PlainPill

L-Theanine vs Selank for anxiety

Short answer: For anxiety, more users report improvement with Selank — 97% of 112 reports, versus 91% of 1289 for L-Theanine.

L-Theanine has 18 meta-analyses and 78 randomized trials on PubMed; Selank has 0 and 2.

Based on 3,475 reports about L-Theanine and 383 about Selank. Not medical advice.

L-Theanine
Supplement
Selank
Peptide
Users say it helped65%helped1,807 reports · high confidence75%helped138 reports · high confidence
Verdict
Mostly positive
Mostly positive
ResearchAResearch: StrongCResearch: Limited
Meta-analyses / RCTs18 / 780 / 2
Mainly used for
Anxiety
% reporting improvement
91% (1289)97% (112)
Focus
% reporting improvement
88% (501)86% (36)
Sleep
% reporting improvement
78% (370)90% (10)
Mood
% reporting improvement
77% (223)90% (39)
Energy
% reporting improvement
68% (97)100% (4)
Common side effectsdrowsiness, vivid dreams, fatigue, headacheheadache, tolerance, injection site, tingling
Typical dose reported200 mg / bedtimeNot listed
L-Theanine
Latest review 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.

Nutr Rev, 2025 ↗
What a user said
“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!”
Full L-Theanine profile →
Selank
What a user said
“Selank has improved my anxiety immensely, and am able to focus on things clearly.”
Full Selank profile →

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Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate