Relax, Unwind and Feel Good with L-Theanine

If you’re feeling stressed, want to improve your mood or are looking for a better night’s sleep then you might want to check your L-Theanine levels.

This is because L-Theanine has been shown to have a direct effect on enhancing moods and inducing a relaxed state, according to research. Most notably, it can have a prolonged and gentle effect on mood swings.

Stress and anxiety are actually caused by an increase of the glucocorticoids that disrupt regular brain chemistry and can have a negative effect on the hormones such as dopamine and serotonin, that are involved with feeling happy and an overall sense of wellbeing.

L-Theanine can actually counteract the effects of glucocorticoids in the body and while it’s not fully understood why, it’s believed to be to do with reducing the negative side effects of anxiety while also potentially increasing the effectiveness of prescription mood stabilizers.

Get a Better Night’s Sleep

L-Theanine has been shown to make people have a deeper and more sound quality of sleep. It doesn’t increase the length of sleep or the help with falling asleep quicker, but it can make people feel more sleepy and through adjusting the sleep time in accordance with the body clock people report waking up and feeling more refreshed.

This feeling of waking relaxation means that people can feel awake yet relaxed, as if in a state of ‘waking meditation’. L-Theanine does this by visibly smoothing out the brainwaves, when this is captured through an electroencephalography machine.

Supports Nerve Protection

L-Theanine also has a role as a protective shield for nerve and cell damage in various areas of the body. It can protect the brain from overstimulation and damage due to lack of oxygen. L-Theanine can also have repair damaged cells and some studies suggest that L-Theanine can also have a therapeutic effect on degenerative neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s. When tested in small animal trials, L-Theanine was found to protect areas of the brain associated with dopamine production from harmful chemicals and this is typical within the brains of Parkinson’s patients.

According to one study of 14,000 tea drinkers from China, the risk of stroke was also reduced by 40% in those who have healthy L-Theanine levels. High levels of L-Theanine were also associated with reduced damage within the brain at the time of stroke.

Regulates Caffeine Levels

Another surprising benefit of L-Theanine is that it can counteract the negative effects of caffeine. L-Theanine has been found to act as a natural caffeine regulator and can counteract the caffeine’s negative effects without decreasing your overall energy levels or sense of alertness.

Chinese and Japanese cultures have been experiencing L-Theanine’s powerful effects whenever they drank tea in its natural form. L-Theanine can regulate the caffeine release by increasing Gamma-Amino-Butyric Acid (GABA) and serotonin level production.

GABA slows down or limits neuron activity which might sound counterproductive at first, but as it slows down neural processes and induces relaxation, it is also better for feeling a sense of focus and attention to detail. It can also regulate hyperactivity within the brain that is often a result of drinking caffeine. Another benefit is that it has been shown to increase memory and reaction time.

One study from 2008 published in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience showed that consuming 97 milligrams of L-Theanine along with a small dosage of caffeine had positive benefits when the participants had to focus on a challenging mental exercise. The participants were also able to react faster and with more accuracy and in part this was because their anxiety and jitters were reduced.

Anyone who wants to unwind after a long day or who has deadlines to work to will benefit from taking an L-Theanine supplement. This can help to provide a sense of relaxed focus and improved relaxation, meaning that stress is less likely to affect you, leaving you to concentrate on getting things done.

Recommended Examples

Relaxwell™ – This formula contains L-Tryptophan, L-Theanine along with Vitamins B3 and B6 that can help to support sleep and effective relaxation. This complete formula can help to reveal a more rested and better focused version of yourself!