Would it help to drink tea forfibromyalgia(FMS) orchronic fatigue syndrome(ME/CFS)? It just might.
Tea is one of the most popular drinks in the world, but it’s way down on the list in the United States, coming in behind coffee and soda. In the past few years, however, studies suggesting health benefits of tea have certainly raised its profile and popularity in the United States.
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Behind the Hype
According to research, it looks like tea has several things to offer, both for the public in general and for those of us with fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome. Much of the research is in its early stages and some results are contradictory, but a picture is emerging.
Tea contains two things that appear to offer health benefits:polyphenolsandtheanine.While tea hasn’t been studied specifically as a treatment for FMS andME/CFS, we have research suggesting that these two ingredients may hold some promise for us.
Polyphenols
Polyphenols have gotten the lion’s share of the attention when it comes to tea’s recent publicity. Research shows they may:
Polyphenols are a type of antioxidant. Antioxidants are probably something you know are supposed to be good for you but don’t really understand. The science behind them is complicated and has to do with molecules called free radicals.
For those who aren’t really into science, think of free radicals as broken-down cells. We all have some. But if you get too many, according to research, they can make you sick. Antioxidants have what those cells need to repair themselves and be healthy again.
Now let’s break down the word antioxidant:
An emerging line of research has to do with the role of oxidation in FMS, ME/CFS, and some other related illnesses. Specifically, it’s the build-up of nitric oxide, which leads to oxidative stress (too much oxygen-related breakdown).The scientists behind this theory believe that too much nitric oxide in the body starts a chain reaction that both triggers these conditions and keeps them going.
So tea may lower pain, treat and prevent disease, and improve your life. Not bad.
Theanine
Theanine, also called L-theanine, is an antioxidant as well. It’s only found naturally in tea and a specific type of rare mushroom. A synthetic form is available as a dietary supplement, as well.
Theanine has been fairly well researched and is believed to:
Those are a lot of potential benefits. You won’t get all that just from a single cup of tea, though.
What You Need to Know About Tea
There’s more to tea than pinky up or pinky down. To get the full health benefits from drinking tea, you have to know a few things about it.
New Tea Research Boasts Heart, Brain, and Immune Benefits
Potential Downside of Tea Drinking
Tea is generally thought of as a healthy beverage, especially if it’s unsweetened. However, nothing is without possible risks.
The biggest problem with tea may be that it contains caffeine (although amounts vary greatly based on several factors.) If you don’t tolerate caffeine well, this is a big problem. Even decaf teas may contain trace amounts of caffeine.
Watch for negative side effects or upswings in symptoms that could be from tea and talk about it with your practitioner (as you should with anything medicinal, even when it’s natural.)
Also, tea contains high amounts of natural substances called oxalates, which may contribute to the formation of a certain type ofkidney stone. If you’re prone to oxalate kidney stones, be sure to discuss this aspect of tea with your healthcare provider before you start drinking it regularly.
A Word From Verywell
If you drink a lot of soda or coffee, and especially if you’re drinking it for the caffeine, you may want to substitute tea for at least some of your daily servings. To get a consistent amount of theanine, supplements could be an easier choice, but remember that you’ll be missing out on the polyphenols that way.
Again, if you decide to use anything medicinally, even food, it’s a good idea to bring it up with your healthcare provider.
