What is THE L-Theanine NOOTROPIC good for?

Your brain is racing, your palms sweating, and your fight-or-flight response is doing everything it can to interrupt you?

That’s where L-Theanine comes in well, maintaining a calm focus to help get you back in the flow, providing a state of calm but not sedated focus.

L-Theanine is a unique amino acid found abundantly in the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) as well as several mushroom species. L-Theanine promotes relaxation while maintaining alertness and promotes healthy cognitive function. It works by reducing excitatory neurotransmitter activity in the brain and promoting alpha brain wave activity for more of a “flow state”.

How to use L-Theanine?

As a dietary supplement, take 200 - 400mg, 1 - 3 times daily as needed.

The most popular use case for L-Theanine is the 200mg paired with a cup of coffee allow for better focus and a smoother stimulation, however many enjoy it at the higher 400mg dose in the evenings to assist in de-stressing, or part of a before bed routine to decrease time to fall asleep.

For optimal function take separate of food and sources of amino acids. L-theanine is fast-acting, with clinically proven effects within 45 minutes of ingestion. 

L-Theanine in Tea

Ever wondered why sipping a cup of tea provides such a smooth uplifting feel without the hassle of jitters? That’s the L-theanine! Tea leaves contain a proportionally high amount of this sweet little amino acid, easily enough to handle the small amount of caffeine pumping its way in.

The presence of L-theanine in Tea leaves was actually discovered by Japanese researchers in 1949. Interestingly, when they correlated tea's that were considered "high quality", these were also the tea's that had a high L-theanine content! 

But with our modern day workplace, coffee has quickly established itself as the beverage of choice for its greater caffeine content. Coffee which, unfortunately, lacks the supportive L-theanine component. 

The perfect L-Theanine and Coffee Duo

This is why we have designed all of the L-theanine range so that for each, just one capsule can provide a potent enough dose to facilitate the caffeine of a cup of coffee. 

• Stacks great with coffee to reduce caffeine jitters and improve task focus;

• Increases mental focus and clarity;

• Stay alert while remaining relaxed.

F.A.Q.

Q: Will I build a tolerance to L-Theanine?

Not at all! L-theanine is not habit-forming and it does not lead to tolerance and dependence even when used over long periods of time.

Q: What about adverse reactions?

L-Theanine is generally well tolerated, and there are no published reports of serious adverse side effects or interactions with other natural products or conventional prescription medications. 

More on L-Theanine itself

L-theanine, a water-soluble, non-protein amino acid commonly found in green tea and some mushrooms, has been widely studied for its ability to encourage wakeful relaxation without sedation. L-theanine is thought to work by decreasing “excitatory” brain chemicals that contribute to stress and anxiety while increasing brain chemicals that encourage a sense of calm. It’s even been known to lower stress-related blood pressure and heart rate.

L-theanine crosses the blood-brain barrier, and has the ability to modulate inhibitory neurotransmitters, serotonin, and dopamine to bring about anxiolytic and calming effects. L-theanine can also improve cognition and selective attention, perhaps due to changes in alpha brain wave activity. Finally, its ability to selectively bind to glutamate receptors may confer neuroprotective effects as well.

In addition to promoting relaxation, L-theanine has been shown to stabilize cognitive function affected by stress hormones. More specifically, L-theanine decreases levels of corticosterone, which when elevated can inhibit spatial learning and memory formation. Other researchers have shown that, in people with anxiety, L-theanine improved attention span and reaction time. Taken with caffeine, L-theanine improved visual information processing and accuracy when moving between tasks.

Given its ability to encourage attention and focus, it may come as a surprise that L-theanine has also been found to improve time to sleep as well as quality of sleep. Instead of acting as a sedative, L-theanine works to promote better rest by reducing anxiety and promoting relaxation.

Further Reading:

If you're keen for some further reading on L-theanine, below are a couple research articles we frequently recommend as an introduction to L-theanine.

• 200 mg of Zen | L-Theanine Boosts Alpha Waves, Promotes Alert Relaxation

• L-theanine, a natural constituent in tea, and its effect on mental state

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First published 04.12.2020 for nicesupplementco.com

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This content is for educational purposes only and does not intend to cure or diagnose disease, nor make any health claims. There is no intent to slander in any way, but rather produce an informed and accurate third party perspective on the product. Always consult your accredited medical professional before introducing a new supplement. This content is not to be copied or repurposed in any form without express permission from the author.