L-Theanine Powder: How Does It Work For Anxiety & It Dose?

L-Theanine, sometimes called r-glutamine, is an amino acid that affects nerve impulses and the release of neurotransmitters in the brain, including aminobutyric acid. It’s a natural anti-anxiety drug because it has a calming, soothing effect on the mind and body without making you sleepy. That’s why it’s often used to reduce anxiety, ADHD, and sleep-related issues.

Most people don’t get a lot of theanine from their diet because it’s not found in many common foods. It is a unique amino acid because it is not used to form proteins. Also, unlike many other amino acids, such as L-carnitine, leucine, lysine, methionine, or tryptophan, L-Theanine powder is not used to make enzymes.

Generally speaking, there are three largest L-Theanine Powder sources, including green tea, black tea, and white tea. Among the more than 20 kinds of amino acids in tea, it accounts for about 50% to 60%. Of these, L-Theanine is the most common form. Theanine is similar to glutamic acid and is a naturally occurring amino acid. Glutamic acid helps transmit nerve impulses in the brain. Theanine sometimes acts as glutamate in the body. But sometimes, it seems to block the effects of glutamate.

L-Theanine powder may also affect the brain chemicals GABA, dopamine, and serotonin. People use this ingredient to improve mental function. It is also used for anxiety, mental disorders, stress, and other conditions.

L-Theanine Powder For Anxiety: How Does It Work?

• It promotes dopamine secretion, relieves mood, and resists depression.

In experiments using rats as research subjects, Japanese scholar Yokoyoshi and others found that L-theanine is absorbed by the intestines and delivered to the liver and brain through the blood. The L-theanine absorbed by the brain can significantly increase the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain, through the brain glands.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with emotion and reward and is a key substance in making people happy. The intake of L-theanine can promote the release of dopamine and help relieve depression. L-theanine acts as a neurotransmitter precursor and can increase the synthesis and release of dopamine.

In addition, a study showed that taking L-theanine can significantly relieve negative emotions such as tension, depression, anger, fatigue, and panic in men aged 20-23. This effect may be related to the neurological effects of L-theanine. It can promote the secretion of dopamine and relieve the occurrence of anxiety, restlessness, depression, and other negative emotions caused by gamma-aminobutyric acid GABA deficiency.

A study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that L-theanine powder supplementation was highly effective in improving symptoms in people with depression. It can significantly reduce symptoms such as low mood, loss of interest, and energy. At the same time, it improves mental health and reduces the rate of symptom recurrence. The findings provide strong scientific support for alleviating bad moods.

• It stimulates brain waves and improves sleep quality.

When the brain is in deep sleep, blood will periodically flow out of the brain in large amounts. Whenever a large amount of blood flows out, cerebrospinal fluid takes the opportunity to enter the brain and clean out toxins. And this kind of cleaning only happens after falling asleep.

Studies have found that ingesting L-theanine powder can put people into deep sleep and help direct the brain to clean up toxins. When not sleeping, it plays a role in relaxing and calming the mood.

In 2011, a study in the United States showed that nearly 100 boys with ADHD used commercially available theanine health food (400 mg per day) and then observed the effect of theanine on sleep. After six weeks, the sleep quality and duration of the group taking theanine improved significantly.

In 2017, an open study in Japan unexpectedly found that taking L-theanine powder for eight weeks had a variety of beneficial effects on depressive symptoms, anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, and cognitive impairment in patients with major depression.

• L-theanine and GABA work synergistically to help you sleep well.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid, simply called GABA as below, is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that blocks nerve impulses and slows nerve cell activity to prevent over-excitability. When insomnia and poor sleep quality occur for a long time, it is most likely because GABA levels are too low, and it is difficult to maintain normal sleep.

Research shows that L-theanine intake can promote GABA release and increase GABA levels in the brain. At the same time, the increase of GABA can affect the synthesis of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin and synergistically promote sleep.

