Green Tea Extract + L-Theanine for Cognitive Boost
If you’re familiar with L-Theanine, you’ll know that L-theanine is an amino acid that is found in tea leaves (green, black, and white), so it might be counterintuitive to think of taking L-theanine as a supplement with Green Tea Extract—isn’t there L-theanine in Green Tea Extract?
Green Tea Extract, or EGCG, extracts a specific catechin from green tea leaves. As such, it does not contain the other constituents of the green tea leaf, so it does not contain any L-Theanine.
Green tea, consumed for millennia, offers health benefits such as anti-inflammatory properties, antioxidants, fat assistance, and cognitive enhancement.
Combining Green Tea Extract (EGCG) with L-Theanine
Newer studies have also found that combining the Green Tea Extract (EGCG) with L-Theanine can also boost cognition without the caffeine.  The combination was effective in animal studies. A randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled human study was conducted. Test subjects had mild cognitive impairment and underwent neuropsychological tests to study EGCG + L-Theanine’s effect on memory and attention.
The combination improved memory and selective attention. EGCG + L-Theanine also significantly increased theta brain waves after a single dose. Researchers observed theta waves in the frontal, temporal, occipital, and parietal regions of the brain. Theta waves are an indicator of cognitive alertness.
L-Theanine offers benefits alone or when taken with caffeine, enhancing focus for cognitively demanding tasks. Now, pairing these both can boost memory and alertness, minus caffeine.
Many may wish to avoid caffeine, overlooking green tea due to its caffeine content. Similarly, some may avoid the caffeine and L-Theanine stack due to caffeine content. For those seeking cognitive enhancement without stimulants, EGCG with L-Theanine, devoid of caffeine, offers a promising solution. If you’re familiar with L-Theanine, you’ll recognize it as an amino acid found in tea leaves (green, black, and white), so taking it as a supplement with Green Tea Extract may seem counterintuitive—doesn’t Green Tea Extract contain L-Theanine?
Also read our bog on Having Trouble Sleeping? Sleep Better with L-theanine!
