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Best Caffeine and L-Theanine Combination

Best Caffeine and L-Theanine Combination

With the best caffeine and L-theanine combination, you can have your cake and eat it too. Of course, eating your cake while still having it is difficult. However, eating (or drinking) your coffee is not difficult while maintaining a comfortable, focused, and stable attitude. And all of this is possible because of the best caffeine and L-theanine combination.

If you’ve spent more than two minutes in the nootropic game, you’ve probably heard of the benefits—or at the very least heard that there are benefits—of mixing coffee and L-theanine. By combining caffeine with L-theanine, the stimulant’s jittery side effects are eliminated, but the stimulant’s focus and energy improvements are maintained.

The best caffeine and L-theanine combination is about half the caffeine ratio compared to L-theanine. Ideally, it will not contain more than 50mg of caffeine per serving. Combining this with a carefully selected blend of methylated B vitamins, N-acetyl L-tyrosine, and bacopa for caffeine balance and recovery will further enhance the benefits. All of these, except caffeine, are available in Maximum Mind in their highest purity forms.

This is excellent news for caffeine-sensitive individuals. And for those who are sick of caffeine’s nonsense (but still adore the substance), this is the ideal deal. However, not just any caffeine and L-theanine combination will work. This is why we developed this guide on the best caffeine and L-Theanine combination.

“I Always Did Something I Was a Little Not Ready to Do. I Think That’s How You Grow. When There’s That Moment of Wow, I’m Not Really Sure I Can Do This, and You Push Through Those Moments, That’s When You Have a Breakthrough.”
— Marissa Mayer

 

What Are Nootropics?

“The only difference between the master and the novice is that the master has failed more times than the novice has tried.”
―Stephen McCranie

First things first, what are nootropics? Corneliu Giurgea, a Romanian neuroscientist, coined the term nootropic (pronounced new-tropic) in 1972. He believed that smart drugs should be invented and made widely available for the purpose of enhancing the general population’s brain health and increasing human intelligence.

According to Dr Giurgea’s findings, nootropics enhance cognition, memory, alertness, concentration, creativity, and attention. They became known as cognitive enhancers, substances that amplify the way the brain’s many cognitive functions operate and how we process information.

Simply put, cognitive enhancers (or nootropics or smart drugs) are prescription or off-the-counter drugs or supplements that enhance cognition. Some nootropics contribute to brain health while others can be quite dangerous.

Since Marco’s Grounds only works with safe and natural compounds in their purest forms, for most of our discussions we will restrain ourselves to natural nootropics that increase cognition safely.


Beginner’s Nootropic Stack: Caffeine and L-Theanine Combination

“The formula of happiness and success is just being actually yourself, in the most vivid possible way you can.”
— Meryl Streep

What better way to begin your exploration of nootropics than with the best coffee and L-theanine combination?

After all, even if you’re unfamiliar with the notion of nootropics, you’re probably familiar with coffee. You’re already aware of caffeine’s stimulatory effects, how caffeine feels, how much caffeine you can drink, and so on.

As you read this, there is a good chance that a large quantity of caffeine is rushing through your body. You’ve almost certainly also encountered the post-caffeine fall. This brain-dead period immediately follows the feel-good high… and you’re wondering, “Isn’t there a better way to go about this caffeine business?”

And the answer is a resounding “yes” when supplemented with L-theanine. It is not enough to know the best caffeine and L-theanine combination. Getting a fair knowledge of the individual elements and what they provide will give us a heads-up. 

But What Is L-Theanine?

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”
— Thomas Edison

L-theanine is a common amino acid found in Camellia sinensis (green tea) leaves.

L-theanine, as one of the primary bioactive elements of green tea, is responsible for the soothing effects associated with drinking a cup of green tea – or white tea – or black tea. Or, more precisely, any tea made from Camellia sinensis leaves.

L-theanine is an anxiolytic, which means that it aids in the reduction of anxiety. Unlike other potent anxiolytics, L-theanine is not sedative. This is ultimately what distinguishes L-theanine.

L-theanine promotes alpha brainwaves, not sedation, which helps the mind rest yet focus relentlessly.

The alpha brainwave frequency (8-14 Hz) is a kind of electrical neuronal activity that is frequently connected with calm, contemplative thought or “wakeful relaxation.” This is best defined as a “flow” condition, similar to being “in the zone,” in which one foot is firmly planted in creative invention and the other in vigilant orderliness.

