Can GABA and L-Theanine Supplements Together Help With Stress and Anxiety?

Combining GABA and L-theanine supplements may help reduce stress, but limited research suggests consulting a healthcare provider for safe use.

Highlights:

GABA and L-theanine are popular supplements for stress relief
L-theanine may help reduce stress, while GABA mainly aids sleep
Combined effects lack concrete research; consultation recommended

Supplement stacking, or the utilization of more than one dietary supplement simultaneously, has lately become popular, specifically for stress reduction. Two of the most talked about supplements for relaxation are Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) and L-theanine ().

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‘Did You Know?
L-theanine may improve stress relief, but combining it with GABA is still under research! #mentalhealth #medindia’

Understanding GABA and L-Theanine

GABA: It is a naturally occurring amino acid in the body and can be described as the (anti-)catalyst that can suppress activity in the central nervous system by inhibiting certain signals. However, there is still little evidence of the overall stress-reducing properties of GABA supplements, as it is uncertain whether ingested GABA actually enters the brain in a usable quantity.

L-theanine: L-Theanine is an amino acid that can enter the brain, it is found in green tea and some mushrooms and has been shown to have a possibility of decreasing stress at least and increasing focus levels to improve cognitive function.

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Potential Benefits of GABA and L-Theanine for Stress and Anxiety

L-theanine’s Calming Effects: Scientists have found out that consuming between 200-400 mg of L-theanine each day may decrease stress levels and anxiety in people. When it has an interaction with neurotransmitters, it may have the effects of promoting relaxation while boosting its intelligence.

GABA’s Role in Sleep and Relaxation: While mainly used for sleep disorders, GABA supplements may potentially offer a small extent of relaxation advantages. Other research such as a study on GABA-fortified oolong tea suggests potential to reduce stress, but human research also needs to be carried out.

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Efficacy of Stacking GABA and L-Theanine

While previous experiments regarding animal tissues indicated that both GABA and L-theanine are useful for sleep regulation, there is no reliable evidence of their efficiency for stress relief when combined in humans. Such specifics can be learned only from human trials, and such is the concern expressed by Dr. Ana Lupu.

Differing Mechanisms of Action: L-theanine can penetrate the blood-brain barrier while its interaction with GABA in the central nerve system is still inconclusive and thus, their combined use may bring unpleasant consequences ().

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Risks and Side Effects of GABA and L-Theanine

Potential Side Effects:

GABA: In general, it is harmless, but taking more than 300 mg can cause a headache, drowsiness or stomach aches. They also reduce blood pressure and can be potentially dangerous for those who take antihypertensive medications.
L-theanine: This supplement is not toxic but may induce drowsiness if taken along with other sleep inducing products or drugs. As with GABA, it could have interaction with antihypertensive medication.

Precautions for Specific Populations: There is little information on how GABA and L-theanine work in pregnant or breastfeeding women, so both are generally best avoided during these times.

Regulatory Considerations: The FDA does not conduct any tests on supplements such as GABA and L-theanine prior to their release onto the market.

While L-theanine has relaxing effects and GABA may have a stress reducing effect, the combination of these products for better outcomes entails research. The stress relief: Based on the current findings, it can be stated that L-theanine might provide a more stable form of stress relief, compared with GABA as a sleep supplement. The risk of these combinations may be avoided by consulting a healthcare provider before attempting this.

References:

Effects of Oral Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) Administration on Stress and Sleep in Humans: A Systematic Review - (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2020.00923/full)
Effects of L-Theanine Administration on Stress-Related Symptoms and Cognitive Functions in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial - (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6836118/)

Source-Medindia