Quick Facts About L-Theanine 

• L-Theanine is an amino acid. Amino acids are organic compounds that are made up of elements like carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, and more. These compounds serve as the building blocks for proteins. There are two primary categories of amino acids – essential and non-essential.
• L-Theanine is classified as a non-essential amino acid. Unlike leucine, tryptophan, valine, and other essential amino acids, L-Theanine is not a crucial nutrient for your physical well-being. However, non-essential amino acids like L-Theanine can still be beneficial for your health.
• Other non-essential amino acids include glutamine, glycine, proline, serine, tyrosine, and more. These amino acids can be found in some foods or taken as supplements, but they are not naturally produced by your body.
• The primary dietary sources of L-Theanine are green tea (specifically matcha tea) and black tea. The compound is also present in some mushrooms. However, the easiest way to consume a significant amount of L-Theanine is to take the amino acid as a supplement.
• L-Theanine has a similar chemical structure to glutamate. Glutamate is another amino acid which, unlike L-Theanine, is naturally produced by your body. Glutamate acts as a communicator between your nervous system and your brain. 
• L-Theanine is generally considered safe for adults who are not pregnant or breastfeeding. However, it’s always wise to consult your doctor before adding L-Theanine, or any other supplement, to your daily routine. 

The Benefits of L-Theanine 

L-Theanine can serve several valuable purposes within your daily supplement regimen. L-Theanine’s benefits make for a great addition to a comprehensive lineup of focus-boosting supplements, like the other beneficial ingredients found in R3SET’s Calm Capsules. Below are some of the biggest health benefits of L-Theanine supplements.

For Mental Energy 

If you tend to struggle with bouts of distraction and feel a little mental lag sooner than you’d prefer, these L-Theanine benefits can be good news for you. Here are a few reasons why:

• The amino acid has been found to have a positive impact on GABA activity in the brain. GABA, or gamma-aminobutyric acid, is an amino acid that acts as a neurotransmitter, signaling to your nervous system to maintain a state of equilibrium in times of stress. Along with L-Theanine, GABA is one of the calming ingredients included in R3SET’s daily and nightly capsules.
• L-Theanine may also help to offset some of the negative effects of caffeine consumption. If caffeine tends to make you jittery and distractible, pairing your daily cup with an L-Theanine supplement can work to have a calming effect, such as soothing feelings of irritability you’d usually get from a caffeine crash. The supplement has been found to preserve the benefits of coffee – increased focus, mental energy, delicious taste – while balancing out its overly-stimulating properties. Nevertheless, it’s always wise to carefully monitor caffeine intake for the sake of steady mental energy, even when taking L-Theanine. 
• L-Theanine may help you concentrate. A study conducted on the impact of L-Theanine as a component in tea produced promising results that point to the amino acid as a cognition and focus-booster. Participants in the study self-reported that they experienced an increase in perceived alertness, mood, and ability to complete mentally intense tasks thanks to the effects of L-Theanine.
• The results of another study appear to indicate that L-Theanine may make it easier to switch between tasks. While multitasking can be nearly impossible for some people, especially for a distractible brain, the combination of L-Theanine and caffeine may be helpful in keeping your mind ready for a fast-paced workday.

For Sleep Quality 

Another potential benefit of taking L-Theanine comes from nighttime use of the supplement – it may help support quality sleep.

L-Theanine is one of the beneficial ingredients included in R3SET’s Unwind capsules, our once-a-night supplement designed to help you relax and get ready for a restful night.* 

Here’s why we included L-Theanine in our nighttime supplements:

• L-Theanine’s positive interaction with GABA makes the supplement an excellent natural sleep aid. Our Unwind formula includes several ingredients that have been found to interact well with GABA activity in the brain, including L-Theanine, chamomile, valerian root, and more. These mild, calming ingredients can play a valuable role in your bedtime routine.*
• L-Theanine won’t put you to sleep, but it can help you unwind toward relaxation before bed. It’s also a natural alternative for those who are unable to take other OTC sleep medications. 

Does L-Theanine Have Any Side Effects? 

Taking L-Theanine is generally very safe, and the supplement has very little potential to cause side effects. However, it’s important to stick with the recommended dosage of L-Theanine, as well as to consult your doctor before starting out with daily use of the supplement. If you exceed the recommended daily dose of L-Theanine, you are more likely to experience uncomfortable side effects, which can include dizziness, headaches, and nausea.

What is the Recommended Dose of L-Theanine? 

L-Theanine dosages can range between 100-400 mg. For reference, a cup of green tea typically contains between 20-40 mg of L-Theanine. That means that supplements are a far more reliable way of consuming higher amounts of L-Theanine. However, when it comes to finding the right L-Theanine dosage for you, it’s best to get your doctor’s input. 

Tips for Taking L-Theanine 

If you’re ready to get started with including L-Theanine in your daily supplement regimen, make sure to keep these tips in mind.

• Monitor caffeine intake if you are getting L-Theanine from tea. While supplements may be the most effective way to consume L-Theanine in higher dosages, tea can also be a reliable source of the beneficial amino acid. However, if you choose to include a few cups of green or black tea in your daily routine, make sure to be careful with caffeine. Too much caffeine can lead to spikes and crashes in your energy levels, which can sabotage your productivity and interfere with your sleep cycle.
• Read the labels on your supplements before taking them. L-Theanine supplements, including R3SET’s Calm and Unwind capsules, come with recommendations for safe and optimal dosages. By sticking with the recommended dose of L-Theanine, you can set yourself up for the smoothest experience with the supplement.
• If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or under 18, talk to your doctor before taking L-Theanine. In addition, L-Theanine has the potential to interact with some medications, including prescriptions for high blood pressure. If you suspect that L-Theanine may interact with your medication, make sure to consult your doctor.

Conclusion 

Overall, L-Theanine is a safe, mild, and highly beneficial supplement to include in your daily wellness routine. In addition to being available in the form of capsules or pills, you can also consume the amino acid as a compound in green and black tea, as well as via some mushrooms. 

L-Theanine’s benefits include supporting mental energy, quality sleep, and stress. If you’re struggling with restlessness, inattentiveness, or feeling overwhelmed, the supplement can be a valuable part of your journey towards a calmer, yet focused day to day.

To learn more about L-Theanine and the other ingredients in R3SET’s supplements, click here to visit our blog and access a wealth of information about the best ingredients for stress management.

Sources:

GABA and l-theanine mixture decreases sleep latency and improves NREM sleep

The Benefits of L-Theanine and Caffeine

The combination of L-theanine and caffeine improves cognitive performance and increases subjective alertness

L-theanine and caffeine improve task switching but not intersensory attention or subjective alertness