Ashwagandha and L-Theanine Combination: Should You Try It?

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Ashwagandha has been a staple in my daily supplement stack for years. It improves my sleep quality, and I can feel increased testosterone-related benefits.

A new supplement has caught my eye some time ago, which is L-Theanine. This is a non-essential amino acid that our bodies don’t produce and don’t need.

I realized I didn’t get it from food either, so when researching the benefits I saw what I was potentially missing out on. I decided to try both supplements together.

This article is written based on my own experience and the currently known research around both supplements.

In this article, I’m going to give you everything you need to know about Ashwagandha and L-Theanine.

In the practical information, I’ll discuss what the compound is, how it works, if it’s safe (who should avoid it), the (possible) benefits, and (possible) side effects.

Practical information about Ashwagandha

What is Ashwagandha?

Ashwagandha is a herbal supplement that can reduce stress, improve sleep quality, and has positive effects on testosterone production.

It’s made from a green shrub tree and can be found in parts of Asia and Africa.

The active ingredients in Ashwagandha are the withanolides.

There are three high-quality categories of Ashwagandha supplements available.

The Ashwagandha supplements I like best are from Nootropics Depot. I’ll put a link after the information to an in-depth review for each.

• ‍KSM-66 Ashwagandha, has been deemed the king of full-spectrum Ashwagandha supplements (around 5% withanolides). Review.
• Sensoril Ashwagandha is especially great for balancing stress levels and supporting a healthy sleep pattern because it’s higher in Glycowithanolides (around 10% withanolides). Review.
• ‍Shoden Ashwagandha is a fairly new and highly purified full-spectrum Ashwagandha supplement (around 35% withanolides). Review.

How does Ashwagandha work?

Ashwagandha is a classified adaptogen, which can help us handle stress better.

When taken at night it can help calm the body and reduce anxiety, improving sleep quality.

Ashwagandha can also have a positive effect on testosterone, by increasing the production of the luteinizing hormone.

This hormone triggers testosterone production and supports our reproductive system.

Is Ashwagandha safe and who should avoid it?

Ashwagandha supplements are non-toxic and safe to consume for most healthy adults.

Ashwagandha should be avoided by people with certain medical conditions, such as autoimmune disease, diabetes, low or high blood pressure, thyroid disorders, or stomach ulcers.

Ashwagandha is also best avoided by pregnant or breastfeeding women.

What are the benefits of Ashwagandha?

Ashwagandha can help with:

• Handling stress
• Improving the quality of sleep
• Reducing anxiety
• Boosting testosterone (thus improving muscle/ strength/ sexual desires/ mood/ body composition/ etc.)

What are the side effects of Ashwagandha?

In some uncommon cases, Ashwagandha may cause drowsiness, nausea, an upset stomach, diarrhea, or allergies. More research is needed to pin down every possible side effect though.

Practical information about L-Theanine

What is L-Theanine?

L-Theanine is an amino acid that can mainly be found in black tea, green tea, and a few variants of mushrooms.

It’s not essential for the human body, and we don’t produce it ourselves.

How does L-Theanine work?

L-Theanine influences the neurotransmitters in our brains.

More specifically it increases the production of GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid), and the production of our happy hormones: serotonin and dopamine.

These play a role in regulating stress, mood, alertness, concentration, emotion, sleep, the perception of fear, etc.

Is L-Theanine safe and who should avoid it?

L-Theanine is generally recognized as safe by the FDA.

Doses of up to 900 mg daily have been found safe for 8 weeks.

The effects of higher dosages/ a longer duration are currently unknown but are POSSIBLY safe.

What are the benefits of L-Theanine?

L-Theanine can help with:

• Reducing anxiety/ fear
• Reducing stress
• Insomnia
• Improving mental focus
• Improving sleep quality
• Helping to relax
• Boosting the immune system
• Reducing blood pressure (by lowering stress/ helping to relax)

What are the side effects of L-Theanine?

The possible side effects of L-Theanine are almost non-existent to very minimal.

In high dosages it could cause:

• Nausea
• Irritability
• A headache
• An upset stomach

Is it safe to take Ashwagandha and L-Theanine together?

Yes, if you follow the recommended dosages then taking Ashwagandha and L-Theanine together is safe.

Ashwagandha extract has been safely used in research for dosages of 1,000 mg for 3 months, but higher dosages (and longer durations) are POSSIBLY safe as well.

L-Theanine has been safely used in research for dosages of 900mg for 8 weeks, but higher dosages (and longer durations) are POSSIBLY safe as well.

What dosage of Ashwagandha and L-Theanine should you take?

Dosage of Ashwagandha

I recommend taking a standardized, and well-tested Ashwagandha supplement.

Either KSM-66 Ashwagandha (best-known/ full-spectrum), Sensoril Ashwagandha (sleep/ stress focused), or Shoden Ashwagandha (highest potency/ full-spectrum) fall under these categories.

For KSM-66 the recommended dose would be between 300-600 mg daily.

For the others even less is appropriate, because they contain a higher percentage of withanolides (the active ingredient of Ashwagandha).

Dosage of L-Theanine

The ideal dosage of L-Theanine is for most people around 200-400 mg daily.

