Caffeine & L-Theanine a Conscious Cognitive Combination
Caffeine & L-Theanine a Conscious Cognitive Combination
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L-theanine and caffeine for better coffee!
L-theanine is a superstar amino acid found in tea leaves. Black tea, green tea, etcetera... You can even have it in powder or pill form, but what about coffee? It turns out L-theanine and caffeine are a great combo.
What is L-theanine?
L-theanine is an amino acid found in tea leaves and certain types of mushrooms. It was discovered by Japanese scientists in Kyoto around 1949.
Research points to L-theanine being incredibly beneficial to those suffering from stress and anxiety.
This marvelous amino acid has also been found to increase relaxation without causing you to be drowsy or lower your heart rate.
L-theanine can accomplish this by boosting calming brain chemicals. In the brain, you have neurotransmitters. GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), serotonin, and dopamine, to name a few. They regulate a few key things:
- Emotions
- Moods
- Concentration
- Alertness
- Sleep Quality
- Appetite
- Energy
Levels of these brain chemicals that are linked to stress and anxiety lower. This leaves you calmer and more relaxed.
Let’s not forget about those alpha brain waves (I’m sure that’s what you were thinking)!
Alpha brain waves are tied to being in a state of wakeful relaxation. It’s basically that feeling you get when you are in the zone. Think about the times when you’ve mediated (if that’s your thing), did something creative, or even let yourself daydream. You’re in it and immersed in that moment.
This is great if you’re trying to get in that zone and be productive because it can help enhance that frame of mind without making you feel fatigued or tired.
Studies have also found that L-theanine is excellent for your body’s immune system. Something we’re all kind of concerned about given the pandemic going on.
This remarkable amino acid has also been linked to cancer and tumor treatment. The research is promising, indicating that L-theanine can make certain chemotherapy drugs more effective.
You can also benefit from improved sleep, and you know me, I’m a huge advocate of getting your ass the right amount of sleep. 250 mg to 400 mg was found of L-theanine was found to significantly improve sleep.
And if you have blood pressure issues during extreme stress, L-theanine might be what the doctor ordered to help keep those numbers where they should be. We can all do with a little more reduced stress.
It doesn’t stop there!
Happy with your weight?
If you aren’t, L-theanine might help you reach that goal (along with proper nutrition and regular exercise).
Weight management may be impacted by it. Managing stress and getting plenty of sleep are pieces of the puzzle. This unique amino acid also may help limit the accumulation of fat.
L-theanine can also help with your cognitive skills. It can accomplish this by lowering levels of the stress hormones corticosterone and cortisol. It basically runs interference so that your learning and working memory don’t get messed with.
Your attention span and reaction time can increase, especially with people that suffer from anxiety.
What happens when you combine L-theanine with caffeine?
We’ve gone over the benefits of caffeine in previous articles. To recap, coffee is an excellent neurotrophic that increases BDNF. Caffeine is good like that.
When we add L-theanine to the mix, things get even better.
Think of L-theanine and caffeine as the perfect power couple. Together they achieve greatness when added to a drink of coffee.
As great as caffeine is, it can sometimes have unwanted side effects such as anxiety, high blood pressure, and restlessness. L-theanine shows up at this point, and the two work out an arrangement.
L-theanine has been shown to give you the benefits of coffee without unwanted jitters. It can keep your blood pressure in check and help reduce anxiety as the caffeine works on its more positive aspects. It’s another great way to regulate the amount of caffeine in your system.
Studies have also found that mixing the two is less likely to cause the headache of a caffeine crash or that drowsy tired feeling from when the effects of caffeine wear off.
Like any sensible partner, L-theanine calms caffeine the f*&k down! It accomplishes this by targeting caffeine’s adverse impact on your sleep cycle, counteracting any negative side effects.
When they’re both on the same page, you can see an improvement in reaction time, acute attention, overall focus, and alertness. You’ll enjoy improved productivity and focus without the possible adverse effects of going solo with just the caffeine in coffee.
STRONG Coffee has you covered with L-theanine and caffeine!
STRONG Coffee Company has you covered. We have the perfect combination of ingredients to help boost your mental capacity. Your cognitive skills will shine!
L-theanine is a staple in our ingredients. These drinks not only taste great but will boost your health gains and brainpower.
Conclusion
The next time you go for a cup of coffee, make sure it has an ethical dose of L-theanine in it. Roughly 50mg-200mg per serving. Caffeine is great, but caffeine and L-theanine are a match made in heaven.