L-Theanine
L-Theanine is an amino acid found primarily in green and black tea and some mushrooms. It is used to improve mental function, reduce anxiety, stress, and insomnia.
Here are some benefits of L-Theanine:
- Reduces stress: A study showed that L-Theanine administration for four weeks reduced stress-related symptoms.
- Improves cognitive function: A randomized, placebo-controlled study found that a single dose of L-Theanine improved reaction time in the attention task and increased correct answers and decreased the number of omission errors in the working memory task.
- Reduces anxiety: L-Theanine can help reduce anxiety and promote relaxation without causing drowsiness.
- Improves sleep quality: A study showed that L-Theanine administration for four weeks improved sleep quality.
- Boosts immunity: L-Theanine may help boost the immune system, although more research is needed to confirm this.
The recommended dosage of L-Theanine varies depending on the intended use. For anxiety and stress reduction, a dose of 200-400 mg per day is recommended. For cognitive function improvement, a single dose of 100-200 mg is recommended. Doses of up to 900 mg daily have been safely used for 8 weeks. However, it is not clear if L-Theanine is safe to use for longer periods of time.
L-Theanine is generally well-tolerated, and very few people experience mild adverse effects such as headache or digestive issues. However, it may interact with certain medications, including those taken to control high blood pressure.
Sources:
- https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/l-Theanine-reduces-psychological-and-physiological-Kimura-Ozeki/791d4474f1bc9c725bb894367fe00776b9d87d38
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16930802/
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6857174_L-Theanine_reduces_psychological_and_physiological_stress_responses
- https://www.scicompdf.se/cooldown/kimura_07.pdf
- https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/10/2362
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464611000351
