• M. aurum Aogashima: The main ingredient in Immy, this beneficial bacteria is derived from soil and has helped humans for eons by reducing chronic inflammation. As society has shifted to more urban living (when was the last time you played in the dirt?), we encounter the bacteria and its benefits far less frequently. “Years of research indicates that it can positively impact the immune system, diminish chronic inflammation via the gut-brain axis, lower pro-inflammatory markers, and increase stress resilience,” says Syn.
• Fiber: Considering the importance of your gut-brain axis in regulating stress, you want to make sure you’re giving your gut the support it needs. “Fiber stands out as one of the most extensively studied agents for maintaining a healthy gut microbiome, with substantial evidence supporting its effectiveness and a very low risk profile,” says Dr. Schehr. Fiber is food for your gut microbiome, helping them produce short-chain fatty acids that can reduce inflammation, in turn reducing stress. When paired with adequate protein, fiber intake can also help regulate your blood sugar. “Drastic fluctuations in blood sugar promote the release of stress hormones including cortisol and adrenaline, which can exacerbate feelings of irritability, fatigue, and anxiety,” adds Dr. Schehr.
• Magnesium: This is a key element that our bodies need hundreds of different cellular processes. “It’s most commonly absorbed dietarily from vegetables, but overfarming has led to many of our vegetables—organic and everything in between—to not have the same level of nutrients for healthy body support,” explains Baczewski. He notes that deficiencies aren’t always reflected in bloodwork, but you can keep an eye out for low magnesium symptoms like anxiety, muscle spasms, restless legs, inability to stay asleep, or headaches. “The best-absorbed magnesium supplements are magnesium chelate and magnesium glycinate,” he says. Dr. Schehr adds that magnesium supports your body’s production of melatonin: “Improved sleep quality is crucial for managing stress effectively,” she says.
• Ashwagandha: Ashwagandha is a shrub that grows throughout South Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Africa. It’s an adaptogen, meaning it helps the body manage stress and restore balance, explains Syn. There are clinical trials documenting ashwagandha’s efficacy in improving stress, anxiety, and sleep.
• L-theanine: This amino acid is naturally found in green tea and some mushrooms. “It stimulates the production of alpha brain waves, which are associated with a relaxed but alert state,” says Dr. Schehr, which means it can help reduce feelings of stress and anxiety without dulling your mental clarity or focus. “It may also reduce the activation of the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the ‘fight-or-flight’ response,” she adds. “By promoting parasympathetic activity—the ‘rest-and-digest’ system—it helps the body manage stress more effectively.”
• Rhodiola: This is another adaptogenic plant, more specifically a type of succulent, which grows in cold, high-altitude areas. Studies show that it can help relieve stress, fatigue, and burnout as well as support cardiovascular and reproductive health with its antioxidant function.
• Vitamin D: As mentioned, vitamin D is a common deficiency in the United States, with studies showing that it’s especially deficient in Black and Hispanic individuals. You’re also more likely to experience a vitamin D deficiency if you live somewhere with a cold winter, as our body synthesizes the nutrient with the help of sun exposure. Vitamin D is responsible for a lot of bodily functions, but most notably bone health and cognitive health. “If you live in an area like New England, regular supplementation is absolutely necessary,” says Baczewski. “Typical recommendation for oral supplementation is 2,000 to 5,000 units per day, but I encourage closer to 5,000 units if the client is in colder climates.”

How to Choose the Best Supplements for Stress

It’s important to remember that unlike pharmaceutical products, supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA. “The quality of supplements matters, and as a consumer, it can be difficult to accurately assess their quality,” warns Dr. Schehr. She recommends looking for specific certifications that can indicate higher manufacturing standards and provide reassurance about the product’s safety and efficacy. This includes United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Verified, ISO certification, Non-GMO Project Verified, and allergen-free certifications. You should also speak to your provider before trying any new supplements, especially if you are on certain drugs, including those that treat depression, anxiety, or heart conditions. “Your healthcare provider can help assess any potential interactions or contraindications based on your personal health history,” says Syn.

