THEANINE Overview Information
Theanine is an amino acid (a building block for proteins) found in green tea.
People use theanine for treating anxiety and high blood pressure, for preventing Alzheimer’s disease, and for making cancerdrugs more effective.
How does it work?
Theanine has a chemical structure very similar to glutamate, a naturally occurring amino acid in the body that helps transmit nerve impulses in the brain. Some of the effects of theanine appear to be similar to glutamate, and some effects seem to block glutamate.
THEANINE Uses & Effectiveness 
Insufficient Evidence for:
- Anxiety. Preliminary evidence suggests that taking theanine might make unstressed people feel more tranquil. But theanine doesn’t seem to have this effect on people who are anxious to start with.
- Preventing dementia including Alzheimer's disease.
- Treating high blood pressure.
- Increasing the treatment effects of cancer drugs.
- Other conditions.
THEANINE Side Effects & Safety
Theanine is POSSIBLY SAFE when used once per week for three weeks. It's not known if daily use for longer periods of time is safe.
Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Not enough is known about the use of theanine during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.THEANINE Interactions
Moderate Interaction Be cautious with this combination
- Medications for high blood pressure (Antihypertensive drugs) interacts with THEANINE
Theanine seems to decrease blood pressure. Taking theanine along with medications for high blood pressure might cause your blood pressure to go too low.
Some medications for high blood pressure include captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), losartan (Cozaar), valsartan (Diovan), diltiazem (Cardizem), Amlodipine (Norvasc), hydrochlorothiazide (HydroDiuril), furosemide (Lasix), and many others. - Stimulant drugs interacts with THEANINE
Stimulant drugs speed up the nervous system. By speeding up the nervous system stimulant medications can make you feel jittery and speed up your heartbeat. Theanine might work to slow down the nervous system. Taking theanine along with stimulant medications might decrease the effectiveness of stimulant medications.
Some stimulant drugs include diethylpropion (Tenuate), epinephrine, phentermine (Ionamin), pseudoephedrine (Sudafed), and many others.
THEANINE Dosing
The appropriate dose of theanine depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for theanine. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.
