Health Benefits Of L Theanine Supplement To Support Wellness

A massive amount of research has emerged confirming the potential benefits of l theanine as a natural health supporting supplement. This plant compound is a highly bioactive amino acid.

L theanine does not form parts of our proteins and is the main amino acid found in green tea leaves. Around 2% of the total dry weight of tea leaves is l theanine. L theanine is very similar to amino acids we regularly use and is highly biocompatible with our body. This plant amino acid shares similarities with glutamine and glutamate.

We rapidly absorb l theanine in the intestines and it is able to cross through the protective blood brain barrier. This means l theanine is very bioactive within our bodies and has health promoting potential. Studies show that this amino acid is relatively safe in high doses within humans and is regarded as non toxic.

According to available research l theanine has potential health benefits for inflammation reduction, neuroprotection, cancer prevention, anxiety reduction and immune system support. This is centred around effects on the main body antioxidant glutathione. L theanine also seems to have an immune boosting effect and promotes immune cell activity.

In this article we will look at the potential health benefits of l theanine as a supplement. Each of the main benefits of l theanine for our health and wellness as a supplement will be covered in detail.

L Theanine And Heart Health

Central to our health is the heart. Maintaining a healthy heart and circulatory system is vital for the optimal functioning of our other organs. This is because of the nutritional needs of each organ supplied by the blood.

Heart Muscle Protection

Some studies suggest that l theanine could have heart muscle protective benefits. L theanine may activate certain signalling pathways that prevent heart muscle cell death or injury and reduce oxidative stress to the heart.

Via protecting energy production in the cells of the heart l theanine could also improve heart muscle health. L theanine is thought to do this through improving antioxidant levels that can support mitochondrial health. Energy production can be dangerous in cells and can lead to free radical production.

Antioxidants absorb harmful energies from free radicals that have potential to cause damage to important cells such as heart cells. This reduces damaging oxidative stress levels and lowers inflammation which are linked to heart disease. A supplement containing l theanine improved muscle antioxidant status and this also could have implications for heart health. This could also improve exercise performance and heart muscle recovery from exercise providing additional health benefits of a L Theanine supplement.

Circulatory Antioxidant Effects

Supplementing with l theanine can improve levels of the antioxidant reduced glutathione that are circulating through the body. Studies have detected higher levels of circulating antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase with l theanine supplement use. L theanine may therefore also improve the health of the circulation system in addition to heart health.

Additional antioxidants circulating through the blood vessels will support the recovery and maintenance of blood vessels that can become damaged. Antioxidants can also have effects on the formation of oxidative plaques that cause high blood pressure and damage blood vessels.

Initial studies show that a dietary supplement containing l theanine decreases the total circulating cholesterol content and supports elevated HDL. These profiles are consistent with optimal circulatory health and reduced stroke or heart attack risk.

Research shows that l theanine could protect against oxidative damage in the heart or circulatory system and assist with their optimal performance. This is one of the potential benefits of l theanine as a health supporting supplement.

L Theanine And Liver Health

Liver damage and stress from toxins can cause severe problems with the health of our liver. L theanine has been shown to support liver health by reducing damage to liver tissues.

L theanine supplements improve glutathione levels in the liver. This supports a higher antioxidant capacity within the liver and therefore reduces risk of damage. Antioxidants like glutathione have a natural role in preserving our health by absorbing damage inducing energies from free radicals. This is one means as to how l theanine supports liver health.

Alcohol damages various tissues within the body and is a liver toxin. Excess alcohol causes liver damage through free radical formation. L theanine can reduce alcohol induced damage because of antioxidant action. It also changes key enzymes expressed in the liver that support liver health and assists with maintaining mitochondrial functioning during alcohol toxicity.

The prevention of excessive oxidative stress is vital for our wellbeing. Chronic or excess inflammation from oxidative stress leads to multiple organ failure. L theanine seems to have an influence throughout the body on specific cell pathways responsible for inflammatory cytokine release. Regular l theanine consumption may calm inflammation and prevent cell death in organ tissues. This is a key action for the overall potential benefits of l theanine as a health supporting supplement.