Once you’ve found reputable brands, seek out a supplement designed to address your main concern. Dr. Schehr recommends introducing one supplement at a time to clearly assess its effectiveness. “If you’re dealing with chronic or complex stress symptoms, consulting an expert is essential to determine the best approach,” she adds. And ultimately, know that you can’t expect a supplement to be a complete cure. While it’s often easier said than done, you’ll have to do some work on your own to help alleviate stressors in your daily life. “For any stress support supplement to be truly effective, it must be paired with proactive stress management,” explains Dr. Schehr. “This includes eating a nutritious diet, avoiding stimulants, establishing a solid sleep routine, and incorporating calming practices such as meditation or breathwork.”

Meet the Experts

• Mia Syn is a registered dietician, author, and on-air expert in New York, NY.
• Dr. Jaime Schehr is a naturopathic, registered dietitian, and the Assistant Director of Academic Integrative Family Medicine at the Institute for Family Health of Mount Sinai in New York, NY.
• Joe Baczewski is a registered nurse and the co-founder of LIVation, a wellness clinic in Madison, CT.

Here in L.A., matcha is finally getting its flowers in lattes, tonics, and einspanners concoctions, offered up at eateries across the city.

But matcha isn’t just a one note brew. It can be light, ultrarich, bold, dessert-y, depending on where it’s from. So what makes a satiating sip for you may not be someone else’s cup of tea.

Rocky Xu, founder of Rocky’s Matcha whose traveling tea house began as L.A. pop-ups, says it’s comparable to coffee and wine.

“With coffee you have the explosion of single origins and tasting menus,” he says. “With wines, they are aged, cheap, expensive, and everything in between. With matcha, there’s so many different levels.”

So, where should the matcha lover begin? First, know thy source. Cafes choose the matcha they carry. Most traditional matcha comes from Uji in Japan, where the region’s subtropical climate and soil conditions produce high quality leaves. But tea cultivation practices have spread across Japan and other Asian countries, like Korea, which means there are other flavor profiles to consider.

Cafes shortcut this by buying from specific, reputable brands, which you’ll see popping up fairly often, like Rocky’s, Marukyu Koyamaen, Kanbayashi Shunsho, Ippodo, and Mizuba Tea Co.

What else should you be looking out for? Xu boils it down to this checklist:

On the label

• First harvest — Ceremonial grade. Cultivated once a year at the beginning of the harvest known as “first flush.” A first harvest matcha will have the most intense and fresh flavor.
• Stone mill — Machine milled matcha is the most efficient, but it can overheat the leaf, causing astringency. Stone milled matcha avoids that problem, but it can only be produced in finite amounts, somewhere between 25 to 50 grams per stone mill per hour. 

In your drink

• Color — The more vibrant the green, the fresher the flavor, and the more likely a ceremonial grade. A more yellowish, dull hue indicates tea has had more time to oxidize and is from a later harvest, leading to less flavor and nutrients. 
• Flavor — a good sip should have a natural sweetness and non-bitter umami. If a cafe serves their matcha pre-sweetened, they’re most likely serving a lower, culinary grade. Pre-mixed sugar is added to mask the bitterness of a later harvest, signaling a lower quality.

Now that we’ve debriefed, here are seven places to get started with your new knowledge:

Stereoscope Coffee (various locations)

Carrier of three Mizuba Tea Co., Stereoscope exclusives.

Stereoscope is a coffee chain which takes its matcha very seriously. They use matcha from Mizuba Tea Company, a Portland-based brand found in cafes across the states that directly sources from producers on Uji farms in Japan.

Stereoscope, however, has partnered with Mizuba to create three store exclusives – Nakama, Kurohitsuji, and Uchigawa. Eunice Noh, one of their baristas, explains the difference:

• Nakama — “For everyday. A full bodied matcha, bold with comforting notes.”
• Kurohitsuji — “A clean and crisp matcha that is more delicate.” 
• Uchigawa — “The highest grade carried in the store that’s the most complex, naturally sweet and slightly floral.”

