Scientific Review of Nootropic L-Theanine. Usage, Benefits, Effects, Mechanism of Action, Dosage, Side Effects, User Experiences, and FAQs. Published by Nootropics Information on https://nootro.info/nootropics/l-theanine/

1. L-Theanine
Introduction – Bene ts & E ects – Mechanism of Action – Dosage – Side E ects – FAQ
Summary: L-theanine is a natural amino acid, often called the “natural xanax”. It almost only exists in
green tea leaves. It works brilliantly in unwinding and relaxing the body and brain without causing
drowsiness, while reducing stress and increasing cognitive function. Due to not causing drowsiness, it
is the perfect choice to combine with stimulants of any sort to take the edge o .
L-
theanine
skeletal
structure
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Introduction
What is L-Theanine?
L-theanine is a relaxing, non-sedating amino acid that is synergistic with stimulants to ‘take the edge
o .’ Especially with co ee, it synergizes so well resulting in clean energy, furthermore preventing the
nasty ca eine crash that many people experience after ca eine intake. It is also useful on its own,
promoting relaxation and minimizing stress without causing drowsiness. A combination of L-theanine
with ca eine at a 2:1 ratio is increasing in popularity as a remarkably synergetic combination that
boosts cognition and attention.
It is an amino acid that naturally exists in green tea leaves as its main active ingredient, and that is the
only source that provides it. It is famous for its fantastic nootropic features such as improving
memory, expanding learning capacity, as well as providing a calming, zen-like e ect.
L-Theanine, for the most part, is a relaxing but not sedating amino acid that is synergistic with
stimulants such as ca eine as it can ‘take the edge o ’. It is e ective by itself in the standard

3. supplemental dosages as well, and although it can be attained via a diet high in green tea ingestion
that is the only dietary source of L-Theanine.
Examine.com
L-Theanine has also been in the list of 6 best natural nootropics as second to ca eine.
Bene ts & Effects
What Are L-Theanine Bene ts?
1. Reduces Anxiety & Stress
2. Improves Memory, Attention, and Cognition
3. Enhances Sleep Quality
4. Promotes Longevity and Increases Lifespan
5. Reduces Symptoms of Depression
6. Promotes Relaxation without causing Drowsiness
7. Signi cantly Reduces Symptoms of Schizophrenia
8. Enhances Blood Flow and Stimulates Nitric Oxide Production
9. Reduces Negative E ects of Ca eine & Improves Cognitive Boosting E ects
10. Additional Bene ts
Supporting Research:
L-Theanine Reduces Anxiety & Stress
A review by researchers of a small set of trials concluded that there are bene ts of L-theanine in
reducing acute stress and anxiety in people with stressful conditions. [R]
Oral intake of L-theanine in rats at feasible dosages reduces circulating biomarkers of stress with or
without an actual stressor being present. Therefore, it reduces the adverse e ects of stress such as
memory impairment. Reductions of perceived stress reported in human subjects given oral theanine
at the standard dosages. [R] [R] [R]
L-Theanine Improves Memory, Attention, and Cognition
In a 16-week long study on individuals with mild cognitive impairment, supplementing with l-theanine
shows an improved delayed recognition as well as immediate recall comparing to those receiving a

4. placebo during a mental exercise. Furthermore, attention span and alertness levels increased during
the memory test. [R]
L-Theanine Enhances Sleep Quality
Theanine enhances sleep quality. In a study measuring sleep time with individuals supplementing with
L-theanine, sleep time increases by 11 and up to 21%, therefore making it a valuable compound for
achieving better nighttime sleep. (R)
L-Theanine Promotes Longevity and Increases Lifespan
In a study using the model organism C. elegans, L-theanine shows to promote longevity and promote
healthy and increased lifespan. Due to those ndings, the study suggests that the compound might
have similar e ects on mammals and humans (R)
L-Theanine Reduces Symptoms of Depression
L-Theanine intake for a period of eight weeks during an open-label study helped easing depressive
symptoms, anxiety, sleep disturbance, as well as cognitive impairments in subject su ering major
depressive disorder. (R)
L-Theanine Promotes Relaxation without causing Drowsiness
Theanine is proving to be a great agent in promoting relaxation without the accompanying e ect of
drowsiness. The company developing ‘suntheanine’, l-theanine supplement, won the 1998’s Food
Ingredient Research Award for the outstanding research and ndings. (R)
L-Theanine Signi cantly Reduces Symptoms of Schizophrenia
In persons diagnosed schizophrenia receiving 400mg L-theanine in addition to antipsychotic
medication for eight weeks were able to reduce anxiety as well as psychopathology symptoms
signi cantly. (R)
L-Theanine Enhances Blood Flow and Stimulates Nitric Oxide Production
Theanine appears to promote nitric oxide formation at relatively low concentrations and is likely
practically relevant following oral ingestion. (R)
L-Theanine Reduces Negative Effects of Caffeine & Improves Cognitive Boosting Effects
Theanine and ca eine are typically found together in tea. A combination of ca eine and theanine
together signi cantly improves alertness, reduce fatigue, and improves task-switching accuracy.
High dose ca eine (250 mg, equivalent to 2.5 cups of co ee) has some negative e ects, such as jitters
and increased blood pressure. Theanine was able to mitigate the increase in blood pressure.
“L-Theanine decreases the negative and jittery e ects of ca eine in rats.

