Coffee Gives Me Anxiety, But Green Tea Doesn't. Why is that?

It comes down to two things: 1) Caffeine Content, and 2) L-Theanine

Caffeine Content

Coffee’s caffeine content depends on the type of coffee beans, as well as how strong you brew it. But in general, it’s going to have have much more caffeine than green tea.

8oz of coffee will usually have somewhere between 100mg - 175mg of caffeine, whereas 8oz of green tea will have just 25mg - 35mg of caffeine.

The higher levels of caffeine in coffee can cause anxiety.

L-Theanine

L-theanine is an amino acid found in green tea leaves (but NOT in coffee). L-theanine has been studied in combination with caffeine, and is shown to reduce many of caffeine’s negative side effects, such as anxiety.

The combination of caffeine + l-theanine also leads to a smoother release of energy, which can help you avoid a mid-day caffeine crash.

Personally, I prefer the taste of coffee over green tea, and I like the energy boost that comes from coffee’s extra caffeine.

I used to get jitters and a headache from drinking coffee, but I recently found Joe 2.0 Coffee. It is infused with L-Theanine and other healthy amino acids. I feel great all day after 1 cup, as it has plenty of caffeine to help me wake up, but the l-theanine and other aminos take away the negative side effects.