In an experiment on L-theanine’s ability to shorten sleep latency and improve sleep, it was also proven that L-theanine can cooperate with GABA to significantly shorten sleep latency and increase sleep time.

When taken long-term, taking a mixture of GABA and L-theanine can significantly extend sleep time, especially NREM (non-rapid eye movement) time. Therefore, the longer the L theanine and GABA mixture is taken, the better the sleep quality and the longer the duration of induced sleep.

• It reduces fatigue and improves stress resistance.

In the anti-fatigue research experiment of theanine, it was found that oral administration of different doses of L-theanine to mice for 30 days could significantly extend the weight-bearing swimming time of mice. It has a significant inhibitory effect on the increase in blood lactate in mice after exercise. It can promote the eliminating of blood lactic acid after exercise and exert the anti-fatigue effect of L-theanine powder.

Its mechanism of action may be related to theanine’s ability to inhibit the secretion of 5-hydroxytryptamine and promote the secretion of catecholamines.

Serotonin has a depressant effect on the central nervous system. Catecholamines have stimulant effects. By regulating it, it has anti-stress and anti-fatigue effects.

Taking L-theanine powder can reduce fatigue levels. Increasing alpha-brain wave activity and reducing cortisol secretion can improve the body’s ability to withstand stress. After administration of a 200 mg L-theanine dosage, it was shown that increased alpha activity may persist for 60 min. This effect was more pronounced among individuals with higher trait anxiety.

An animal experiment also proved that after mice ate theanine, the level of the “stress hormone” cortisol was reduced by about half.

Therefore, moderate intake of theanine can help the body release stress and relieve mood by relieving 5-hydroxytryptamine and cortisol levels and can intervene in emotional diseases such as depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders.

• It increases alpha brain wave intensity.

The cerebral cortex of humans and animals produces different frequencies depending on their mental state. Many studies have shown that obvious alpha brain waves can be detected in the human cerebral cortex about 40 minutes after giving theanine. During the 1-hour measurement, the intensity of alpha brain waves was directly proportional to the concentration of theanine in the body.

The cerebral cortex of humans and animals produces different frequencies depending on their mental state. When alpha waves are the dominant brain waves, people’s physical and mental energy consumption is the least, and the body will feel relaxed. The brain can receive sufficient energy supply, operate more smoothly and sensitively, and is more suitable for learning and thinking.

A 2008 experiment on the effects of theanine on ordinary young people found that alpha-wave activity increased significantly between 45 and 105 minutes after taking theanine. Human brain test results also show significant soothing and improving effects.

L Theanine Dosage For Anxiety: How Much Is Enough?

L-Theanine powder is usually taken in doses of 100-200 mg per day. Its soothing effect usually occurs within 30-60 minutes after taking it.

To help treat insomnia, ADHD, and ADHD, a dose of 200 mg taken twice daily is usually most effective.

High doses of L-Theanine, such as about 400 mg, can be used to help manage symptoms of schizophrenia or severe anxiety disorders. This dose can be used for up to 8 weeks. In order to help reduce anxiety, it is sometimes taken with the hormone pregnenolone (50 mg per day).

*This dosage is for reference only. Different products have different dosages. Please refer to the product instructions and consume L-Theanine appropriately.

Conclusion

It has been scientifically proven that L-theanine, as a precursor substance of dopamine, can promote the secretion and synthesis of dopamine and provide the brain with more positive emotions. However, this does not mean supplementing a large amount of L-theanine can synthesize dopamine and produce more happiness.

There is an upper limit to dopamine production in our brains, and even consuming twice the normal L-theanine level will not stimulate the synthesis of dopamine twice. Therefore, controlling the dosage of L-theanine is effective in relieving anxiety and other problems.

Nutri Avenue hopes that customers concerned about depression and other emotional problems will realize the benefits of L-Theanine powder. Feel free to contact us to learn more.