: The Janus effect is a fundamental characteristic of an entity that possesses the ability to interact with others in both authoritative and dependent roles.
The origin is that Janus was a Roman god with two faces; one looking forward and the other looking back.
The amazing fact is that tea can stimulate our minds, help us focus, give us energy and cause us to relax. That is just another set of reasons why you have to love tea.
We can be thankful for the Janus effect of theanine. Theanine stimulates the brain but can cross the blood/brain barrier. So as we drink tea it affects us, motivates us. As the tea is consumed, it enters our digestive system. Once again the tea can influence our minds in a totally different way. There is a different scientific way that teas affected by GABA cells then calms us down.
This is how you get the double whammy effect known as tea drunk.
Conclusion
Such a simple process, right? Not at all. It makes us marvel at the complexity of our bodies. Thanks to the chemistry of tea and our body’s reaction to it. We get to experience a phenomenon that is only related to tea drinking. Have you ever been tea drunk? What did it feel like, let me know? I’ve experienced it only a couple of times in my life. I drink a lot of tea, maybe I have a tolerance.
While we compare being tea drunk to being under the influence of an alcoholic beverage the two do not compare in real life. One is very impairing, the other is just a slight side effect of the tea we drink. You don’t need to worry about the physical effects of being tea drunk. You are absolutely safe.
