Theacrine | PharmaTea™

Properties: Theacrine is a plant alkaloid that is very similar to caffeine. Like caffeine, it belongs to the group of stimulants – substances that speed up the central nervous system. Although it does not add energy per se, it effectively helps the body find it within itself. First of all, it inhibits the rise of sleepiness – a process that already begins when you wake up. In addition, it gives a certain amount of motivation and increases work efficiency, as it facilitates focus and attention. This is caused by the ability of theacrine to naturally increase the activity of dopamine – an excitatory neurotransmitter that is responsible for the feeling of satisfaction and contentment.

That is the reason (not the only one) of an increased mood that can be seen in studies conducted on theacrine. It turns out that both regular and occasional use of it result in a noticeable improvement in mental comfort and general satisfaction with life. It is also often used by athletes because it has a mild analgesic effect. Combined with stimulating and motivating properties, this makes theacrine an ideal addition to the pre-workout mix. It is also very important that cases of developing tolerance to theacrine have never been reported. So if you want to be able to perform longer and more intense workouts or increase your efficiency at work, try to familiarize yourself with this compound. If at, let’s say, 1 PM you are faced with the choice whether to fall asleep in front of the computer screen or drink a third coffee and “walk on the walls”, theacrine is definitely a great choice for you.

Occurrence: Theacrine occurs naturally in plants where it is synthesized from caffeine. Its sources include the leaves of the Camellia assamica – Assam tea, a plant related to Chinese tea (Camellia sinensis), and the fruit of the Cupuacu (Theobroma grandiflorum) cocoa tree related to the Theobroma cacao.

Biochemistry: Theacrine is an organic chemical compound that belongs to the group of purine alkaloids. In plants, it is probably produced by methylation from caffeine and then stored in the leaves. In terms of its chemical structure and mechanisms of action on the human body, it is similar to caffeine. It increases the level of dopamine and affects the action of adenosine and the activity of serotonin.

Fun fact: One of the best known sources of theacrine is a drink called Kucha. It is made from dried Assamese tea leaves (Camellia assamica). Assamese tea differs from its sister species of Chinese tea (Camellia sinensis) mainly in the appearance of the shrubs, which are much larger. Its leaves are also bigger, yielding more abundant crops. This type of tea was discovered in 1835 by an East India Company officer, Robert Bruce, who took part in an expedition to the Assam region that is located between India and Burma.