Is Theanine a Nootropic?

Is Theanine a Nootropic?

L-Theanine is a nootropic and it's a lovely little molecule with whom we fell in love upon first ingestion. It's like a warm calming hug or sigh of relief for the brain!

L-Theanine as a nootropics  has been shown to cause a significant increase in Alpha Brain waves. Alpha brain waves are responsible for an increased state of alertness while simultaneously relaxing the mind WITHOUT drowsiness. (click here for study)

When paired with caffeine, L-Theanine helps increase focus and attention. Studies have found that a combination of L-Theanine and caffeine helped adults focus better during demanding tasks.

The combined effects of L-theanine and caffeine on cognitive performance and moodhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18681988/

“The aim of this study was to compare 50 mg caffeine, with and without 100 mg L-theanine, on cognition and mood in healthy volunteers. 

 The effects of these treatments on word recognition, rapid visual information processing, critical flicker fusion threshold, attention switching and mood were compared to placebo in 27 participants.

Performance was measured at baseline and again 60 min and 90 min after each treatment (separated by a 7-day washout). Caffeine improved subjective alertness at 60 min and accuracy on the attention-switching task at 90 min.

The L-theanine and caffeine combination improved both speed and accuracy of performance of the attention-switching task at 60 min, and reduced susceptibility to distracting information in the memory task at both 60 min and 90 min. These results replicate previous evidence which suggests that L-theanine and caffeine in combination are beneficial for improving performance on cognitively demanding tasks.”

People choose to use L-Theanine for many different reasons. It's fantastic paired with caffeine for heightened "flow state" when studying. It's a go-to for calming nerves before stressful events. And it's routinely used for ADD and ADHD to assist in creating states of calm focus. Check out this article for a fantastic read that takes a deeper dive: "What You Need to Know About L-Theanine."
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