Guest guest Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 Hi Michele from Sue, We found that Theanine is needed to aid GABA's production.... ---Even my husband who had been taking GABA naturals as well as Gabapentin..found he needed Theanine to get the GABA to work.... (Adding Theanine---to his GABA protocol ---- eliminated the chest pains he was getting from Anxiety related ----Mitral Valve prolapse problems, too.) I also use Theanine... sometimes per muscle testing... and it is enough BY ITSELF..with no extra GABA needed. ----Here's a Wikipedia source that may help. Hope that helps, Sue Theanine From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Theanine Systematic (IUPAC) name 2-Amino-4-(ethylcarbamoyl)butyric acid Identifiers CAS number 3081-61-6 ATC code ? PubChem 228398 Chemical data Formula C7H14N2O3 Mol. mass 174.20 g/mol SMILES search in eMolecules, PubChem Synonyms L-Theanine, N-Ethyl-L-glutamine Physical data Melt. point 117 °C (243 °F) Pharmacokinetic data Bioavailability ? Metabolism ? Half life ? Excretion ? Therapeutic considerations Pregnancy cat. ? Legal status Legal everywhere Routes Oral Neuroscience Portal Theanine is an amino acid commonly found in tea (infusions of Camellia sinensis). Theanine is related to glutamine, and can cross the blood-brain barrier.[1] Because it can enter the brain, theanine has psychoactive properties.[2] Theanine has been shown to reduce mental and physical stress[3] and may produce feelings of relaxation.[4] Theanine is speculated to produce these effects by increasing the level of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) production. Theanine increases brain serotonin, dopamine, GABA levels and has micromolar affinities for AMPA, Kainate and NMDA receptors.[5] It has also been found that injecting spontaneously hypertensive mice with theanine significantly lowered levels of 5-hydroxyindole in the brain.[6] Researchers also speculate that it may inhibit glutamic acid excitotoxicity.[5] Theanine also promotes alpha wave production in the brain.[2] Studies on test rats have shown that even repeated, extremely high doses of theanine cause little to no harmful psychological or physical effects.[7] L-theanine may help the body's immune system response when fighting infection by boosting the disease-fighting capacity of gamma delta T cells. The study, published in 2003 by the Brigham and Women's Hospital, included a four-week trial with 11 coffee drinkers and 10 tea drinkers, who consumed 600 milliliters of coffee or black tea daily. Blood sample analysis found that the production of anti-bacterial proteins was up to five times higher in the tea-drinkers, an indicator of a stronger immune response.[8] [edit] See also gamma-Glutamylmethylamide [edit] References ^ Yokogoshi H, Kobayashi M, Mochizuki M, Terashima T (1998). "Effect of theanine, r-glutamylethylamide, on brain monoamines and striatal dopamine release in conscious rats". Neurochem Res 23 (5): 667-73. PMID 9566605. ^ a b Gomez- M. "The Deployment of Intersensory Selective Attention: A High-density Electrical Mapping Study of the Effects of Theanine". Clin Neuropharmacol 30 (1): 25-38. PMID 17272967. ^ Kimura K, Ozeki M, Juneja L, Ohira H (2007). "L-Theanine reduces psychological and physiological stress responses". Biol Psychol 74 (1): 39-45. PMID 16930802. ^ Lu K, Gray M, Oliver C, Liley D, on B, Bartholomeusz C, Phan K, P (2004). "The acute effects of L-theanine in comparison with alprazolam on anticipatory anxiety in humans". Hum Psychopharmacol 19 (7): 457-65. PMID 15378679. ^ a b P, Lu K, Gray M, Oliver C (2006). "The neuropharmacology of L-theanine(N-ethyl-L-glutamine): a possible neuroprotective and cognitive enhancing agent". J Herb Pharmacother 6 (2): 21-30. PMID 17182482. ^ Yokogoshi H, Kato Y, Sagesaka YM, Takihara-Matsuura T, Kakuda T, Takeuchi N (1995). "Reduction effect of theanine on blood pressure and brain 5-hydroxyindoles in spontaneously hypertensive rats.". Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 59 (4): 615-618. PMID 7539642. ^ Borzelleca J, s D, Hall W (2006). "A 13-week dietary toxicity and toxicokinetic study with L-theanine in rats". Food Chem Toxicol 44 (7): 1158-66. PMID 16759779. ^ Kamath A, Wang L, Das H, Li L, Reinhold V, Bukowski J (2003). "Antigens in tea-beverage prime human Vgamma 2Vdelta 2 T cells in vitro and in vivo for memory and nonmemory antibacterial cytokine responses". Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 100 (10): 6009-14. PMID 12719524. Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theanine" Categories: Amino acids | Tea complicated GABA confusion --- can anyone help??? Posted by: "georgies_mama" babyjjmama@... georgies_mama Thu Jan 17, 2008 6:02 am (PST) I took my son to a neurologist the other day because I thought he was having seizures from l-carnitine. He would get where he would seem like he was going to 'pop' and then tense and then do spastic movements with his limbs and look all weird in his eyes. Turns out, the neuro doesn't feel it is seizures because he is responsive during the episodes and because the movement occurs on both sides of his body. He felt that it was some sort of underlying movement disorder that presents itself only when the biochemistry in his brain is a certain way (and his supplements were causing the levels to be such to bring it out). So I did an internet search for movement disorder and found that it is caused by problems with not enough GABA. According to labs, my son does favor glutamate and needs more GABA. So this part made sense. However, when I looked up the things that have caused him problems, they actually help with GABA levels. Things that caused problems: magnesium citrate (made his arms shaky enough to freak out my husband who is usually pretty mellow), zinc sulphate and/or l-carnitine, pycogenol (made him wake up in the middle of the night screaming and crying with lots of anxiety). And so ...I don't get it. I would think he would be shaky all the time and then when I gave him these supplements he would be better due to helping GABA levels. But instead the opposite happens. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? I guess I can try GABA and if he gets the seizure looking thing again I know that increasing GABA is the cause. But then I am still confused as to why and what to do since GABA is supposed to be calming and help movement disorders and not cause them.Thank you.Michele Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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