Diet and Stress

Amino acids found in green tea, namely, L-theanine (L-THE), which has been linked to a number of health advantages, including enhancements of mood and cognition and a decrease in stress- and anxiety-like symptoms. In human randomized controlled trials, this systematic review by Williams et al. (2020) assessed the impact of oral dietary supplements containing pure L-THE on anxiety levels and stress reactions. Nine peer-reviewed journal articles where L-THE, used as a supplement and compared to controls, were selected using the PRISMA criteria (the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). According to the authors, supplementing with 200–400 mg/day of L-THE may help persons who are exposed to stressful situations feel less stressed and anxious. Despite this conclusion, the authors recommend conducting more extensive clinical research with a bigger cohort, including trials in which L-THE is frequently introduced into the diet, in order to clinically support the use of L-THE as a therapeutic agent to lessen stress and anxiety in those exposed to stressful situations.