In today’s world, who doesn’t feel stressed, anxious, unfocused, irritable, or even a little bummed every now and then? With the never ending to-do lists, life can certainly begin to feel overwhelming and you may be searching for a solution to finally ease your mind, calm down, and focus.Well look no further than L-theanine, a naturally-occurring non-protein amino acid found in green, black, and oolong tea. L-theanine is one of the few supplements that has the ability to cross the blood brain barrier, thus having the ability to change the biochemistry of the brain. Research has shown that L-theanine boosts alpha brain waves, leads to higher levels of dopamine and serotonin, and enhances the brain’s production of the neurotransmitter GABA, all of which help bring about feelings of relaxation, calmness, clarity, and focus, but without drowsiness. Due to the higher levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is associated with happy emotions, L-theanine may lead to a feelings of pleasure and well-being. WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SAY? Perhaps this is why tea is the most popular beverage in the world: it provides a natural source of caffeine, but the L-theanine helps to prevent jitters and nervousness. In fact, according to scientific research, the combination of L-theanine and caffeine may increase alertness and improve cognitive performance. One study found that 97mg of L-theanine plus 40 mg of caffeine helped individuals focus during a demanding cognitive task.Even without caffeine, you may find that L-theanine works better than other anti-stress herbal remedies like valerian root or kava kava, because while all are helpful for relaxation and calming, the herbs may cause drowsiness while L-theanine does not. Oddly enough, even though L-theanine does not cause drowsiness, it has been shown to improve sleep quality, due to its ability to help you relax. If the body is relaxed and mind is calm and clear before bed, it is easier to fall asleep quicker and stay asleep, leading to a night of quality rest. DOSING AND WARNINGS: Research suggests a 180-200 mg dose to be safe and effective. It kicks in about 30-40 minutes after ingestion and will last up to 5 hours. Keep in mind, if you take any medications for mood disorders, you should check with your doctor first, as L-theanine can amplify the drug’s effects. Do not take L-theanine if you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or nursing. Do not take L-theanine if you are taking blood pressure reducing medications or stimulant drugs. Here at SHREDZ we have formulated our own male and female supplement called FOCUS, which helps people do just that. Relax during the day while remaining focused at the task at hand, whether at school, work, home, or at the gym. Each FOCUS blend contains carefully selected, gender-specific blend of herbs to enhance the effects of the L-theanine.References1 Giesbrecht T1, Rycroft JA, Rowson MJ, De Bruin EA. The combination of L-theanine and caffeine improves cognitive performance and increases subjective alertness. Nutr Neurosci. 2010 Dec;13(6):283-902 Nobre AC, Rao A, Owen GN. L-theanine, a naural constituent in tea, and its effect on mental state. Asia Pac J Clin Nutri 2008;17(S1):167-1683 Higasgiyama A, Htay HH, Ozeki M, Juneja LR. Effects of L-theanine on attention and reaction time respone. Journal of Functional Foods 3(2011) 171-1784 Bruno G. L-Theanine. Literature Education Series on Dietary Supplements. Huntington College of Health Sciences. 2013. http://www.hchs.edu/sites/default/files/files/L-Theanine.pdf
In today’s world, who doesn’t feel stressed, anxious, unfocused, irritable, or even a little bummed every now and then? With the never ending to-do lists, life can certainly begin to feel overwhelming and you may be searching for a solution to finally ease your mind, calm down, and focus.
Well look no further than L-theanine, a naturally-occurring non-protein amino acid found in green, black, and oolong tea. L-theanine is one of the few supplements that has the ability to cross the blood brain barrier, thus having the ability to change the biochemistry of the brain. Research has shown that L-theanine boosts alpha brain waves, leads to higher levels of dopamine and serotonin, and enhances the brain’s production of the neurotransmitter GABA, all of which help bring about feelings of relaxation, calmness, clarity, and focus, but without drowsiness. Due to the higher levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is associated with happy emotions, L-theanine may lead to a feelings of pleasure and well-being.
WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SAY?
Perhaps this is why tea is the most popular beverage in the world: it provides a natural source of caffeine, but the L-theanine helps to prevent jitters and nervousness. In fact, according to scientific research, the combination of L-theanine and caffeine may increase alertness and improve cognitive performance. One study found that 97mg of L-theanine plus 40 mg of caffeine helped individuals focus during a demanding cognitive task.
Even without caffeine, you may find that L-theanine works better than other anti-stress herbal remedies like valerian root or kava kava, because while all are helpful for relaxation and calming, the herbs may cause drowsiness while L-theanine does not. Oddly enough, even though L-theanine does not cause drowsiness, it has been shown to improve sleep quality, due to its ability to help you relax. If the body is relaxed and mind is calm and clear before bed, it is easier to fall asleep quicker and stay asleep, leading to a night of quality rest.
DOSING AND WARNINGS:
Research suggests a 180-200 mg dose to be safe and effective. It kicks in about 30-40 minutes after ingestion and will last up to 5 hours. Keep in mind, if you take any medications for mood disorders, you should check with your doctor first, as L-theanine can amplify the drug’s effects. Do not take L-theanine if you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or nursing. Do not take L-theanine if you are taking blood pressure reducing medications or stimulant drugs.
Here at SHREDZ we have formulated our own male and female supplement called FOCUS, which helps people do just that. Relax during the day while remaining focused at the task at hand, whether at school, work, home, or at the gym. Each FOCUS blend contains carefully selected, gender-specific blend of herbs to enhance the effects of the L-theanine.
References
1 Giesbrecht T1, Rycroft JA, Rowson MJ, De Bruin EA. The combination of L-theanine and caffeine improves cognitive performance and increases subjective alertness. Nutr Neurosci. 2010 Dec;13(6):283-90
2 Nobre AC, Rao A, Owen GN. L-theanine, a naural constituent in tea, and its effect on mental state. Asia Pac J Clin Nutri 2008;17(S1):167-168
3 Higasgiyama A, Htay HH, Ozeki M, Juneja LR. Effects of L-theanine on attention and reaction time respone. Journal of Functional Foods 3(2011) 171-178
4 Bruno G. L-Theanine. Literature Education Series on Dietary Supplements. Huntington College of Health Sciences. 2013. http://www.hchs.edu/sites/default/files/files/L-Theanine.pdf
