The claimEvidence C · limited
L-theanine = natural Xanax
The evidence
Main effect is attenuating caffeine jitter; no robust evidence as a standalone insomnia treatment.
The mechanism, in brief
L-theanine (γ-glutamylethylamide) is a non-protein amino acid found almost exclusively in the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) and a handful of mushrooms (e.g. Boletus badius). It doesn't participate in protein synthesis. In the tea plant itself it plays roles in osmotic regulation and nitrogen storage, but for the…
Sources (1)
- Kakuda, T., Nozawa, A., Sugimoto, A., & Niino, H. (2002). Inhibition by theanine of binding of [3H]AMPA, [3H]kainate, and [3H]MDL 105,519 to glutamate receptors. Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, 66(12), 2683–2686.