Is green tea a good ingredient for snus?

[Ansel]

I think so because it seems to give drinkers the same sort of MAOIs that we get from tobacco. I think mixed with tobacco it could be a good combination. I'm sure it's been done already but just thought i'd raise this. Perhaps it could ramp up the effects of the Northerner/Oomph purified portions supplementing the nicotine content? (green tea sourced from a non-radioactive disaster site though...)

[snusjus]

I would love a snus with a subtle green tea flavor. I think it would compliment the tobacco quite well, similar to bergamot.

[EricHill78]

Is definetely give it a go. Green tea has a natural ingredient which has a calming effect which is called L Theanine. Maybe they could add more l Theanine and market It as a mood relaxer snus. Total opposite of those energy snus they came out with.

[voodooman]

I have some tea called green jasmine pearls or something. Whole green tea leaves and jasmine petals hand rolled into small balls. It makes a great cup of tea, but i often pop one in my mouth and chew it a bit once it's soft. It gives quite a strong flavor, and some would find it too bitter, but i find it quite pleasant. It's a great substitute for times when I find myself chain snusing for the oral fixation more than the nicotine. As a bonus, the chlorophyll and anti-bacterial properties of green tea make it a great breath freshener!

[UsualSnuspects]

Theanine (5-N-ethyl-glutamine) binds to the same taste and brain receptors as glutamine/glutamate, which is why super-fresh green tea can taste fishy (MSG is made from a type of seaweed) -- umami, anyone? And while I'm no pharmacokinesiologist, I suspect that this is talking about using a buffer and salt to increase buccal absorption of glutamate (that should sound familiar to snusers):

Enhancing oral mucosal delivery of polypeptides & proteins to the bloodstream

The 2 other components of green tea that get the big headlines are theophylline and ECGC.

Theophylline is a xanthine like caffeine and theobromine (chocolate), all of which are CNS stimulants with slightly different effects on pulse, breathing rate/depth, and vasoconstriction. For example, theophylline is used to treat asthma, while caffeine is used to treat vasodilation-style migraines. I couldn't find anything about pushing that through your gums, but read on for my experience.

ECGC is apparently what they put in the pool in Cocoon but without all the alien eggs. The bitter component of most leaves are tannins -- complex sugars that, when the leaf is bruised (as in oolong and black tea), are broken down into simpler sugars/flavonoids. ECGC is only present in green tea as it breaks down soon after the cell walls are ruptured. It also seems to happily pass through the oral mucosa into the bloodstream:

Buccal mucosal absorption of ECGC

But even before it enters your bloodstream, it takes a moment to repair the pre-cancerous lesions you developed before you traded smokes for snus.

DNA repair in buccal lesions of smokers

For all of these substances, there're plenty of contraindications for pregnant or anemic women, and for co-administration with other drugs. Sometimes that's because they compete for absorption in the intestine, so wouldn't be a problem, but it'd be wise to check out your prescriptions' contraindications again if you're concerned.

So now the useless anecdote: Today I bought a jar of concentrated Japanese green tea powder (green tea, green tea extract, dextrin, ascorbic acid). 30 mins into a Skruf Stark portion, I removed it, sprinkled about 1/8 teaspoon of green tea powder onto it, then carefully put it back up on in there. That was 90 minutes ago, when I started this reply. And I tend to be terse. Oh, it's also bitter and gives me cotton lip.

I hope this helps!

[ABW]

I think so because it seems to give drinkers the same sort of MAOIs that we get from tobacco. I think mixed with tobacco it could be a good combination. I'm sure it's been done already but just thought i'd raise this. Perhaps it could ramp up the effects of the Northerner/Oomph purified portions supplementing the nicotine content? (green tea sourced from a non-radioactive disaster site though...)

+1 on the non nuclear site tea.. I really hate to dog out any green tea because it's a wonderful plant. But, as with cannabis it sucks everything from its environment big time.(the reds planted cannabis all over Chernobyl to clear waste) For now, I buy only white tea from reputable providences know to be free from the fallout...

[Ansel]

ABW you can green tea from China though.

[Reynard]

What about stevia in snus? Stevia is a Paraguayan herb that nourishes the pancreas and is 200 times sweeter than sugar, would be a great addition to the sweeter snuses IMO, dunno what they use in the new jakobssons to make it sweet but stevia is a natural zero calorie sweetener.

[justintempler]

The amount of green tea or stevia used to flavor snus isn't going to be enough to give you any "health" benefits. You wouldn't be able to add enough of it to give you any health benefits without destroying the flavor.

I think stevia already is being used by some manufacturers, and the reason you don't see it listed is; it is one of the ingredients that makes up that mysterious word "flavor/aromer"

[ABW]

ABW you can green tea from China though.

Thanks Ansel... I do...

[Reynard]

I think stevia already is being used by some manufacturers, and the reason you don't see it listed is; it is one of the ingredients that makes up that mysterious word "flavor/aromer"

That's interesting, I had wondered what constituted 'aroma' in some snuses. It would make sense to use natural flavourings like stevia in snus. I suppose if in doubt, Ettan. Failing that, Phantom Brown.

[GoVegan]

From the Tobak and Nikotinfri Website at Gotland Snus - I have never tried this but it doesn't appeal to me. It's like drinking diet coke or decaf coffee.

Contains
Green tea, carrot fiber, ginseng, fluorine, flavorings, water, flavor enhancer (table salt), acidity regulator (E500), humectant E1520,

http://www.gotlandssnus.se/eng/produ...i_original.php

[Streven]

green tea sourced from a non-radioactive disaster site though...

c'mon... the vast majority of green tea produced in the world comes from china; not japan. besides that, japan isn't a glowing nuclear wasteland, and what green tea is grown there comes primarily from southern prefectures that are far from fukushima. so the chances of you getting any green tea sourced from radioactive disaster sites is so slim that you probably have a better chance of being struck by lighting while being attacked by a shark than you would by drinking a cup of radioactive tea.

[UsualSnuspects]

c'mon... the vast majority of green tea produced in the world comes from china; not japan. besides that, japan isn't a glowing nuclear wasteland, and what green tea is grown there comes primarily from southern prefectures that are far from fukushima. so the chances of you getting any green tea sourced from radioactive disaster sites is so slim that you probably have a better chance of being struck by lighting while being attacked by a shark than you would by drinking a cup of radioactive tea.

Nice try, radioactive cha-obake.

[sgreger1]

Nice try, radioactive cha-obake.

Nicew try, reddit.com