A very high-quality, lab-tested L-Theanine supplement from Nootropics Depot has a recommended dosage of one pill that contains 200 mg of L-Theanine daily.

Who should avoid taking Ashwagandha and L-Theanine?

The people that fit into the following categories should certainly avoid taking Ashwagandha and L-Theanine together:

• People with autoimmune disease
• People with diabetes
• People with low or high blood pressure
• People with thyroid disorders
• People with stomach ulcers
• Women that are pregnant/ breastfeeding

Possible benefits of taking Ashwagandha and L-Theanine together?

By taking Ashwagandha and L-Theanine together, you could get the following benefits:

• An increase in (free) testosterone levels.
• Improvements in sexual health (libido, erections, performance, etc.).
• Reduced stress, fear, and anxiety
• Improved quality of sleep
• Building muscle, and strength faster in the gym.
• A better body composition.
• Improved energy and mental focus
• Helping to relax
• Reducing blood pressure (lower stress/ more relaxed)
• A better immune system

Possible side effects of taking Ashwagandha and L-Theanine together?

Based on current knowledge about Ashwagandha and L-Theanine, the following side effects might occur:

• Drowsiness
• Nausea
• An upset stomach
• Diarrhea
• Irritability
• Allergic reactions

When is the best time to take Ashwagandha and L-Theanine?

The best time to take Ashwagandha and L-Theanine is at night about 30-60 minutes before going to sleep.

This will help you relax, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve your overall quality of sleep.

Do I recommend taking Ashwagandha and L-Theanine together?

In my opinion, Ashwagandha and L-Theanine work perfectly together.

It improves my sleep tremendously, and I overall feel better during the day.

The increase in testosterone is twofold because better sleep is (indirectly) also linked to increased testosterone levels.

I feel more energized, have more progress in the gym, and experience other testosterone-related benefits (like sexually).

If you’re interested in the benefits and don’t fall into a category that should avoid these supplements, then I can recommend giving these a try.

I take the KSM-66 Ashwagandha and L-Theanine from Nootropics Depot because it’s high-quality and lab-tested.

I take two pills of 300 mg KSM-66 Ashwagandha daily, and one pill of 200 mg L-Theanine at night before going to sleep.

You can check out the Ashwagandha by clicking here, or the L-Theanine by clicking here.

How do I stack Ashwagandha and L-Theanine with similar supplements?

I have some other natural compounds in my daily supplement stack, that have similar benefits, and that I take together with Ashwagandha and L-Theanine.

Most of these supplements come from Nootropics Depot, but some come from Bulk Supplements.

In my opinion, these are very high-quality, and I like that all of these supplements are lab-tested.

The list below explains why I take each supplement, where you can find them, and for some, I've written an in-depth review as well (I've included the two supplements in this article).

Tongkat Ali

Great for: improving testosterone, increasing strength, a better body composition, better sex life, more energy, and better stress control.

For an in-depth review click here. To check it on the site click here.

Cistanche Tubulosa

Great for: improving testosterone, increasing strength, a better body composition, more energy, better mood, and improved cognitive abilities (like memory).

For an in-depth review click here. To check it on the site click here.

Ashwagandha KSM-66

Great for: improving sleep quality, decreasing anxiety, better stress control, improving testosterone levels/ muscle & strength gains, more energy, and better mood.

For an in-depth review click here. To check it on the site click here.

Magnesium

Great for: over 300 biochemical reactions in our bodies, better sleep quality, bone- and heart health, reducing feelings of anxiety and depression, etc.

To check it on the site click here.

Fenugreek Powder

Great for: boosting (free) testosterone, better sexual health, boosting performance and results in the gym, lowering blood pressure, and increasing milk production in breastfeeding women.

To check it on the site click here.

Epicatechin

Great for: boosting athletic performance, decreasing/ eliminating muscle soreness, a faster rate of muscle/ strength gain, a better body composition, retaining muscle during off times, improved cognitive abilities, better mood, and possibly improving testosterone.

For an in-depth review click here. To check it on the site click here.

Longvida Curcumin

Great for: reducing inflammation, reducing pain, improving cognitive abilities (memory/focus), and potentially a better mood/ faster muscle gains.

For an in-depth review click here. To check it on the site click here.

Maca Root Extract

Great for: improving sexual health, more energy & stamina, better cognitive ability & memory, and alleviating menstruation pain (for women).

To check it on the site click here.

L-Theanine

Great for: better quality sleep, feeling more relaxed, reduced stress/ anxiety/ fear, and improved mental focus.

To check it on the site click here.

Green Tea Extract 45% EGCG

Great for: Improving metabolic function, faster fat loss, better skin, reducing inflammation, and overall health.

For an in-depth review click here. To check it on the site click here.

Melatonin

Great for: overall better quality sleep, increased sleep duration, and falling asleep faster.

To check it on the site click here.

Also possible to stack with Horny Goat Weed

Great for: sexual health (mainly improved blood flow to the penile tissue), reducing anxiety, better mood, and possibly improving testosterone/reducing inflammation and pain/ more energy.

For an in-depth review click here. To check it on the site click here.