Simply put: as you go down the list, there’s more umami flavor with less aftertaste — and increasingly higher prices. I’d say that enthusiasts with a developed palette can probably taste the differences, but I’ll stick to my Nakama with oat milk for the consistent richness I look for in my tea.

Tea Master of Little Tokyo (Little Tokyo)

Carrier of Tea Master Matcha Powder plus a changing variety on the shelves.

In the Honda Plaza, family-owned Tea Master of Little Tokyo is an authentic Japanese counter serving soft-serve matcha ice cream, green teas and smoothies. While they don’t do the kistchy drinks, they stick to a traditional tea program, traveling to farms in Yame and Shizuoka regions to research where their tea leaves are sourced.

In the Honda Plaza, family-owned Tea Master of Little Tokyo is a Japanese counter serving matcha green teas, smoothies and soft-serve matcha ice cream. Their matcha comes from the Yame and Shizuoka regions, known for producing matcha which is milder and vegetal.

There’s nothing commercial about this space; its charm comes from its shelves of traditional teaware, or chasens (Japanese tea whisks), handwritten signage and Japanese paintings, signaling a deep appreciation for the art of tea making. Wood paneled and minimal in design, it’s not so much a space to camp out to work as to take time to savor a traditional cup of tea.

I appreciate Tea Master’s stripped back approach and often end up there when I’m buying tea-making equipment for home. I trust its selection.

Café Telegrama (Melrose Hill)

Matcha courtesy of Rocky’s Matcha at Café Telegrama in Melrose Hill.

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Courtesy Café Telegrama

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Of the many Rocky’s carriers in Los Angeles, my snaps go to Café Telegrama for keeping their latte simple and consistent: hot or iced, with a choice of milk (oat, Koatji, (fermented rice) or pistachio. Telegrama’s latte is served in a sizable glass, making for a crucial sidekick for chowing down on their ricotta and blueberry compote pancakes.

Modu (Highland Park)

Carrier of DADO TEA and Kettl

Iced hojicha latte

Modu, in Korean, means “all”, which extends to their choice of brands: for their green matcha they work with Dado Tea, a Korean tea company with roots in the tea province of Jeolla.

“There definitely was a draw to support a fellow Korean brand,” says chef owner Jiyoon Jang. But she notes that she still mostly sources from Japanese matcha farms in Uji “since that’s where the best of the best is.”

“Quality is one of our most important values,” she said, “so we keep that at the forefront in any partnership we decide on.”

Jang uses Dado’s Okumidori Ceremonial Single Origin for their matcha and Kettl’s Shirakawa for their hojicha, which is dark with rich chocolatey notes. In a latte over Koatji milk, the flavors are balanced and light

Mandarin Coffee Stand (Pasadena)

Carrier of Kurasu Kyoto and AYR Matcha Black

Green matcha from Mandarin Coffee Stand

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Courtesy Mandarin Coffee Stand

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Mandarin Coffee Stand is located in Pasadena’s Burlington Arcade, nestled into the European-style architectural gem with looming archways and curved windows. If you’re craving choice, Mandarin has many great options, from classic green through roasted hojicha.

I mainly endure the lines for their black tea matcha from Korea’s Jeju Island. It’s a powder tea with floral yet chocolatey notes, and it’s hard to come by in a matcha elsewhere. I find the amount of caffeine is just right.

Maru Coffee (Arts District, Los Feliz)

Carrier of Ippodo Matcha

Maru Coffee has created its own cafe culture, one of style and taste in both cafegoers’ fits and their choice in caffeine kick. Maru’s uses Ippodo Tea for their drinks, a matcha that’s been stone milled in Kyoto since 1717. Their latte offers a deep green, energy boost which turns into a sweet treat when paired with the cafe’s signature “cream top”.

