5. Pairing Coffee with L-Theanine for Optimal Focus and Relaxation
Tea has been consumed and appreciated for centuries, offering both stimulating and calming effects. Only recently was modern science able to isolate and study the individual components found in tea and better understand what is causing these desirable effects. They discovered that the magic ingredient is L-theanine.
This is an amino acid that is able to cross the blood-brain barrier increasing alpha-brain wave activity, promoting relaxed effects around 30 minutes after consumption. It also contributes to the sensation of 'umami' i.e. savory, which is described as the 5th taste after salty, sweet, bitter, and sour. This is what helps to balance the bitter taste of caffeine within teas.
While L-theanine is found in most varieties of tea, it tends to be highest within green tea and matcha. Coincidentally, these were both introduced to China and Japan respectively by Buddhist monks. As a result, both green tea and matcha have become associated with meditation due to their relaxation qualities. In fact, within China, tea ceremonies used to be held, with people occasionally getting 'tea drunk' in social settings, experiencing mild euphoria.
Most people tend to be intimidated by L-theanine due to its 'chemical-sounding name'. However, as you can imagine, most people reading this have consumed L-theanine at one point or another in their lives. It is the reason why people report feeling relaxed after a few cups of tea, or unconsciously associate an internal heightened level of anxiety with the desire to prepare a quick cup of tea.
Leveraging L-theanine for anxiety relief
More technically, L-theanine modulates neurotransmitters increasing GABA levels while simultaneously inhibiting glutamate release. What does this mean? The former acts as an off-switch for stress transmitters while the latter is your brain's on-switch for stress and anxiety. This subsequently increases the expression of dopamine and serotonin in the brain.
To bring this together in a more tangible manner, one of the reasons why people tend to feel relaxed when drinking alcohol is because it enhances the activity of GABA receptors resulting in a calming and sedative effect. The downside is that the following morning there is a rebound effect whereby a decrease in GABA activity leads to what is sometimes known as 'hangxiety' i.e. feeling anxious, elevated heart rate, overthinking, etc…
Another example is that in the EU and even more so in the US, benzodiazepines ("benzos") are sometimes prescribed as anti-anxiety medication. They also work by enhancing GABA in the brain, however, are highly addictive and can produce severe withdrawal symptoms.??
Should one wish to manage his/her stress levels, such as before a presentation or when studying for an exam, L-theanine is a very suitable tool with a much safer risk profile when compared to other alternatives that are commonly used. Common alternatives include ‘kalmanti’ typically prescribed by a medical professional, cannabis, and more recently ashwagandha.
For example, KSM-66 ashwagandha is an adaptogen that blunts cortisol potently reducing anxiety while also having several other benefits. However, some people report that it blunts their emotions, therefore, one should be mindful of this and stop consumption if undesirable effects (which are not uncommon) are caused. One must also be mindful of its impact on thyroid function (this can be tested via a thyroid panel), ideally, cycling ashwagandha on and off to hedge certain risks.
The Power Couple - Caffeine & L-theanine
Caffeine works by stimulating the brain and central nervous system, helping you stay alert and increasing concentration. However, several people feel anxious and jittery after a few cups of coffee. The best way to combat this, while simultaneously becoming more productive is by combining L-theanine and caffeine together.
The golden ratio that seems to be most effective and tested within several studies is that of an L-theanine-to-caffeine ratio of 2:1 i.e. for every 200mg of L-theanine you consume 100mg of caffeine (for context 250 ml can of red bull contains 80mg of caffeine). For context, Red Bull adds taurine to their energy drink which acts in a similar manner to L-theanine for the reasons explained above.
In order to prevent an afternoon crash, Andrew Huberman recommends delaying your caffeine consumption to around 2 hours after waking. This is because upon waking, the body experiences increased cortisol secretory activity i.e. makes us feel awake, peaking 30 - 45 minutes after waking.
Caffeine consumption first thing in the morning will blunt this response resulting in less cortisol later in the day. Consider that caffeine has a half-life of around 8 hours (this means that if you took 200mg of caffeine at 7 am you will have around 100mg in your body at 3 pm), contributing to what is often described as the 'afternoon crash'.
Note: Avoid buying caffeine in powder form to create your own pre-workout powder… it can very easily not be mixed correctly (since most powders are white you will not notice) resulting in it being deceivingly easy to accidentally overdose.
"L-theanine boosts the positive effects of caffeine while decreasing the negative effects"
In 2016, Scholey and his colleagues found that L-theanine improved memory and reaction time when paired with caffeine. This semi-meditative flow state is said to be in part driven “by L-theanine relaxing only the parts of the brain not needed to perform tasks, as shown by the MEG analysis”. Thus, it improved the signal-to-noise ratio by decreasing noise leading to increased focus and attention.
They also found that consuming 200mg L-theanine (amounts to around 8 cups of tea) within a nutrient drink resulted in lower cortisol levels, while also reporting feeling more relaxed after performing stress-inducing tasks than those who consumed a placebo.
A Korean study reported that “in a healthy Korean population, those who habitually drink drank green tea were 21% less likely to develop depression over their lifetime than those who were non-drinkers, on par with that of 2.5 hours of exercise per week”. The studies highlighted above are just a handful of several studies that have revealed progressively beneficial connections linked to the intake of L-theanine.
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L-theanine as a sleep aid
Due to L-theanine’s calming effects several people struggling with insomnia have been using it as a sleep aid. Consumption of a high dose of over 200mg is typically required to help one fall asleep, acting as an ‘off switch’. It works best when paired with magnesium glycinate 30 - 60 minutes before bed, due to their synergetic effects.
This can also be useful if one consumes too much caffeine towards the latter part of the day, such as after 4 pm. Typically L-theanine is associated with better quality sleep. That being said there is always individual variability across people, with a few people reporting increases in alertness which is why the only way to understand your body is through trial and error.
Method of consumption
Side effects & risks
Nothing in life is ever 100% side-effect-free. When it comes to anything you put in your body, whether it be the food you eat, coffee, a supplement, etc… these all impact every individual differently. It is best to:
Anecdotal example
A person in their early 20s who suffers from high blood pressure had been testing their blood pressure 2x times per day for over a month, writing the results in a notebook. One morning this person checked their blood pressure which did not change much from prior tests, and I suggested that they consume a 200mg capsule of l-theanine with water and not eat anything.
An hour later this person checked their blood pressure and achieved the best result to date, with blood pressure falling within the normal range, highlighting L-theanine’s effectiveness. Consider this is just a small anecdotal example, and could be the result of the placebo effect. Nonetheless, based on this I would be mindful of a potential interaction between L-theanine and blood pressure medication.
Conclusion
L-theanine is regarded as being very safe and well-tolerated. As a general rule of thumb, one should aim to keep consumption below 500mg, as there is more data available up to this point. Too high a dose of L-theanine can cause headaches, tiredness, lethargy, dizziness…
As always, extra caution should be shown if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Please consult a qualified healthcare provider before making any decisions related to your health or the health of your child.
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DISCLAIMER
This is not medical, financial, or legal advice. Please consult a relevant professional prior to commencing anything outlined above, these are simply my own personal opinions.