PlainPill

Does L-Theanine help with mood?

Often, yes. 77% of 223 people who reported on L-Theanine for mood say it improved. 6% noticed no change and 17% say it got worse. That is below the typical result for mood (84% across 108 options).

Mood: what users report
77%better223 reports · high confidence
172 better13 no change38 worse

Ranked #51 of 108 for mood.

What people say about L-Theanine and mood

“This morning was my first time taking this combination along with my other daily vitamins and wow, what a difference it has made in my overall mood and anxiety!”
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“I drank 200mg of l-theanine and felt AMAZING. Super calm, clear, pleasant, chill and slight face tingle for about an hour.”
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“I felt better than drunk, I was completely euphoric and had a relaxed buzz that lasted all night long. 10/10 would strongly recommend trying!”
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“Since starting (200mg twice a day) I’ve almost completely lost the urge to drink.”
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What the research says

AResearch: Strong18 meta-analyses · 78 trials on PubMed
Nutr Rev · 2025
Effects of Tea (Camellia sinensis) or its Bioactive Compounds l-Theanine or l-Theanine plus Caffeine on Cognition, Sleep, and Mood in Healthy Participants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Conclusion: This meta-analysis provides evidence that theanine plus caffeine, and theanine alone, could be beneficial for cognitive and mood outcomes. More research using tea beverages or tea-equivalent bioactive doses and research in free-living participants is needed.

Phytomedicine · 2017
Green tea effects on cognition, mood and human brain function: A systematic review

Conclusion: The reviewed studies presented evidence that green tea influences psychopathological symptoms (e.g. reduction of anxiety), cognition (e.g. benefits in memory and attention) and brain function (e.g. activation of working memory seen in functional MRI). The effects of green tea cannot be attributed to a single constituent of the beverage. This is exemplified in the finding that beneficial green tea effects on cognition are observed under the combined influence of both caffeine and l-theanine, whereas separate administration of either substance was found to have a lesser impact.

Side effects people mention

drowsiness 87vivid dreams 24fatigue 19headache 9anhedonia 8

What else is L-Theanine used for?

Information only — not medical advice. How we count

Does L-Theanine help with mood? 77% of 223 users say yes — PlainPill