**Matcha not available at the espresso-only Beverly Hills location

Stagger Coffee (Koreatown)

Carrier of Leigh Leaf

One of Stagger’s matcha offerings

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Olivia Ha

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Courtesy Stagger

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Only three months old, word is traveling fast about Stagger Coffee’s best-selling Double Matcha. It features a ceremonial-grade tea from Japan, a made-in-house vanilla syrup, choice of milk, and sealed by a layer of their signature matcha cream, that is paradise for connoisseurs who just can’t get enough of the rich tea flavor. While you’re at it, try their house-made Jasmine milk tea and double espresso “Donut Latte.”

Governor Gavin Newsom (D) signed California Assembly Bill 899 into law on Oct. 11, 2023. AB 899 requires manufacturers of baby food to test and disclose the levels of four toxic elements (arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury) that may be present in baby food, and to meet particular labeling requirements. According to the bill, any baby food products sold or made in California will require testing for specific toxic elements beginning January 1, 2024. The heavy metal disclosure requirements went into effect Jan. 1, 2025.

Up until recently, the bill was thought to impact only baby food sold in California that is marketed for children under two years old. However, in late November, the California Department of Health clarified that the bill also includes dietary supplements, leaving nutraceutical brands scrambling for guidance on how to implement the new requirements in a matter of weeks.

But behind the scenes, industry trades were attempting to reach the California Department of Public Health to get some clarification on whether the bill really does apply to dietary supplements, since more than one trade said they were told that was not the original intent of the bill’s authors.

In December, Loren Israelsen, founder and president of the United Natural Products Alliance, told NutraIngredients-USA that he was in touch with CDHP about the lack of information available about AB 899 on its website.

“We had a webinar on this and our members went and looked at the California [Health Department] website trying to get details,” he said. “They can’t find anything, and in fact, it’s not there. And so the response from California was, ‘well, yeah, it’s the holidays and we’ll do it first thing next year.’ So after it’s effective, basically, you’re going to give us some sense of how this is supposed to work?”

Post-holiday update

On Jan. 14, NutraIngredients-USA reached out to CDHP’s communication department to see whether there were any changes to who the bill impacts.

The communications department responded by saying:

“Dietary supplements are considered food. Therefore, manufacturers of dietary supplements for children 2 years and younger must comply with the provisions and due dates of AB 899. Additionally, manufacturers must comply with other applicable regulatory requirements for dietary supplements (e.g., 21 CFR Part 111 for dietary supplement products). Please see AB 899 FAQ page for more information.”

When pressed on whether there would be any special consideration for supplement manufacturers who recently found out the bill applied to them, the communications department responded:

“AB 899, which became effective Jan. 1, 2024, does not allow an implementation grace period or special considerations.”

Trades respond

“CRN continues to stress that the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) purported interpretation that supplements are included under AB 899 appears to be misguided,” said Jeff Ventura, vice president of communications at the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN).

“The limited definition of ‘baby food’ under the law does not appear to contemplate that supplements would be included, which is in line with CRN’s understanding that AB 899’s authors did not intend to include supplements within the law’s scope. Supplements are already subject to extensive GMPs that include testing for toxic elements like heavy metals. CRN is concerned with how CDPH staff came to this broad interpretation and that the agency has offered no rationale for why its staff is representing at this late stage why supplements are included.”

“This situation remains in a state of uncertainty. It seems that the CDPH’s only comment is that DS [dietary supplements] are included under AB 899. That is it. Multiple trade organizations have asked for the rationale behind this, and so far silence — both in emails and on the CDPH website,” said UNPA’s Israelsen.

“It is our understanding the sponsors of AB 899 did not envision DS being within the scope of this bill, seeing it as addressing baby foods, juices etc. intended for children under the age of 2.

“Dietary supplements are already under a Prop 65 obligation to test for lead and other heavy metals, so we are trying to understand what happened, who made this decision and how to conform the CDPH’s unexplained thinking to the intent of the original bill sponsors.

“It seems self-evident that if California regulators make a last minute-decision that throws a wrench into the gears, they should, at the very least, explain their thinking and respond to those affected. So far, that has not happened.”

In December, NutraIngredients-USA reached out to several brands with SKUs that appear to be intended for children for a reaction to the bill. No brands responded, except for one that said it did not think the bill applied to them.