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Theanine has been shown to have a noticeable relaxation without sedative effect, and a minor decrease in anxiety, within minutes of ingestion. Yes, there are p
by jvanderbot 5y ago
Theanine has been shown to have a noticeable relaxation without sedative effect, and a minor decrease in anxiety, within minutes of ingestion.
Yes, there are problems with all studies, and it sure is fun to pile on, but a cursory search of examine.com confirms my own experience and that of amateur noot-ers: Theanine takes the edge off caffeine and helps focus. Caffeine+Theanine is the third highest recommended home treatment for focus (behind exercise and sleep) on r/nootropics for whatever that's worth.
You can find other studies here: https://examine.com/supplements/theanine/ https://examine.com/supplements/theanine/
I take it semi-regularly during times I'm over-consuming caffeine, but find that I come to resent its absence when I stop taking it.
- blacksmith_tb 5y agoI always take theanine with my caffeine (that is, I drink tea).
- jvanderbot 5y agoI've recently switched over to green tea and really wish I had earlier.
- actually_a_dog 5y agoWhat did you switch from? Coffee? Coffee has some decent health benefits as well, but probably isn't so great for your anxiety levels. :-)
- jvanderbot 5y agoYes from coffee. I was almost at a pot/day and it was not helping.
- wil421 5y agoI switch to espresso a couple years ago and never looked back. A double shot latte in the AM is enough to keep me going and I don’t need a full pot. If I’m especially tired I’ll do a straight espresso shot in the afternoon.
- darthrupert 5y agoAgree. Coffee is a pretty bad drug. I wish there was at least some stigma against drinking it every day, but instead we're bombarded with studies that say it protects against cancers ... but only of you drink min 3 cups every day. I mean, these studies are scientific and probably true, but I wish coffee's bad effects were studied more.
- markus_zhang 5y agoInteresting. As a Chinese I used to drink tea but years ago I switched to coffee for better flavour. Maybe I should try milk tea instead.
- cyberpunk 5y agoDon’t give up on the flavour, there is a massive range of Chinese tea that’s indescribably amazing. I mean, duckshit oolong, da Hong pao, puerh…
- wil421 5y agoI worked at an American Chinese restaurant that had fantastic oolong tea. Whenever I bought it from Asian supermarkets it was literally the worst quality tea I’ve ever tasted, below the Lipton tea that’s for making sweet tea.
- Vrondi 5y agoLook for "Tie Guan Yin" (Iron Goddess of Mercy) Oolong. It's a lovely starting point. Usually good across most brands. Medium-light and naturally floral/fruity quality to it. The amount you use and the temp and time for brewing are also different for Oolong compared to black teas.
- blacksmith_tb 5y agoPart of the problem there is that the domestic market consumes most of the best grades of all types of teas. But it's possible to get really amazing Chinese and Taiwanese teas from tea importers in the US[1] and EU. Some of them are pricey, but not all (and tea is generally not too expensive per cup, compared with lots of other beverages). 1: https://www.uptontea.com/teas/c/oolong-tea/pgsize/12/filter/100000000029eq100000000031or100000000043/layout/list/ https://www.uptontea.com/teas/c/oolong-tea/pgsize/12/filter/...
- cercatrova 5y agoBuy online, check out the /r/tea wiki [0] and specifically the user vendor list [1] [0] https://old.reddit.com/r/tea/wiki/faq https://old.reddit.com/r/tea/wiki/faq [1] https://old.reddit.com/r/tea/wiki/vendors/page_01 https://old.reddit.com/r/tea/wiki/vendors/page_01
- imwally 5y agoI’m addicted to matcha. Just so happens to have high levels or l-theanine.
- asadkn 5y agoI have personally observed something similar with black tea but I am not sure if's just the theanine + EGCGs or something else. A while back, I noticed that 'chai' helps me focus and relax (improved mood, less anxiety, etc.) at the same time. It's made of milk, black tea, cardamom, cinnamon, and negligible/no sugar (personal preference). I prefer coffee in terms of taste, but of all the things I have tried, this has been the best for me. Black tea alone doesn't have the same effect on me, nor does green tea, or coffee with or without milk/cream/sugar. So I wonder if it's the combination that matter and not theanine alone.
- ValentineC 5y ago> A while back, I noticed that 'chai' helps me focus and relax (improved mood, less anxiety, etc.) at the same time. It's made of milk, black tea, cardamom, cinnamon, and negligible/no sugar (personal preference). I know Starbucks et al market the above as 'chai', but I think 'masala' (as in 'masala chai' [1]) should be the keyword. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masala_chai https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masala_chai
- ac29 5y ago> It's made of milk, black tea, cardamom, cinnamon, and negligible/no sugar Maybe you mean no added sugar? Milk has 1.5g of sugar / oz (about half that of orange juice, as a comparison).
- scns 5y agoto keep it DRY: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27916094 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27916094
- reader_mode 5y ago>Caffeine+Theanine is the third highest recommended home treatment for focus (behind exercise and sleep) on r/nootropics for whatever that's worth. I'm surprised modafinil isn't no. 1 I don't use it regularly to avoid developing a tolerance, but that thing has a profound impact on the ability to focus and power through, nothing else I've tried comes even close. I guess speed/amphetamine but that gets me euphoric and I notice elevated heart rate, I don't feel any different on modafinil other than focused and tiredness being blocked.
- likeabbas 5y agoInteresting. My anecdotal experience with modafinil is that I get extreme anxiety and elevated heart rate without any additional focus benefits. In fact, it detriments my ability to focus. Adderall on the other hand, while stimulating and euphoric, gets the job done. But it works so well that I have trouble focusing without it now. I’ve tried tapering off multiple times but always go back to it when my work quality suffers and I’m not contributing to tasks that my team needs done.
- jvanderbot 5y agoParanoid suspicion was my #1 effect. No thanks.
- hda111 5y agoModafinil or Methylphenidate? Modafinil never made me paranoid but I know at least one person with psychosis caused by Methylphenidate. I avoid both nowadays because work isn’t worth risking health.
- likeabbas 5y agoWhat are the health risks with either?
- likeabbas 5y agoFor Modafanil or Adderall?
- tayo42 5y agoWithin minutes? Are you snorting it? can anything get through you that quickly orally? Sounds like placebo
- netizen-936824 5y agoIf consumed dissolved in a liquid on an empty stomach, it can be absorbed rather quickly.
- sizzle 5y agoI use l theanine everyday to avoid heart palpitations with coffee. Is there any long term damage I’m doing from this daily combo??
- Florin_Andrei 5y agoSimple protocol: one coffee cup in the morning to wake up. Green or black tea through the day as needed.
- nednar 5y agoWould you also conclude that the study shows evidence that in a caffeinated body the theanine's only work is to reduce the effects of the caffeine? What conclusions would you draw from that if you want to focus more?