Match and ADHD: a caffeine-induced love story

I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 12 and have always found that a little caffeine boost can really help sharpen my focus, especially if I am trying to get schoolwork done (I downed half a latte with 4 shots of espresso before sitting down to write this). Unfortunately, with the insane caffeine content of some energy drinks (200 up to a whopping 300mg in one can), I find myself getting the jitters if I drink too much at once. Last year during my internship with a culinary company, the dietician shared with me an interesting tidbit about matcha - it's apparently a better way to get a caffeine boost because it releases more slowly into the bloodstream, unlike the immediate, all-at-once rush that a coffee might induce. So as my love for matcha has flourished over the past few months, I decided to research this a bit more to actually understand the mechanisms and why matcha may be a better alternative!

In short, matcha (the green powder mixed with milk to create lattes) contains caffeine as well as L-theanine, an amino acid that impacts the alpha wave activity in our brains. A 2023 review in Nutrition Reviews linked caffeine and L-theanine with improved attention and working memory. Of course this would benefit someone like me with ADHD to help their brain function when completing tasks that require focusing for an extended period of time. L-theanine is especially impactful because it slows the stimulant effects of caffeine, eliminating the typical spike/crash pattern I often experience when I rely on coffees or energy drinks alone.

That slow release helps reduce that jittery feeling I mentioned, and can help sustain a more stable state of concentration and focus. It's like a study hack :)

 

Sources:

Camfield, D. A., Stough, C., Farrimond, J., & Scholey, A. (2014). Acute effects of tea constituents L-theanine, caffeine, and epigallocatechin gallate on cognitive function and mood. Nutrition Reviews, 72(8), 507–522.

 

Dietz, C., Dekker, M. (2017). Effect of green tea phytochemicals on mood and cognition. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 71(6), 532–539.