L-Theanine Product Review

Unlike green tea extract, L-theanine is produced synthetically in the laboratory. Some of the most popular brands are Enzymatic Therapy, Sport Nutrition and NOW Food. How do they compare?

Out of the many beneficial substances in green tea, antioxidant EGCG tends to get all the praise and glory.

However, green tea also contains a beneficial amino acid called theanine, which promotes relaxation, takes the edge off caffeine, and helps you focus.

Like EGCG, theanine can be consumed the old-fashioned way, through a high quality cup of tea or as a separate supplement. However, unlike EGCG, l-theanine is only present in sufficient concentration in young tea buds, especially those that are harvested early spring.

Since these high grade teas tend to be relatively expensive, or hard to find in the West, consuming a supplement may seem like a good option. So let’s take a look at some of the most popular brands, shall we?

Manufacturer #1:
Enzymatic Therapy L-Theanine, 100mg

It is hard to separate L-theanine from its creator - the Japanese company Taiyo. They were the first to isolate the amino acid as a component of green tea and produce it under the trademark Suntheanine.

Taiyo is probably the oldest and most established company in the green tea supplement industry. When you buy Suntheanine, you should be guaranteed a pure product that is what is says it is. When it comes to buying supplements, that level of trust is important!

Where can you get Suntheanine? Taiyo doesn’t market its products directly to consumers. Instead, it sells them to other supplement manufacturers or food manufacturers.

You can get Suntheanine in capsule form from Enzymatic Therapy, available from Amazon.com.

Each bottle contains 60 capsules of 100 milligrams. Suggested dosage is one capsule 2-3 times a day.

It also says "if additional support is desired increase to 2 capsules 3 times a day".

Manufacturer #2:
Sports Research Suntheanine® L-Theanine 200mg

Sports Research is the No1 bestseller at the time of writing. Like Enzymatic Therapy the product is made of Suntheanine.

It is not hard to see why it is selling well. Price is lower as this product is double strength with each softgel being 200 millligrams.

One bottle contains 60 capsules and the recommended dosage is one softgel a day on an empty stomach.

It uses coconut oil to enhance absorption and also provides a 90-day Money Back Guarantee from the day of purchase.

Like the Enzymatic Therapy product, customer feedback are overwhelming positive with few complaints of unpleasant side effects.

I think it is worth going with this one and if it doesn't work, just ask for the money back!

Manufacturer #3:
NOW Foods L-theanine 200mg

One bottle contains 60 capsules of 200 milligrams of l-theanine. The product picture says it contains Suntheanine but it actually doesn't.

Personally I think this is the cheaper alternative but it is the case of buyer beware as the theanine ingredient they use is possibly inferior.

Taiyo Suntheanine is the best product out there as it contains 100% l-theanine. Other formulations may not be as pure, they just don't say. It really is the case of paying less for an inferior product, but seeing if it works as well.

One also has to be careful with the customer feedback here as NOW switches over to using a different formulation.