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Emma Davies
"L-Theanine is found in tea alongside caffeine and works to offset the hyper effect of caffeine, promoting a feeling of wellbeing. It supports the production of 'feel good' hormones dopamine and seratonin and also GABA, the calming neurotransmitter. It's a gentle, natural way to balance mood and reclaim your calm."
Tactical Support
An amino acid found primarily in tea leaves, L-Theanine must be sourced from foods or supplements, as the body does not produce it on its own
The Game Changing Nutrient
L-Theanine is known for easing stress and improving focus, as well as promoting relaxation without drowsiness
Dose
50mg per FOCUS tablet
Form
Leapfrog FOCUS includes L-Theanine sourced from green tea leaves
Promotes Attention & Focus
Boosts performance of tasks, improving visual attention reaction time, working memory and cognitive skills
Anxiety & Stress Relief
Reduces acute stress and anxiety, shown in self-reports and physiological indicators such as heart rate
Promotes Relaxation
Increases alpha brain wave activity associated with a relaxed but alert mental state
Anti-Cancer
L-Theanine has shown positive effects against low sensitive tumours when combined with certain chemotherapy drugs
Blood Pressure Management
Helps lower blood pressure in adults who experience above-average increases in response to stress
Improved Immunity
Enhances the function of white blood cells that play a critical role in the immune system, and has been found to decrease the incidence of respiratory tract infections
Improved Sleep
Can decrease the amount of time needed to fall asleep, the number of sleep disturbances, and the use of sleep medication
Facts & Figures
We are keeping up to speed with the research on L-Theanine. Here are some of the latest clinical studies, critically assessed by peers and published independently
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- Design: Cross-over, randomised,
placebo-controlled, and double-blind trial - Participants: 30 healthy adults
- Dose: 200mg L-Theanine per day
- Duration: 4 weeks
- Results: After taking L-Theanine
everyday for four weeks, measures of
depression and anxiety decreased. Measures of sleep latency and disturbance and the use of sleep medication also decreased. Verbal fluency and executive function scores improved after L-Theanine administration.
Read study here.
- Design: Cross-over, randomised,
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- Design: Cross-over, randomised, placebo-controlled design
- Participants: 16 healthy volunteers
- Dose: 200mg L-Theanine
- Duration: N/A
- Results: L-Theanine does not only reduce anxiety, but attenuates an increase in blood pressure in high-stress-response participants
Read study here
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- Design: EEG placebo-controlled study
- Participants: 35
- Dose: 50mg
- Duration: 105 minutes
- Results: After ingesting 50mg L-Theanine, participants had a greater increase in alpha wave activity in the brain, compared to a placebo group. The increase in alpha brain waves is associated with a relaxed but still alert mental state
Read study here
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- Design: Double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled parallel group study
- Participants: 52 Japanese men and women aged 50–69 years
- Dose: One dose of 100.6 mg of L-Theanine per day
- Duration: 12 weeks
- Results: Study indicated that L-Theanine may contribute to improving attention, thus enhancing working memory and executive functions
Read study here.
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- Design: Systematic review of randomised and placebo-controlled trials
- Participants: 104
- Dose: N/A
- Duration: N/A
- Results: L-Theanine supplementation can help reduce acute stress and anxiety in people experiencing stressful situations
Read study here
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- Design: Double-blind, repeated measurement, placebo-controlled
- Participants: 18
- Dose: 200mg
- Duration: 15-60 minutes
- Results: Enhanced activity of alpha brain waves, decrease in heart rate, increased visual attentional performance and improved reaction time response among individuals who had a high propensity to stress
Read study here
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- Design: Randomised controlled trial
- Participants: 5 boys (8-15 years) with ADHD
- Dose: L-Theanine (2.5 mg/kg) and caffeine (2.0 mg/kg)
- Duration: 1 day
- Results: L-Theanine-caffeine combination may be a potential therapeutic option for ADHD-associated impairments in sustained attention, inhibitory control and overall cognitive performance
Read study here