Introduction
Today, stress is one of the leading causes of physical challenges. Yes, what used to be a feeling of tension or a state of mind when faced with a difficult situation can impact you physically and even how you react and handle things emotionally and intellectually.
Unfortunately, your environment today has plenty of stressors, so more than ever, you have to take care of yourself in all aspects to thrive and cope better. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to help you fight off stress, and one of these is with L-theanine.
What Is L-Theanine?
L-theanine, or theanine, is an example of an amino acid that your body doesn’t naturally produce, as it is considered non-essential for you. Most of the time, people who want to get a dose of this drink black and green tea and consume a mushroom called Boletus badius.
This amino acid impacts the amount of specific chemicals in your brain, specifically the level of dopamine and serotonin, which also affect your emotions, sleep, cortisol, and mood, all of which are factors in helping your body when it is subjected to stress.
Any changes in these factors can directly impact your stress levels. For instance, dopamine’s primary responsibility is to let you feel satisfaction, motivation, pleasure, and happiness, and when you feel that sense of achievement or happiness over something, this is because you just had a dopamine rush in your brain. L-theanine can help boost your dopamine level.
What Can L-Theanine Do For Your Stress?
The main advantage of theanine is that it promotes relaxation without having significant side effects like drowsiness. It is recommended if you want a little help managing your stress. Although it won’t get rid of your stress directly, it can help you cope better in the following ways:
● L-Theanine Helps With The Quality Of Your Sleep.
When stressed, the tendency is that you don’t sleep well, or you sleep, but you still feel tired the following day. Unfortunately, a lack of sleep can influence your mood and temper and stress you more.
L-theanine is not a sedative, but because it encourages relaxation in the mind and body, your chances of getting better sleep increase. The relaxation effect of this amino acid is related to its capability to decrease the brain chemicals that are considered excitatory. These same brain chemicals contribute to your anxiety and stress, but when tweaked by theanine, they promote a sense of calmness. In a way, this hushes the excitatory chemicals.
● L-Theanine Can Enhance Your Alpha Brain Cell Waves.
Alpha brain waves are closely tied to that wakeful relaxation state of the mind and body. The closest description of this is your state when you are meditating, absorbed in a creative activity, lost in your thoughts, or daydreaming.
These alpha brain cells are also active during your rapid eye movement (REM) sleep state, where your brain functions and dreams usually occur. Theanine is believed to trigger the release of these waves, which boosts your focus, creativity, and overall calmness—all necessary in stressful situations.
● L-Theanine Can Help With Mental Function.
Stress can cause you to lose focus, and one of the advantages of taking L-theanine by mouth is that it can help with your concentration. A study indicated that pairing L-theanine with caffeine can boost your accuracy and speed when completing tasks, even under pressure or stress. Chances of being distracted were reduced, and the job was completed and done effectively.
● L-Theanine Can Boost Your Immune System.
When stress takes a toll on your body, it tends to weaken your immune system, causing you to get sick easier. Research indicates that L-theanine can improve your immune system.
A study published in the journal Beverages shows that L-theanine can help you fight better upper respiratory tract infections. At the same time, another piece of scientific research concluded that theanine can decrease your vulnerability to the flu.
Although more studies are still underway to further prove these, it will be good to have that additional protection for your physical health when facing some life challenges.
● L-Theanine Can Help With Your Blood Pressure Management.
Another advantage of taking L-theanine is that it can help manage your blood pressure by lowering it. Adults have higher risks of experiencing spikes when under stress, and by helping your heart with a dose of theanine, you can better mitigate any blood pressure-related problems.
Does L-theanine Help With Stress?
Yes, it does. L-theanine helps with stress by significantly impacting your overall mood and state of mind. It strengthens your immune system as you face your stressors and cope with the things causing you to feel anxious and tense.
It is a supplement you can take—best with your doctor’s recommendation—to help with your stress-related symptoms and give you a better fighting chance to overcome your mental challenges.
When Should I Take L-theanine For Stress?
Given that your most accessible source of L-theanine will be tea, you can drink your tea in the morning or the afternoon, just like you’d usually do. Drinking in moderation or at least five cups a day should be enough for you to reap the benefits of tea, including its L-theanine content.
If your doctor deems it necessary to take L-theanine as a dietary supplement, always follow the prescribed doses. Most of the time, L-theanine is safe to be taken multiple times a day, one dose in the morning and another before bedtime.
Taking one in the morning can boost your mental clarity and improve your mood as you go about doing your tasks for the day. Another L-theanine capsule can help wind you down before bed and relax your mind and body.
Overall, consuming a dose of 200 mg up to 400 mg of L-theanine is safe, but again, it’s best to communicate with your doctor and determine exactly how much you need.
What Are The Risks Of Taking L-Theanine?
As far as we know, taking L-theanine poses no risks at all. There are no confirmed adverse side effects of taking this supplement. And yes, you can continue drinking tea and taking additional L-theanine supplements. This combination is tolerated well, especially if you are a healthy adult.
What you need to understand, though, is that the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate any L-theanine supplements. That’s why talking to your doctor is critical before taking supplements.
Final Thoughts
Stress was not a recognized topic back in the day. Still, people, especially in traditional Asian countries, have relied on tea and its healing and calming benefits. One beneficial element appears to be L-theanine, to help them remain calm when dealing with stress and challenging conditions.
There’s no harm in giving your mind and body a lift when under stress. If L-theanine can help you cope and manage your stress, add it to your self-care routine to help yourself when stressed.