Organ Detoxification And Inflammation Reduction

Detoxification is a very important process for the liver. This is its core function in supporting our overall wellbeing. L theanine supports optimum liver health and function through increased liver antioxidant levels that assist with liver detoxification. L theanine could also delay the aging of liver tissue and reduce liver inflammation.

The inflammation calming effects of l theanine have also been detected in the skin. L theanine may reduce skin inflammatory reactions through changes in inflammatory signals. One inflammatory disease where l theanine may be implicated is osteoarthritis. Initial studies with l theanine show that it may improve the levels of inflammation and internal knee structure in sufferers of osteoarthritis. This could be a one of the potential health benefits of taking a l theanine supplement.

Exposure to certain allergens induces inflammatory responses and in the lungs this develops into asthma. Asthma is a chronic inflammatory allergic disease. Studies also present l theanine as having some potential to reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in certain allergic asthma sufferers.

L Theanine And Organ Tumor Suppression

Cancer rates are at levels that we have never seen before as a society. This may be due to various factors of modern lifestyles such as high inflammatory diets. Research shows that there are various bioactive compounds that can support cancer sufferers or those who would like to reduce risks of cancer.

L theanine may influence aspects of tumor development. Immune cells can influence cancerous growths and some can destroy cancer cells. L theanine is known to stimulate γδT cells which are linked with tumor suppression.

An immune stimulating effect may assist with reductions in cancer cell development. Researchers have observed this in lung cancer cells with enhanced phagocytosis or removal of faulty cells and tumor growth suppressing signals. A supplement containing l theanine may then support the body in its natural tumor suppressive functions. This has positive effects on the health of organs such as the liver or gut that can develop cancers. Because of this you can add cancer preventative action to the potential health benefits of taking an l theanine supplement.

L Theanine And Brain Health

There is a lot of interest in bioactive molecules like L theanine that can positively influence brain functioning and cognition. Many compounds can’t cross the protective blood brain barrier and so can’t influence brain health.

L theanine is easily absorbed into the blood circulation system from after being consumed. Research has also shown that l theanine can reach the brain and influence brain health. L theanine as a supplement could have many different benefits for brain health due to various researched bioactivities. Some of these include reducing the risks of brain or nervous system diseases such as anxiety or Alzheimer’s disease.

L Theanine And Brain Inflammation

There are lots of plant compounds that can reduce oxidative stress and also inflammation within the body. Not many of these have been shown to directly affect brain tissues and some of these vary in effectiveness.

There are many studies that reveal the positive effects of the amino acid l theanine on antioxidant status in the body. L theanine has been shown to specifically improve brain antioxidant capacity. Antioxidants influence brain function and is one key means as to how l theanine as a supplement could have benefits for brain health.

One study showed that l theanine reduced lipid or fat oxidative damage in the brain. Fatty acids form a lot of key structures within the brain. This is therefore an important indication of oxidative stress levels within healthy brain tissues.

Elevations in antioxidant levels streamline energy production from our mitochondria and this could really benefit cognitive function. Antioxidants also reduce oxidative stress in brain cells and this also supports cognitive enhancement. Higher levels of oxidative stress damage key brain components which could slow thinking.

Oxidative stress affected nerve or brain cells also need more nutrients for recovery. The regular consumption of large amounts of nutrients and energy from recurring damage is inefficient. These nutrients could be used by the body to support improved performance rather than stress recovery. A lack of antioxidants could therefore cause further reductions in brain speed or processing.

A regular l theanine supplement could be of benefit in improving key aspects of brain cell health and therefore overall brain wellness.

Inflammatory Neuroprotection

L theanine has been shown to reduce the expression of inflammatory cytokines in brain and nerve cells. Inflammatory cytokines are inflammation inducing proteins. They are made naturally by our bodies in response to stressors. Reductions in the production of these indicate a removal of harmful stresses to key cells within important tissues such as the brain.