When combined with caffeine, the anxiolytic theanine’s properties help maintain caffeine’s focus and energy advantages while alleviating the jittery adverse effects associated with caffeine alone. This is why this article discusses the intriguing properties of the best caffeine and L-theanine combination.

Is Caffeine a Nootropic?

“I raise my voice not so I can shout but so that those without a voice can be heard. We cannot succeed when half of us are held back.”
— Malala Yousafzai

In a nutshell, no and yes. The short answer is that caffeine is not a real nootropic; nevertheless, when used in moderation and in conjunction with other nootropics, caffeine does exhibit strong nootropic potential and may dependably boost your acute cognitive function.

Caffeine does not qualify as a real nootropic simply because it is officially categorized as a stimulant, and stimulants have a tendency to function in ways that are detrimental to the long-term brain health properties of true nootropics.

The fact that caffeine is naturally not a nootropic brings us to the concord of understanding the best caffeine and L-Theanine combination, which happens to be a stack that gives caffeine a nootropic-like effect.

What’s the Difference: Stimulants vs. Nootropics?

“Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”
— Napoleon Hill

While stimulants and other so-called smart drugs are frequently referred to as “nootropics,” they do not meet the criteria established by the man who coined the term: Dr. Corneliu E. Giurgea.

To be sure, like with all words, our usage of the term “nootropic” has evolved and diverged from some definitions contained in Dr. Giurgea’s original definition. However, one fundamental criterion of nootropics from research in Neuro-Psychopharmacology remains: stimulants, including coffee, do, to variable degrees, improve cognitive performance. They do, however, pose a risk to brain health that is not present in other nootropics.

In other words: while stimulants improve cognitive performance at the expense of long-term brain health, nootropics improve cognitive performance while simultaneously improving long-term brain health.

Caffeine, without a doubt, is a weak stimulant in comparison to the more potent synthetic cognitive enhancers that circulate in the halls of higher education and performance at all costs.

And, without a doubt, a small quantity of caffeine appears to boost the function of some beneficial metabolic pathways. However, there is no dispute about caffeine’s jittery adverse effects. Caffeine, when used in excess, may decrease cognitive ability.

This is why stacking caffeine with L-theanine, a compound that helps smoothen out caffeine’s rough edges is such a popular and effective nootropic technique.

Read more about coffee vs nootropics in this post if the heart moves you.

Benefits of the Best Caffeine and L-Theanine Combination

“Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four-hour days.”
― Zig Ziglar

If coffee increases cognitive energy and L-theanine increases cognitive relaxation, wouldn’t these two chemicals’ effects balance out? Nope, it appears not! Indeed, the reverse is true.

Caffeine and L-theanine may work synergistically to improve various aspects of cognition, as discussed in more depth below.

Mood and Attention

Two pieces of research stand out in this regard for the cognitive advantages of mood and attention:

One placebo-controlled trial in Nutritional Neuroscience investigated the effects of 50mg caffeine with and without 100mg L-theanine on cognition and mood, concluding that “combining L-theanine with caffeine improves performance on cognitively demanding activities.” [2]
Another placebo-controlled trial in Nutritional Neuroscience indicated that “theanine and caffeine appear to have synergistic effects on attention at high dosages.” [3]

Taken together, these studies imply that caffeine and L-theanine may have a stronger synergy of beneficial effects on mood and attention when ingested together than when ingested alone.

Performance on Demanding Cognitive Tasks

By assessing cognitive performance, self-reported mood, blood pressure, and heart rate before and after taking L-theanine (97 mg) and caffeine (40 mg), a group of researchers observed significant improvements in task-switching accuracy and self-reported alertness, as well as decreased self-reported tiredness, when the best caffeine and L-theanine combination was used.

The same trial in Nutritional Neuroscience investigated that “97 mg of L-theanine in conjunction with 40 mg of caffeine assists in focusing attention during a difficult cognitive test.” [4]

Elimination of Caffeine’s Vasoconstrictive Effect

One of the primary reasons savvy exercisers avoid caffeine-containing pre-workout supplements is because caffeine promotes vasoconstriction—the narrowing of blood vessels, which reduces blood flow.

For instance, sportsmen and bodybuilders pursuing the fabled “muscle pump” should rationally avoid vasoconstrictors to preserve enough circulation.

Similarly, nootropics users seeking enhanced nutrition and oxygen supply to the brain may be experiencing detrimental effects due to vasoconstriction.

However, one double-blind, placebo-controlled trial found in Psychopharmacology indicates that “Combining L-theanine with caffeine at concentrations and ratios comparable to one to two cups of tea abolished caffeine’s vasoconstrictive effects.” [5]

This is excellent news for individuals who avoid coffee reluctantly due to its harmful effect on circulation and blood flow.