13 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Harvard Health.Health benefits linked to drinking tea.Yan Z, Zhong Y, Duan Y, Chen Q, Li F.Antioxidant mechanism of tea polyphenols and its impact on health benefits.Animal Nutrition. 2020;6(2):115-123. doi:10.1016/j.aninu.2020.01.001Williams JL, Everett JM, D’Cunha NM, et al.The effects of green tea amino acid l-theanine consumption on the ability to manage stress and anxiety levels: a systematic review.Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2020;75(1):12-23. doi:10.1007/s11130-019-00771-5Behl T, Bungau S, Kumar K, et al.Pleotropic effects of polyphenols in cardiovascular system.Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 2020;130:110714. doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110714Croft KD.Dietary polyphenols: antioxidants or not?.Arch Biochem Biophys. 2016;595:120-124. doi:10.1016/j.abb.2015.11.014Costa de miranda R, Paiva ES, Suter correia cadena SM, Brandt AP, Vilela RM.Polyphenol-Rich Foods Alleviate Pain and Ameliorate Quality of Life in Fibromyalgic Women.Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2017;87(1-2):66-74. doi: 10.1024/0300-9831/a000253Li MY, Liu HY, Wu DT, et al.L-theanine: a unique functional amino acid in tea (Camellia sinensis L.) with multiple health benefits and food applications.Front Nutr. 2022;9:853846. doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.853846Chen S, Kang J, Zhu H, et al.L-theanine and immunity: a review.Molecules.2023;28(9):3846. doi:10.3390/molecules28093846Saeed M, Naveed M, Arif M, et al.Green tea (Camellia sinensis) and l-theanine: medicinal values and beneficial applications in humans-a comprehensive review.Biomed Pharmacother. 2017;95:1260-1275. doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2017.09.024Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.Tea.Boros K, Jedlinszki N, Csupor D.Theanine and caffeine content of infusions prepared from commercial tea samples.Pharmacogn Mag. 2016;12(45):75-9. doi:10.4103/0973-1296.176061Arthritis Foundation.Understanding chronic fatigue syndrome.University of Pennsylvania Medical Center.Help Prevent Kidney Stones with Low-Oxalate Diet.Additional ReadingButacnum A, Chongsuwat R, Bumrungpert A.Black tea consumption improves postprandial glycemic control in normal and pre-diabetic subjects: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study.Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition. 2017 Jan;26(1):59-64. doi:10.6133/apjcn.112015.08Esteban-fernández A, Rendeiro C, Spencer JP, et al.Neuroprotective Effects of Selected Microbial-Derived Phenolic Metabolites and Aroma Compounds from Wine in Human SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells and Their Putative Mechanisms of Action.Front Nutr.2017;4:3. doi:10.3389/fnut.2017.00003Liao ZL, Zeng BH, Wang W, et al.Impact of the Consumption of Tea Polyphenols on Early Atherosclerotic Lesion Formation and Intestinal in High-Fat-Fed ApoE Mice.Front Nutr.2016;3:42. doi:10.3389/fnut.2016.00042Liu SM, Ou SY, Huang HH.Green tea polyphenols induce cell death in breast cancer MCF-7 cells through induction of cell cycle arrest and mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis.J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 2017;18(2):89-98. doi:10.1631/jzus.B1600022Prasanth MI, Sivamaruthi BS, Chaiyasut C, Tencomnao T.A Review of the Role of Green Tea () in Antiphotoaging, Stress Resistance, Neuroprotection, and Autophagy.Nutrients. 2019;11(2). doi:10.3390/nu11020474
13 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Harvard Health.Health benefits linked to drinking tea.Yan Z, Zhong Y, Duan Y, Chen Q, Li F.Antioxidant mechanism of tea polyphenols and its impact on health benefits.Animal Nutrition. 2020;6(2):115-123. doi:10.1016/j.aninu.2020.01.001Williams JL, Everett JM, D’Cunha NM, et al.The effects of green tea amino acid l-theanine consumption on the ability to manage stress and anxiety levels: a systematic review.Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2020;75(1):12-23. doi:10.1007/s11130-019-00771-5Behl T, Bungau S, Kumar K, et al.Pleotropic effects of polyphenols in cardiovascular system.Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 2020;130:110714. doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110714Croft KD.Dietary polyphenols: antioxidants or not?.Arch Biochem Biophys. 2016;595:120-124. doi:10.1016/j.abb.2015.11.014Costa de miranda R, Paiva ES, Suter correia cadena SM, Brandt AP, Vilela RM.Polyphenol-Rich Foods Alleviate Pain and Ameliorate Quality of Life in Fibromyalgic Women.Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2017;87(1-2):66-74. doi: 10.1024/0300-9831/a000253Li MY, Liu HY, Wu DT, et al.L-theanine: a unique functional amino acid in tea (Camellia sinensis L.) with multiple health benefits and food applications.Front Nutr. 2022;9:853846. doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.853846Chen S, Kang J, Zhu H, et al.L-theanine and immunity: a review.Molecules.2023;28(9):3846. doi:10.3390/molecules28093846Saeed M, Naveed M, Arif M, et al.Green tea (Camellia sinensis) and l-theanine: medicinal values and beneficial applications in humans-a comprehensive review.Biomed Pharmacother. 2017;95:1260-1275. doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2017.09.024Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.Tea.Boros K, Jedlinszki N, Csupor D.Theanine and caffeine content of infusions prepared from commercial tea samples.Pharmacogn Mag. 2016;12(45):75-9. doi:10.4103/0973-1296.176061Arthritis Foundation.Understanding chronic fatigue syndrome.University of Pennsylvania Medical Center.Help Prevent Kidney Stones with Low-Oxalate Diet.Additional ReadingButacnum A, Chongsuwat R, Bumrungpert A.Black tea consumption improves postprandial glycemic control in normal and pre-diabetic subjects: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study.Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition. 2017 Jan;26(1):59-64. doi:10.6133/apjcn.112015.08Esteban-fernández A, Rendeiro C, Spencer JP, et al.Neuroprotective Effects of Selected Microbial-Derived Phenolic Metabolites and Aroma Compounds from Wine in Human SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells and Their Putative Mechanisms of Action.Front Nutr.2017;4:3. doi:10.3389/fnut.2017.00003Liao ZL, Zeng BH, Wang W, et al.Impact of the Consumption of Tea Polyphenols on Early Atherosclerotic Lesion Formation and Intestinal in High-Fat-Fed ApoE Mice.Front Nutr.2016;3:42. doi:10.3389/fnut.2016.00042Liu SM, Ou SY, Huang HH.Green tea polyphenols induce cell death in breast cancer MCF-7 cells through induction of cell cycle arrest and mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis.J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 2017;18(2):89-98. doi:10.1631/jzus.B1600022Prasanth MI, Sivamaruthi BS, Chaiyasut C, Tencomnao T.A Review of the Role of Green Tea () in Antiphotoaging, Stress Resistance, Neuroprotection, and Autophagy.Nutrients. 2019;11(2). doi:10.3390/nu11020474
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Harvard Health.Health benefits linked to drinking tea.Yan Z, Zhong Y, Duan Y, Chen Q, Li F.Antioxidant mechanism of tea polyphenols and its impact on health benefits.Animal Nutrition. 2020;6(2):115-123. doi:10.1016/j.aninu.2020.01.001Williams JL, Everett JM, D’Cunha NM, et al.The effects of green tea amino acid l-theanine consumption on the ability to manage stress and anxiety levels: a systematic review.Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2020;75(1):12-23. doi:10.1007/s11130-019-00771-5Behl T, Bungau S, Kumar K, et al.Pleotropic effects of polyphenols in cardiovascular system.Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 2020;130:110714. doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110714Croft KD.Dietary polyphenols: antioxidants or not?.Arch Biochem Biophys. 2016;595:120-124. doi:10.1016/j.abb.2015.11.014Costa de miranda R, Paiva ES, Suter correia cadena SM, Brandt AP, Vilela RM.Polyphenol-Rich Foods Alleviate Pain and Ameliorate Quality of Life in Fibromyalgic Women.Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2017;87(1-2):66-74. doi: 10.1024/0300-9831/a000253Li MY, Liu HY, Wu DT, et al.L-theanine: a unique functional amino acid in tea (Camellia sinensis L.) with multiple health benefits and food applications.Front Nutr. 2022;9:853846. doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.853846Chen S, Kang J, Zhu H, et al.L-theanine and immunity: a review.Molecules.2023;28(9):3846. doi:10.3390/molecules28093846Saeed M, Naveed M, Arif M, et al.Green tea (Camellia sinensis) and l-theanine: medicinal values and beneficial applications in humans-a comprehensive review.Biomed Pharmacother. 2017;95:1260-1275. doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2017.09.024Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.Tea.Boros K, Jedlinszki N, Csupor D.Theanine and caffeine content of infusions prepared from commercial tea samples.Pharmacogn Mag. 2016;12(45):75-9. doi:10.4103/0973-1296.176061Arthritis Foundation.Understanding chronic fatigue syndrome.University of Pennsylvania Medical Center.Help Prevent Kidney Stones with Low-Oxalate Diet.
Harvard Health.Health benefits linked to drinking tea.