High levels of inflammation are harmful for brain and nerve cells. Studies with l theanine as a supplement that provide reductions in inflammatory responses therefore also show there could be some benefit to brain health. L theanine may also promote creatine kinase and ATPases in the brain to assist with optimal brain health or structure. These are all means as to how l theanine and an l theanine supplement could support or have benefits for the health of the brain via neuroprotection.

L Theanine And Brain Toxicity

Sometimes heavy metals and toxins can reach brain tissues. This happens more often than you may think. We have covered heavy metals and toxins in drinking water in previous articles.

One strong nerve or brain toxin is cadmium. This toxin acts on brain cells through oxidative stress. One study showed that a regular provision of l theanine could protect brain cells from harmful increases in cadmium after toxic exposure. The presence of this neuroprotective ability from toxins is unique but needs to be fully trialled.

It is suspected that l theanine caused improvements in high strength antioxidants lead to brain detoxification and reductions of nerve damaging oxidative stress. This is another means as to how l theanine could have benefits for brain health and an l theanine supplement could complement our health.

L Theanine And Cognitive Diseases

Some studies suggest that l theanine can influence brain or nervous system related diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and anxiety.

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive dementia disease that causes serious losses in brain functioning. One study showed that l-theanine could have a role in improving symptoms of Alzheimer’s through reductions in neuroinflammation and improvements in memory. Other studies have shown this too.

Some studies have found that taking an l theanine supplement regularly could have Alzheimer’s protective benefits for more optimal brain health. Key markers of brain disorders such as neurofibrillary tangles, unusual protein accumulation, nerve cell death and neuroinflammation were reduced. The overall effect of the l theanine supplement was a potential to improve memory and cognitive deficiency. This was especially true in dementia like brain disease prone states. This action on cognitive health could be another of the potential benefits of using an l theanine supplement.

L Theanine And Anxiety

There are similarities between some neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s and anxiety. A noticeable calming effect is observed with l theanine intake. This may be because l theanine can enter the brain and effect neurotransmitter levels in nervous system cells.

Studies have shown that l theanine caused increases dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain can cause overall reductions in cortisol levels too. This is a key stress signaller in the brain. L theanine could normalize excessive activities within the HPA axis or hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal gland system. L theanine may therefore reduce feelings of anxiety.

Glutamate is a potentially excitotoxic amino acid in too high levels. L theanine may inhibit this compound in the brain. This would improve brain health through l theanine induced neuroprotection from this excitotoxin.

L Theanine And Nervous System Recovery

When brain cells or nerves become injured or damaged there are very harmful effects such as neuroinflammation, oxidative stress and cell death. These have consequences on our day to day lives. An example is spinal cord injuries that are devastating for mobility and severely damage the nervous system.

L theanine has been shown to improve recovery of key nerve motor functions and restores nerve cell health after these sorts of injuries.

Some impressive neuroprotective actions of a l theanine supplement on severely damaged nerve cells included increases in the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase. These reduced reactive oxygen species levels and prevented cell death of key nerve cells. L theanine has also been shown to attenuate peripheral neuropathy and reoptimize neural functioning in one study.

Altogether this shows how l theanine could assist with optimal nervous system function through healthy nerve cell recovery.

L Theanine And The Immune System

Our immune system is an important part of our day to day functioning. We come across pathogens that could cause harm to our bodies each day. Those that are particularly vulnerable are those that are elderly and also athletes who train intensively.

Exercise is considered to be healthy and builds muscle mass. There are some negative effects from intensive training on the immune system. This is thought to occur from a failure to achieve proper recovery after training and chronic fatigue.

Some of the consequences to our immune system include reduced lymphocyte counts, T-helper cell counts and decreased natural killer cell activity. This leaves the immune system weakened. Natural killer cells are a very important part of the immune system as they are regularly monitoring for harmful invasive organisms and pathogens. This an important reason why it is key for athletes and those more vulnerable to immune compromisation to support their immune system with key nutrients.