How to Stack Caffeine With L-Theanine

“If people are doubting how far you can go, go so far that you can’t hear them anymore.”
– Michele Ruiz

When constructing your first caffeine and L-theanine combination, keep in mind that the ratio is critical.

Though the combination is likely to work as long as you stack more L-theanine than caffeine, the majority of studies indicate that a 2:1 theanine-to-caffeine ratio is optimal.

In other words, if an average cup of coffee contains around 100mg caffeine, 200mg L-theanine is required to achieve the 2:1 ratio. Of course, mixing caffeine with L-theanine via a “cup of coffee” is not necessarily the most convenient method.

If you choose to do so, bear in mind that you’d want a standard cup of coffee per serving of Maximum Mind.

After all, the amount of caffeine in your coffee is merely an estimate. This is why it appears as though consuming a readymade caffeine and  L-theanine combination “mini-stack” is the recommended course of action.

In an ideal world, this would be a mini-stack that contains only a small quantity of caffeine (50mg) rather than forcing you to consume an extreme dosage of caffeine each serving. After all, with a lesser dose, you may always double or quadruple the serving amount as needed.

Once you’ve mastered the coffee and L-theanine combination, you may add more nootropics to this mini-stack to boost your cognitive performance even further.

Maximum Mind Nootropics to Combine With Caffeine

“All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.”
– Walt Disney

Apart from Maximum Mind L-Theanine, which is an enhanced version of L-Theanine extracted from organic tea leaves only compared to the more common synthetic versions in the market, additional Maximum Mind ingredients work well with caffeine.

Below are some of those.

Organic Monnieri Bacopa Monnieri Leaf Extract

Organic Bacopa Monnieri Leaf Extract

Bacopa monnieri, commonly referred to as Brahmi, water hyssop, thyme-leaved Gratiola, or herb of grace, is a well-known Ayurvedic plant.

According to studies published in Alternative and Complementary Medicine, it thrives in moist, tropical environments and is well-known for aquarium use due to its capacity to grow underwater [6].

According to a study published in Phytomedicine, bacopa monnieri has been utilized by Ayurvedic physicians for millennia for a number of purposes, including memory enhancement, anxiety reduction, and epilepsy treatment [7].

Indeed, there is evidence that it may improve cognitive performance and reduce anxiety and stress. These advantages are attributed to a family of potent chemicals called bacosides found in bacopa monnieri.

Bacopa also contains several antioxidants. Antioxidants are chemicals that aid in the protection of cells from potentially harmful molecules called free radicals.

According to a study published in the journal Inflammation & Allergy Drug Discovery, free radical damage appears to be associated with various chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and some forms of cancer. [8]

For its cortisol managing effect, as long as it’s calming yet non-sedative effect, bacopa makes it to the list of ingredients that would enhance the best caffeine and L-theanine combination.

Note: there’s an effective dose of organic bacopa monnieri leaf extract at 50% minimum bacosides, in each dose of Maximum Mind.

Read more on bacopa on the Marco’s Grounds Deep Dive or find out more about the benefits of bacopa here.

cheese N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine (NALT)

N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine

N-acetyl L-tyrosine is a catecholamine precursor amino acid utilized to generate and restore catecholamine neurotransmitters depleted by caffeine’s stimulant effects.

Catecholamine neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and norepinephrine, are critical brain chemicals that enable individuals to retain a high degree of attention, attentiveness, and a pleasant mood in the face of adversity.

L-tyrosine, as a precursor to catecholamines, is a pro-catecholamine amino acid that acts as a stimulant substitute as well as a stimulant recovery agent.

Researchers in Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance asserts that stress and lack of sleep deplete your body’s natural L-tyrosine stores, which are required to maintain catecholamine activity [9].

While caffeine is a stimulant that improves wakefulness, it also raises tension and cortisol. Stress, sleep deprivation, and coffee, which many of us encounter on a daily basis, combine to create a catecholaminergic nightmare.

Once the catecholamines have been depleted, the post-caffeine crash occurs. Caffeine combined with L-tyrosine may considerably aid in replenishing and nourishing the brain during the caffeine crash, hence extending the duration of attention and mood.

For its neurotransmitter replenishing effect, L-tyrosine makes it to the top of the list of ingredients to add to the best caffeine and L-theanine combination.

Note: there’s an effective dose of L-tyrosine as N-acetyl L-tyrosine in in each dose of Maximum Mind.

