ID 1737 -
Teanina z herbaty
PL: Teanina z herbaty
EN: L-theanine from Camellia sinensis (Common Name : Tea)
Pdf: L-theanine from Camellia sinensis
1. Charakterystyka żywności / składnika
The foods/food constituents that are the subject of the health claims are Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze (tea) and L-theanine.
Theanine ( -glutamylethylamide) is a glutamic acid analogue present mainly in the tea plant (Camellia sinensis), although its presence has also been reported in the mushroom Xerocomus basius. Theanine comprises 1-2 % of the dry weight of tea leaves. It is synthesised from glutamic acid and ethylamine in tea roots, and accounts for about 50 % of total amino acids in tea (Ekborg-Ott et al., 1997). L-theanine is a well characterised substance which can be measured by established methods.
The plant Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze is an evergreen shrub of the Theaceae family. Tea is an extract of the dried leaves of Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze, and it is usually prepared by infusing the leaves in hot water. The composition of the tea leaves depends on a variety of factors, including climate, season, horticultural practices, and the type and age of the plant. Many kinds of tea are produced. Teas can be classified into three major types according to the different degrees of fermentation: green (un-fermented), oolong (semi-fermented) and black (fully fermented) (Wang et al., 2000).
The composition of tea drinks greatly depends on the type of leaves used, on the degree of fermentation and on the methods of preparation (Astill et al., 2001; Kaszkin et al., 2004). The degree of fermentation, the production process, and the method for preparing the tea infusion have not been described in relation to the claims.
Green tea contains polyphenolic compounds, which include flavanols, flavandiols, flavonoids and phenolic acids. Most of the polyphenols in green tea are catechins. Epigallo-catechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is the most abundant catechin in green tea. In black teas, the most abundant polyphenols are tannins, mainly theaflavin and thearubigin (Mukhtar and Ahmad, 2000). Tea extracts/infusions also contain variable amounts of potentially active food constituents, such as caffeine or theogallin.
The Panel considers that while Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze (tea) is not sufficiently characterised in relation to the claimed effects, L-theanine from Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze (tea) is sufficiently characterised.
2.3. Utrzymanie prawidłowego snu (ID 1222, 1737, 2004)
The claimed effects are “mental and cognitive health”, and “relaxation”. The Panel assumes that the target population is the general population.
In the context of the proposed wordings and clarifications from Member States, the Panel assumes that the claimed effects refer to the maintenance of normal sleep. Normal sleep, including normal sleep onset latency, efficiency, duration and quality, can be measured by validated methods.
The Panel considers that maintenance of normal sleep is a beneficial physiological effect.
3. Naukowe uzasadnienia wpływu na zdrowie człowieka
The references provided included a report from an authoritative body on the effects of isolated L-theanine given at pharmacological doses, narrative reviews and monographs on the characterisation of the Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze plant and its byproducts, and a number of narrative reviews about the health effects of L-theanine. These publications did not contain original data which could be used for the scientific substantiation of the claims. A number of the references provided reported either on the effects of food constituents (e.g. caffeine and catechins) other than L-theanine, on the effects of L-theanine in combination with other food constituents (e.g. caffeine), or on health outcomes (e.g. anxiety, mood, brain chemistry, brain ischaemia, theanine bioavailability, theanine toxicity, hydration and cardiovascular health) other than the claimed effects. The Panel considers that no conclusions can be drawn from these references for the scientific substantiation of the claims.
3.3. Utrzymanie prawidłowego snu (ID 1222, 1737, 2004)
One human study in healthy volunteers (Hindmarch et al., 2000) which investigated the effects of the consumption of black tea on sleep was provided. The Panel notes that the L-theanine content of the tea used in this study was not specified. The Panel considers that no conclusions can be drawn from this reference for the scientific substantiation of the claim.
The Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has not been established between the consumption of L-theanine from Camellia Sinensis (L.) Kuntze (tea) and maintenance of normal sleep.
Warunki i możliwe ograniczenia stosowania oświadczenia
200 mg/day
