Scientific Evidence That Proves L-Theanine To Be An Effective Nootropic

L-Theanine promotes a state of relaxation and calmness. Reduces Stress and anxiety and when mixed with caffeine promotes elongated highly concentrated energy levels without the nasty side effects of caffeine. Relaxed Hyper-Focus

​1. Effects of L-Theanine Administration on Stress-Related Symptoms and Cognitive Functions in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial:

• The paper concludes that L-theanine has the potential to promote mental health in the general population with stress-related ailments and cognitive impairments. The study showed that L-theanine administration for four weeks improved stress-related symptoms and cognitive functions in healthy adults​.​

2. The effects of l-theanine, caffeine and their combination on cognition and mood

• L-theanine and caffeine may have a different pharmacological profile than caffeine alone. The combination led to faster simple reaction time, faster numeric working memory reaction time, improved sentence verification accuracy, and reduced 'headache' and 'tired' ratings while increasing 'alert' ratings. 

3. l-Theanine and caffeine improve task switching but not intersensory attention or subjective alertness

• The combination of l-theanine and caffeine significantly improved attention on a switch task compared to the placebo. However, there were no significant improvements in subjective alertness or intersensory attention. The results support previous evidence that the combination of l-theanine and caffeine can enhance attention.
• The study also mentioned previous research that has shown the individual effects of l-theanine and caffeine. Caffeine has been reported to enhance cognitive performance and alertness, while l-theanine has been found to increase relaxation and improve certain cognitive tasks. However, the effects seem to be more pronounced when the two ingredients are combined.
• Overall, the study provides further evidence that the combination of l-theanine and caffeine can improve attention, specifically on tasks involving task switching.

4. How does the tea L-theanine buffer stress and anxiety

• This paper discusses the relaxation effect of L-Theanine, an amino acid found in green tea leaves. This is because of its ability to compete with glutamate (excitatory neurotransmitter, plays a major role in learning and memory) for receptors and pass the blood-brain barrier (brain security guard, lets in important things that the brain needs to function properly).

5. Psychological effects of dietary components of tea: caffeine and L-theanine

• This study examines the effects of L-theanine and Caffeine found in green tea. The same combination of nootropics found in Boost Coffee. Here are the results:
• increased wakefulness, vigor, energy, clarity of thought, and efficiency.
• Caffeinated tea also showed longer-term benefits such as lower sedation or fatigue compared to coffee and less disruption on sleep quality
•  Regarding cognitive performance, studies primarily focused on simple tasks, showing that caffeine in tea had positive effects on speed of perception (processing of information and response to visual/auditory stimuli) with lower doses and in higher doses enhances maintenance of performance (ability to sustain and maintain cognitive performance over a period of time).

6. The combined effects of L-theanine and caffeine on cognitive performance and mood

• The combination of L-theanine and caffeine had positive effects on cognitive performance. It improved both the speed and accuracy of completing tasks that required switching attention between different things. This improvement was observed 60 minutes after consuming the combination.
• The study also showed individuals were less likely to be affected or disturbed by irrelevant information when trying to remember things. This was observed 60-90 minutes after consuming the combination
• Beneficial for improving performance on cognitively demanding tasks
• A recent study found that L-theanine enhances the brain's anticipatory alpha waves, which are associated with attention. This suggests that L-theanine can improve the ability to concentrate and focus when engaged in mentally demanding tasks.
• Taking a combination of 150 mg caffeine and 250 mg L-theanine led to significant improvements in simple reaction time, speed of numeric working memory, word recognition, and accuracy of sentence verification. Neither caffeine nor L-theanine alone had the same effect. Additionally, the combination of L-theanine and caffeine improved alertness and reduced tiredness.

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

• This study looked at the effects of caffeine and L-theanine on thinking and mood in healthy people
• The combination of L-theanine and caffeine improved both the speed and accuracy of attention-switching tasks after 60 minutes. It also helped reduce distractions during memory tasks at both 60 and 90 minutes
• These findings suggest that combining L-theanine and caffeine can be helpful for improving performance on mentally challenging tasks
• L-theanine can enhance attention and focus when people are mentally active. The combination of L-theanine and caffeine also helped with alertness and reduced fatigue

8. Effects of L-theanine on the release of alpha-brain waves in human volunteers  [1998]

• This study examined the effects of L-theanine, an amino acid found in green tea, on brain waves and relaxation in human volunteers
• When participants consumed 200 mg of L-theanine dissolved in water, it caused the brain to produce alpha waves, which are associated with a relaxed state
• The intensity of these alpha waves was higher in individuals with higher anxiety levels compared to those with lower anxiety levels. These findings suggest that L-theanine has a potential relaxing effect and could be used as a functional ingredient in foods and beverages
• The study also noted that L-theanine has been shown to be safe in animal experiments and that previous research has demonstrated its ability to control caffeine-induced jitteriness

9. Effects of L-theanine or caffeine intake on changes in blood pressure under physical and psychological stresses

• ​This study investigated the effects of orally L-theanine and caffeine on mental task performance and physiological responses in individuals exposed to stress (physical/psychological)
• L-theanine reduced anxiety: Participants had a higher blood pressure when they would be exposed to these stressors without L-theanine and the blood pressure would go down when taking L-theanine. This suggests that L-theanine has an anxiety-reducing effect
• Blood pressure regulation: L-theanine exhibited a beneficial effect on blood pressure in individuals who were more susceptible to stress. It helped reduce the rise in blood pressure during mentally challenging tasks
• L-theanine and Caffeine reduces anxiety and helps regulate blood pressure during mentally challenging tasks. This highlights the potential use of L-theanine as a natural supplement to improve mental performance and reduce stress-related symptoms

10. The Cognitive-Enhancing Outcomes of Caffeine and L-theanine: A Systematic Review

• This study evaluates the effects of the combination of L-theanine and caffeine on various cognitive outcomes. The findings suggest several benefits of this combination, including improvements in attention, cognition, inhibitory control, and reduced mind-wandering
• Improvements in ADHD-related impairments: L-theanine-caffeine combination improved impairments related to ADHD, including maintained attention, control on inhibition, and general cognition in boys with ADHD. This suggests that the combination may have potential therapeutic benefits for ADHD
• Enhanced attention and cognition: L-theanine-caffeine combination improved attention and target reaction times in a visual colour stimulus discrimination task (used to assess attention, memory, or cognitive processes on color perception). The combination decreased mind-wandering and increased neural resources related to attention, leading to improved cognitive performance
• Improved selective attention: The combination of L-theanine and caffeine has been found to enhance cognitive abilities and neurological responses related to selective attention. This improvement suggests that the combination enhances both visual and motor processing
• Positive effects on mood and fatigue: Participants taking the L-theanine-caffeine combination reported reduced ratings of headaches and tiredness, while alertness ratings were increased. The combination also relieved mental fatigue.
• Performance under stress conditions: The combination of Matcha and caffeine (also containing L-theanine) improved work performance and attention under psychological stress compared to caffeine alone. It showed positive effects on attention and work performance during and after stressful situations.