What Is L-Theanine? | L-Theanine Benefits, Dosage & Side Effects
L-Theanine benefits
Energy and focus:
While many of us turn to coffee for a morning boost of energy from caffeine, some people are dedicated tea drinkers or may turn to green or black tea later in the day for a relaxing break. Much research has been done into L-Theanine, in combination with caffeine (how it naturally occurs in regular - non-decaffeinated - tea).
L-Theanine , specifically when coupled with caffeine, may enhance weight loss and make it easier to lose weight1
L-Theanine can induce a more relaxed state: a study in 1999 first found that L-Theanine, for which the only significant food source is tea, can help you to relax 3
L-Theanine can counteract the effect that caffeine has on blood pressure - one study found that L-Theanine in tea worked to lessen the impact that caffeine had on both systolic and diastolic blood pressure 2
L-Theanine may help to support your immune system - the stronger your immune system is, the lower your chances are of becoming sick when exposed to bacteria and viruses 4
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L-Theanine side effects
No adverse side effects have been found with L-Theanine; one study called it “safe and effective” when studying its benefits.
L-Theanine dosage
The optimum dosage of L-Theanine has not yet been determined; dosage used in research has ranged from 100-500mg.
Take home message
L-Theanine is a powerful, naturally occurring substance that we usually only get in our diet from green or black tea. L-Theanine can benefit relaxation, focus, your immune system, your circulation, and even with weight loss.
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- Haskell, C. F., Kennedy, D. O., Milne, A. L., Wesnes, K. A., & Scholey, A. B. (2008). The effects of L-theanine, caffeine and their combination on cognition and mood. Biological psychology, 77(2), 113-122.
- Rogers, P. J., Smith, J. E., Heatherley, S. V., & Pleydell-Pearce, C. W. (2008). Time for tea: mood, blood pressure and cognitive performance effects of caffeine and theanine administered alone and together. Psychopharmacology, 195(4), 569-577.
- Alsene, K., Deckert, J., Sand, P., & de Wit, H. (2003). Association between A 2a receptor gene polymorphisms and caffeine-induced anxiety. Neuropsychopharmacology, 28(9), 1694-1702.
- Williams, J., Kellett, J., Roach, P. D., McKune, A., Mellor, D., Thomas, J., & Naumovski, N. (2016). L-theanine as a functional food additive: Its role in disease prevention and health promotion. Beverages, 2(2), 13.
- Juszkiewicz, A., Glapa, A., Basta, P., Petriczko, E., Żołnowski, K., Machaliński, B., … & Skarpańska-Stejnborn, A. (2019). The effect of L-theanine supplementation on the immune system of athletes exposed to strenuous physical exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 16(1), 1-14.
- Owen, G. N., Parnell, H., De Bruin, E. A., & Rycroft, J. A. (2008). The combined effects of L-theanine and caffeine on cognitive performance and mood. Nutritional neuroscience, 11(4), 193-198.
