FUNCTIONAL FOOD
The One Ingredient A Neurohacker Adds To Coffee To Boost Its Brain Benefits
The One Ingredient A Neurohacker Adds To Coffee To Boost Its Brain Benefits
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Pouring a cup of coffee is one of the first things many people do when they need to get to work. But what if there was something you could add to your brew to make it even more effective at focusing? There is, according to Elizabeth Ricker, author of Smarter Tomorrow, a neurohacker and MIT and Harvard-trained brain researcher. On a recent episode of the mbg podcast, she said the following.
What's the deal with L-theanine?
Ricker tells mbg that in a world of trendy nootropics, she prefers to add one basic ingredient to her coffee: L-theanine. L-theanine is a time-tested component of the green tea plant (and white and black tea—but green tea has the most of it). It is a neurologically active amino acid.
Ricker prefers 100 milligrams of L-theanine every 100 milligrams of coffee when it comes to focus. This is enough for her to add a little additional kick to her brew, but it's still affordable enough to make on a daily basis (which can't be true for certain other nootropics and cognitive enhancers on the market).
This is what the research shows.
Early evidence suggests Ricker is onto something with this combination: A mixture of caffeine and L-theanine did really boost participants' mental function in one small study published in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience.
27 participants were given 50 milligrams of caffeine, either with or without 100 milligrams of L-theanine, and their cognition and mood were assessed afterwards (including factors like word recognition, visual processing, attention switching, and more).
Participants in the caffeine and L-theanine group performed faster and more accurately in the attention-switching test after 60 minutes than those in the placebo group. At 60 minutes and 90 minutes, they were also less readily distracted.
"These findings corroborate earlier evidence that implies that combining L-theanine and caffeine improves performance on cognitively demanding activities," the researchers write.
Bonus: This super-amino acid has a slew of other research-backed advantages, including reducing stress and preventing cognitive decline.
Healthy adults generally tolerate L-theanine well, and there are no documented adverse effects.
The takeout.
If you're seeking for a natural way to increase focus and cognition, try incorporating L-theanine into your daily coffee. And just when we thought we couldn't get any more addicted to coffee...