Read more about tyrosine on the Marco’s Grounds Deep Dive or dig deeper into the benefits of tyrosine here.

Methylated Vitamin B rich food

Methylated B6 and B12 Vitamins

Stacking methylated B Vitamins with caffeine may aid in vitamin replenishment due to caffeine’s diuretic impact.

Caffeine, in case you weren’t aware, dehydrates you. 

Researchers in Clinical Chemistry found that as a result of the increased peeing, you’re losing not just a considerable amount of water, putting you in danger of mild dehydration, but also a significant number of B Vitamins, the key nutritional components that work as cofactors in hundreds of metabolic processes [10].

Each serving of Maximum Mind contains high-quality, nature-occurring, methylated B Vitamins, which have the following benefits: 

  • Methylated Vitamin B6 – aids in the production of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine; 
  • Methylated Vitamin B12 – aids in the production of catecholamines, nerve cells, and blood cells, among other things.

Indeed, the advantages of methylated B vitamins are many. However, as stated by researchers in Nutrition, one thing is certain: when B Vitamins levels dwindle, emotional stability and cognitive function deteriorate. [11]

When caffeine is used, supplementing with a methylated B vitamin complex may help maintain appropriate B vitamin levels despite the diuretic loss. For this reason, methylated B Vitamins make it to the list of additions to the best caffeine and L-Theanine Combination.

Note: there’s an effective dose of methylated vitamin B5, B6, B9 and B12 in each dose of Maximum Mind.

Read more about methylated vitamin B on the Marco’s Grounds Deep Dive and why you should never consider non-methylated B vitamins.

 

Conclusion

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
– Mark Twain

The best caffeine and L-Theanine combination to optimize cognitive performance and recovery is a “mini-stack” containing about half the caffeine ratio compared to L-theanine. 

Ideally, it will not contain more than 50mg of caffeine per serving. 

Caffeine can be consumed in various forms—coffee, tea, energy drinks, and so on. However, the optimal method to consume caffeine, at least if you’re a nootropic nerd concerned with both brain health and performance, is with L-theanine. Once you’ve had caffeine with this amino acid, you’ll never go back to drinking your coffee black.

Using the best caffeine and L-Theanine combination with a carefully selected blend of methylated B vitamins, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, and Bacopa for caffeine balance and recovery is easily the best caffeine combination on the market. All of these, except caffeine, are available in Maximum Mind in their highest purity forms.

While many supplements contain caffeine, the majority of them either have an excessive amount of caffeine or combine it with a disproportionate number of unneeded ingredients—or both.

Why not experience the benefits of the best caffeine and L-theanine combination in their purest form along with other clinically studied compounds for increasing brain performance and health with Maximum Mind?

 

Literature

  1. Giurgea C, Salama M. Nootropic drugs. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology. 1977; 1(3-4): 235-247.
  2. Owen GN et al. The combined effects of L-theanine and caffeine on cognitive performance and mood. Nutr Neurosci. 2008 Aug; 11(4): 193-8.
  3. Kahathuduwa CN et al. Acute effects of theanine, caffeine, and theanine-caffeine combination on attention. Nutr Neurosci. 2017 Jul; 20(6): 369-377.
  4. Giesbrecht T et al. The combination of L-theanine and caffeine improves cognitive performance and increases subjective alertness. Nutr Neurosci. 2010 Dec; 13(6): 283-90.
  5. Dodd FL et al. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the effects of caffeine and L-theanine both alone and in combination on cerebral blood flow, cognition, and mood. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2015; 232(14): 2563-2576.
  6. Neri DF et al. The effects of tyrosine on cognitive performance during extended wakefulness. Aviat Space Environ Med. 1995 Apr; 66(4): 313-9.
  7. Nobre AC et al. L-theanine, a natural constituent in tea, and its effect on mental state. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2008; 17(S1): 167-68.
  8. Hunter, P. (2012). The inflammation theory of disease. EMBO Reports, 13(11), 968–970.
  9. Neri DF et al. The effects of tyrosine on cognitive performance during extended wakefulness. Aviat Space Environ Med. 1995 Apr; 66(4): 313-9.
  10. Ulvik A et al. Coffee consumption and circulating B-vitamins in healthy middle-aged men and women. Clin Chem. 2008 Sep; 54(9): 1489-96.
  11. Kim H et al. Association between intake of B vitamins and cognitive function in elderly Koreans with cognitive impairment. Nutr J. 2014; 13: 118.
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