Yan Z, Zhong Y, Duan Y, Chen Q, Li F.Antioxidant mechanism of tea polyphenols and its impact on health benefits.Animal Nutrition. 2020;6(2):115-123. doi:10.1016/j.aninu.2020.01.001
Williams JL, Everett JM, D’Cunha NM, et al.The effects of green tea amino acid l-theanine consumption on the ability to manage stress and anxiety levels: a systematic review.Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2020;75(1):12-23. doi:10.1007/s11130-019-00771-5
Behl T, Bungau S, Kumar K, et al.Pleotropic effects of polyphenols in cardiovascular system.Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 2020;130:110714. doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110714
Croft KD.Dietary polyphenols: antioxidants or not?.Arch Biochem Biophys. 2016;595:120-124. doi:10.1016/j.abb.2015.11.014
Costa de miranda R, Paiva ES, Suter correia cadena SM, Brandt AP, Vilela RM.Polyphenol-Rich Foods Alleviate Pain and Ameliorate Quality of Life in Fibromyalgic Women.Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2017;87(1-2):66-74. doi: 10.1024/0300-9831/a000253
Li MY, Liu HY, Wu DT, et al.L-theanine: a unique functional amino acid in tea (Camellia sinensis L.) with multiple health benefits and food applications.Front Nutr. 2022;9:853846. doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.853846
Chen S, Kang J, Zhu H, et al.L-theanine and immunity: a review.Molecules.2023;28(9):3846. doi:10.3390/molecules28093846
Saeed M, Naveed M, Arif M, et al.Green tea (Camellia sinensis) and l-theanine: medicinal values and beneficial applications in humans-a comprehensive review.Biomed Pharmacother. 2017;95:1260-1275. doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2017.09.024
Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.Tea.
Boros K, Jedlinszki N, Csupor D.Theanine and caffeine content of infusions prepared from commercial tea samples.Pharmacogn Mag. 2016;12(45):75-9. doi:10.4103/0973-1296.176061
Arthritis Foundation.Understanding chronic fatigue syndrome.
University of Pennsylvania Medical Center.Help Prevent Kidney Stones with Low-Oxalate Diet.
Butacnum A, Chongsuwat R, Bumrungpert A.Black tea consumption improves postprandial glycemic control in normal and pre-diabetic subjects: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study.Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition. 2017 Jan;26(1):59-64. doi:10.6133/apjcn.112015.08Esteban-fernández A, Rendeiro C, Spencer JP, et al.Neuroprotective Effects of Selected Microbial-Derived Phenolic Metabolites and Aroma Compounds from Wine in Human SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells and Their Putative Mechanisms of Action.Front Nutr.2017;4:3. doi:10.3389/fnut.2017.00003Liao ZL, Zeng BH, Wang W, et al.Impact of the Consumption of Tea Polyphenols on Early Atherosclerotic Lesion Formation and Intestinal in High-Fat-Fed ApoE Mice.Front Nutr.2016;3:42. doi:10.3389/fnut.2016.00042Liu SM, Ou SY, Huang HH.Green tea polyphenols induce cell death in breast cancer MCF-7 cells through induction of cell cycle arrest and mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis.J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 2017;18(2):89-98. doi:10.1631/jzus.B1600022Prasanth MI, Sivamaruthi BS, Chaiyasut C, Tencomnao T.A Review of the Role of Green Tea () in Antiphotoaging, Stress Resistance, Neuroprotection, and Autophagy.Nutrients. 2019;11(2). doi:10.3390/nu11020474
Butacnum A, Chongsuwat R, Bumrungpert A.Black tea consumption improves postprandial glycemic control in normal and pre-diabetic subjects: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study.Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition. 2017 Jan;26(1):59-64. doi:10.6133/apjcn.112015.08
Esteban-fernández A, Rendeiro C, Spencer JP, et al.Neuroprotective Effects of Selected Microbial-Derived Phenolic Metabolites and Aroma Compounds from Wine in Human SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells and Their Putative Mechanisms of Action.Front Nutr.2017;4:3. doi:10.3389/fnut.2017.00003
Liao ZL, Zeng BH, Wang W, et al.Impact of the Consumption of Tea Polyphenols on Early Atherosclerotic Lesion Formation and Intestinal in High-Fat-Fed ApoE Mice.Front Nutr.2016;3:42. doi:10.3389/fnut.2016.00042
Liu SM, Ou SY, Huang HH.Green tea polyphenols induce cell death in breast cancer MCF-7 cells through induction of cell cycle arrest and mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis.J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 2017;18(2):89-98. doi:10.1631/jzus.B1600022
Prasanth MI, Sivamaruthi BS, Chaiyasut C, Tencomnao T.A Review of the Role of Green Tea () in Antiphotoaging, Stress Resistance, Neuroprotection, and Autophagy.Nutrients. 2019;11(2). doi:10.3390/nu11020474
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