L Theanine Supplement And Athletic Support

Regularly taking a supplement containing l theanine could help to support immune system suppression. One study found that a supplement containing l theanine could enhance immune responses and prevent infectious diseases in training athletes. Results from a trial showed that L theanine is protective against flu and colds. Other studies have also found this but in health care workers who are regularly exposed to harmful viruses.

L theanine supplementation may stimulate specific T immune cells known as γδT cells and interferon production to heighten immune activity. This provides one means as to how l theanine would support the immune system. Immune γδT cells also have tumor suppression actions in addition to pathogen detection.

L theanine supplements also reduced muscle damage and irregular changes in immune cells after exercise. Studies have found that a l-theanine supplement restored glutathione, natural killer cell activity and immune responses after intensive resistance exercise. L theanine supplementation could also restore immune helper T cell levels. These are key immune system supporting effects of l theanine and a supplement could have potential health benefits for restoring immunity.

L Theanine For Gut Health

One of the first sites of the immune response is in the gut. The gut is also one of the largest immune organs in the human body. Various interactions occur in the gut that play important roles in immune system regulation.

Some studies have also found that l theanine supplementation could support more optimal gut health in addition to supporting the immune system. This is important for safeguarding our health with gut inflammatory diseases being very prevalent in modern society.

One study showed that l theanine could support intestinal villi health and assist with maintaining its overall structure. This could be because of improvements in glutathione levels that prevent build ups of harmful oxidative stress in the intestines. These actions promote can prevent some gut diseases from occurring. L theanine could also improve nutrient intake via the intestinal villi. These show some of the gut health supporting actions of l theanine.

Research with a supplement containing l theanine showed that it can promote more optimal gut diversity. Gut microbes are thought to be increasingly important for our overall wellness. They also influence aspects of our brain health in addition to our gut health and overall immunity. L theanine is able to support immune system health through promoting specific gut bacteria. L theanine can also support optimal gut health via inflammation reduction within the gut and gut bacterial inflammation support. Studies have shown that an l theanine supplement reduced overall gut inflammation levels and improved intestinal structural strength which provides gut health benefits.

L Theanine And Gut Allergies

The gut health supporting actions of l theanine continue through its potential to support with gut allergies. The number of people suffering from allergies also seems to be at an unusually high level.

Some studies have found that direct supplementation with l theanine can assist with supporting and alleviating symptoms of some allergic responses in the gut.

L theanine is immune supportive in the gut but was shown to reduce the levels of some specific immune antibodies in the gut. This was seen alongside lowered intestinal inflammation and inflammatory cytokine responses.

Overall l theanine supplements could have impressive health promoting potential. This is because of l theanine specific characteristics and its bioavailability within the body.

Summary

L theanine is an emerging health supporting supplement with various potential health benefits. Initial studies have confirmed that this compound is highly bioactive. L theanine is very rapidly absorbed and can also cross into the brain through the blood brain barrier. Initial supplement studies show that l theanine is very tolerable at high levels and has low toxicity.

A l theanine supplement can potentially support heart and circulatory health. Elevated antioxidant levels benefit the heart and other organs such as the liver. Levels of key antioxidant enzymes improve with l theanine and this prevents critical oxidative damage. L theanine also seems to activate inflammation reducing signals in multiple organs that protect key cells within the body. The antioxidant improving characteristics of l theanine are also thought to support healthy detoxification in the liver.

L theanine may also be a neuroprotective and support optimal brain health or cognition. Antioxidants and energy production play an important role in this. A unique characteristic of l theanine is the potential to reach the brain and also support with detoxification. There is a noticeable calming or anxiety relieving effect from l theanine too. L theanine is a unique compound for supporting brain health.

L theanine could influence aspects of tumor development via immune system regulation. This amino acid seems to support the immune systems of the immunocompromised. Some studies have found a reduced chance of developing flu or colds and elevated natural killer cell activities. An l theanine supplement also supported gut health via reduced inflammation and improved intestinal structural strength.

L theanine supplements have high potential for promoting more optimal wellness. This is because of the really unique characteristics of l theanine and its bioavailability within the body.

For more interesting articles see the main articles page.