L-Theanine
Benefits of L-Theanine
- Mental performance
- Relaxation
- Sleep
- Form: Amino Acid
- Food source: Tea, particularly green tea.
What is L-Theanine?
L-Theanine is an amino acid found mainly in tea. Unlike most amino acids, it isn't used to build proteins.
What does the research say about L-Theanine?
L-Theanine has been researched for its effects on chemical messengers in the brain such as serotonin and dopamine, and on the hormone cortisol. Serotonin and dopamine are involved in mood, and cortisol affects how our body deals with stress.
When faced with stressful situations, the balance of hormones in our body is important. Having too much or too little of a specific hormone can affect how clearly we think or leave us feeling tired. A systematic review has looked at L-Theanine and stress in human clinical trials.
L-Theanine has also been studied in relation to relaxation at the end of the day. Researchers have looked at its effect on GABA, a calming messenger in the brain, and a study of GABA combined with L-Theanine looked at how quickly sleep began and at sleep stages. L-Theanine has also been studied for its effect on alpha brain waves, which are linked with a relaxed but alert state. Another trial looked at sleep quality and sleep satisfaction.
Like other amino acids including L-Tyrosine, L-Theanine has been studied for its role in cognitive function. Taken together with caffeine, it has also been studied for focus during demanding tasks.
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