Thank you for this explanation. liver toxicity aside That's what I was looking for. I recall a burst of interest/hype (choose your word), several years ago,

Thank you for this explanation. liver toxicity aside That's what I was looking for. I recall a burst of interest/hype (choose your word), several years ago, about L-theanine. One company/salesman (the very prominent-looking, TV type, although I think this may have been via one of those suspicious-looking PBS specials [1]), was promoting it in a topical cream. Apparently, it would pass from that into the bloodstream. There was little if any discussion in that... "pitch" about dosage limits. 'It sooths you. Rub it on. Rub on some more...' I wondered. And more recently, I finally started seeing reporting of downsides -- although I didn't see much. Liver toxicity. Like so many other drugs/supplements (choose your word), a lot of harm to reputation and perhaps also people is done, when no work or discussion is included about effective and safe dosage. Like the "self-taught" herbalist my acupuncture friend had a (non-romantic) "thing" for, years ago. "Intuitively" brewing up pots of herbal tea for people, in his home. Not wanting to disappoint her, nor offend him, I drank some. And felt like crap for two days. Thank goodness my liver made it through unscathed. I don't want the FDA shutting down everything on behalf of the pharmaceutical companies (who've played their significant roles in side-lining a lot of effective but unprofitable -- for them -- treatment). But I would welcome more intelligent conversation about and thoughtful approach to these things. -- 1. PBS == Public Broadcasting System, i.e. publicly funded television, in the U.S. That's been taking on more and more commercial tinges, in return for corporate sponsorships, as the public money has fallen short.