Gaba Oolong Tea

GABA is found naturally in Camellia Sinensis (the amazing plant where all tea comes from) but by oxidising tea in a high nitrogen, oxygen free (anaerobic) environment instead of oxygen during the oxidisation process the amount of GABA is significantly increased because the glutamic acid in the leaves is converted to GABA. There have been further studies that have shown it is possible to gain even higher GABA levels by shading the tea bushes for about 2 weeks before picking. Pretty clever huh!

What are the potential health benefits?

GABA is very popular in Japan being found in drinks, cakes, chocolate and anything digestible really. It has a cult following in Japan much like Matcha for its known health benefits and natural calming properties. The positive effects that GABA can have on your whole well-being have long been studied. Lots of research has been published on GABA including in a journal named ‘biofactors’ who noted that it had many positive effects on users overall well-being. According to that journal, some of the positive effects that the tea might have are:

• To reduce stress levels
• Improve sleep
• Reduce the symptoms of depression
• Reduce anxiety
• Aid your circulatory system
• Aid weight loss
• Proven to have anti-ageing properties

Who knows for sure but we can certainly testify to its calming properties. Anything that might aid sleep and reduce stress levels is very important for our overall wellness. The average human should be getting around 7 – 9 hours sleep per night but with the introduction of blue light devises and never ending to-do lists most people are only getting around 6.8 hours.

It should be noted that tea is not medicine and there is much debate some of the GABA health claims. In any event, it’s a stunning drink with a velvety, earthy aroma and surprising fruity notes. Whether you’re keen to try out some of the potential health claims or not it’s worth getting simply for its taste appeal.