What is L-Theanine?
L-Theanine is a fascinating and relatively rare amino acid that is known for its remarkable, relaxing and stress-reducing properties This natural compound has the ability to put the body and mind into a state of calm and relaxation, without causing drowsiness or dizziness The special thing about L-theanine is that it can cross the blood-brain barrier and thus acts directly in the brain, where it influences the production of neurotransmitters and promotes alpha brain wave activity.
Interestingly, this particular amino acid has a chemical structure similar to glutamic acid, an amino acid that acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain. This similarity may be one of the reasons for the diverse effects of this vital substance on the nervous system and cognitive performance. In recent years, scientific research has increasingly brought to light the numerous health benefits of L-theanine and has established it as promising natural substance for general well-being and health.
Where does L-theanine occur?
As already mentioned, L-theanine especially in green tea contain, but also in smaller quantities in other types of tea and even in some types of mushrooms.
Table 1: The average molecular content of various types of tea was analyzed in a Hungarian publication.
| type of tea | L-theanine content |
| Green tea | 6.56 mg/g |
| white tea | 6.26 mg/g |
| oolong tea | 6.09 mg/g |
| Black tea | 5.13 mg/g |
Worth knowing: The L-theanine content varies enormously from tea to tea. While a Korean green tea contained 10.93 mg/g, a Chinese Sencha green tea had only 2.65 mg/g. This is one of the reasons why many people prefer to consume the molecule in the form of a dietary supplement.
L-Theanine Effect – What benefits does L-Theanine offer the human body?
Similar to EGCG L-theanine offers the body a particularly wide variety of potential health effects:
relaxation and stress reduction
L-theanine can increase alpha brain waves, thereby inducing a feeling of relaxation without causing drowsiness. Another study conducted research into the effects of L-theanine on stress and anxiety in humans. They analyzed five high-quality studies with 104 participants. Four of these studies found that Taking 200 to 400 mg of L-theanine per day to reduce stress and anxiety contributes.
improving cognitive performance
A study has shown that L-theanine in combination with small amounts caffeine which can improve attention and concentration.In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study (highest evidence), the effects of the vital substance on the cognitive functions healthy adults between 50 and 69 years of age. It was found that a single dose of L-theanine Improves attention and working memory, which suggests that it is improvement of general cognitive abilities can contribute.
support of the immune system
There is also evidence that L-theanine can strengthen the immune systemby promoting the production of antibodies and other immune cells. For example, one research paper found that the molecule could help reduce upper respiratory tract infections.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study with 200 health care workers investigated whether catechins and theanine from green tea could prevent flu infection. The subjects swallowed 6 capsules per day containing a total of 378 mg of catechins (of which 270 mg EGCG) and 210 mg of theanine. The results showed that the The incidence of flu infections was significantly lower in the group taking catechin/theanine capsules than in the placebo group, suggesting that green tea catechins and theanine may help prevent influenza infection.