5. However, human studies found that L-Theanine helps reduce ca eine jitters, although the changes
were not signi cant.
L-Theanine changes the pharmacological pro le of ca eine in humans, as the combination of ca eine
and L-Theanine have somewhat di erent cognitive enhancement e ects. “- Selfhacked
Additional L-Theanine Bene ts
Large studies in humans have not been undertaken; however, several smaller-scale studies (fewer
than 100 participants) have shown increased alpha wave generation and lowered anxiety, along with
bene ts to sleep quality in people with ADHD. [R]
Mechanism of Action
How Does L-Theanine Work?
L-theanine has a comparable chemical composition to glutamate, an amino acid that assists in the
transmission of nerve impulses in the brain. Thereby, providing a host of bene ts for the mind. It has
a remarkable ability of crossing the blood-brain barrier, which means that it reaches the brain
directly. Furthermore, it has positive e ects on stress levels proving to increase both dopamine and
serotonin levels in brain; which are two of the brain’s feel-good chemicals. Green tea is known to be
e ective at helping people relax due to the positive impact on those neurotransmitters.
Theanine is an antagonist of the NMDA receptors (albeit with fairly weak e cacy) and can inhibit
synaptic release of glutamate via blocking the transporter competitively. Theanine may also reduce
glutamate levels, but this is also a fairly weak mechanism requiring a high concentration of theanine –
Examine
Dosage
How to Take L-Theanine?
The e ective l-theanine dose is 200mg. For optimal nootropic results, take l-theanine with ca eine
(co ee or supplement, whatever suits you) at a 2:1 ratio. As a stack, it would be:
1. L-Theanine 200mg
2. Ca eine 100mg
For those interested, you can actually purchase a supplement pre-made that has 200 mg Theanine &
100 mg Ca eine pressed into one capsule. I’ve personally used and still use Nootropic Depot’s.
Note: if you have anxiety or hypertension, you may want to skip ca eine entirely as it aggravates the
symptoms.

6. Experimenting is the best way to nd out how you react to it.
Side Effects
What Are L-Theanine Side Effects?
L-theanine is very safe as very high doses have failed to cause toxicity. However, that doesn’t mean
you should go for such high dosage. (R)
L-theanine is exceptionally reliable. Furthermore, it is classi ed Generally Recognized as Safe by the
Fraud and Deception FDA in the US.
Conclusion
L-Theanine is a natural safe amino acid o ering many bene ts. It’s a popular choice for individuals
wanting a simple and e ective way to boost their mental performance. Alone, with ca eine, or even
with an advanced nootropic stack; L-theanine is worth trying.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is L-Theanine and how does it work?
L-theanine is one of the main psychoactive constituents of green tea (camellia sinensis) generally used
as a dietary supplement to promote relaxation, lift mood, and reduce anxiety without sedation.
Beyond that, it’s been shown to generate creativity and higher learning via the ability to ignore
distracting information during complex tasks. Now the science: L-theanine induces a calm state of
mind by promoting alpha waves in the brain, and has been shown to increase dopamine, GABA, and
glycine levels in various areas of the brain, as well as modulate BDNF (Brain derived neurotrophic
factor) and NGF (Nerve Growth Factor) levels. In fact, in one recent animal study l-theanine
consumption was associated with about a 25% increase in BDNF and about a 100% increase in NGF in
the hippocampus. L-Theanine has structural similarities to glutamine and both neurotransmitters
that are produced from it (GABA and glutamate) help balance and maintain stress levels while
maintaining a state of wakeful relaxation. Lately, L-theanine has been growing in popularity due to its
synergistic e ects with ca eine to help boost focus. Systematic reviews show that L-theanine
signi cantly mitigates the anxiety inducing side-e ects of ca eine to create a balanced focus.
Should I take L-Theanine every time I drink co ee? Are there any adverse e ects from long-term
L-Theanine usage?
Yes, and no. Let me explain. L-Theanine is a phenomenal compound when mixed with co ee, due to
the stacking of e ect, as well as the reduction in some of the negative e ects of ca eine itself. For
example, in my biohacking course The Alchemist’s Guide To Biohacking, I talk about how I stack co ee
blended with grass-fed butter, coconut oil, MCT, L-Theanine, macadamia or almond butter, and
sometimes raw honey almost every single morning. It’s a part of my daily routine, and probably my
most favourite (and de nitely tastiest) part of it, if I have to choose one. However, like all compounds I

7. take on a regular basis, I try to observe a 6/1 or 6/2 cycle with them, meaning six weeks on, then one
or two weeks o , depending on the compound. This is to reduce dependency, as well as ensure my
body isn’t getting used to the e ects, resulting in me possibly having to take more. I’m currently in an
o phase now with pine pollen, one of my go-to herbal supplements to boost my testosterone levels.
With L-Theanine, I tend to take a week o at the same time I give myself a week o from
co ee/ca eine, as it helps to do both at the same time for me.
Has anyone used L-Theanine as a meditation aid?
When you take L-theanine your thinking will seemingly slow down considerably, but you are not fully
conscious when L-Theanine is in your bloodstream. It shuts o certain areas of the brain and limits
the bandwidth of brain waves to predominantly alpha waves (1). Full meditative consciousness
requires great brain wave bandwidth from delta – to high gamma waves and full activity of the
neurotransmitter systems. It is best to meditate completely sober, then your brain will adapt properly
to fully receive consciousness. Theanine is bene cial though, after it has metabolized by the body. It
acts like an adaptogen and increases strength of brain. Your alertness increases 24 h after
consumption and meditation is easier for 48 h. This is because brain have adapted to the presence of
L-theanine, and once it has been metabolized, the brain neurons will re with greater intensity, until
brain is again adapted to absence of L-Theanine. L-theanine, a natural constituent in tea, and its e ect
on mental state.
Further and Related Readings
1. L-Theanine & Ca eine Stack: Making the Best of Both Worlds
2. Acetyl-L-Carnitine aka ALCAR
3. N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine aka NALT
4. The Ultimate Nootropics FAQ List
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