Ashwagandha and L-Theanine: Do They Work Together?

can you take ashwagandha and l-theanine together
can you take ashwagandha and l-theanine together

Can you take L-theanine and ashwagandha together?

Let’s start at the very beginning: is it even okay to take ashwagandha and L-theanine side by side? It sure is. (Phew!) “It’s a good strategy to take them together because their mechanisms of action are complementary,” Dr. Gossard said. The two substances play well together, like good friends, even though they play different roles in the body.

Let’s start with L-theanine. This calming amino acid found in green tea can help you keep your cool. For example, in a clinical study, L-theanine was shown to promote brain waves associated with a relaxed, but wakeful, state more effectively than placebo. It can work fast, too—within three hours, Dr. Gossard pointed out. L-theanine can help balance out the body’s stress response, so it’s great for achieving a sense of calm, without making you feel like you need to take a nap.

What about its partner in crime? “On the other hand, ashwagandha works upstream to support healthy stress response and overall well-being by supporting healthy cortisol levels,” Dr. Gossard said.

Remember, cortisol is the body’s main stress hormone—almost like an innate alarm system. The more you’ve got, the more wired you’re going to feel, almost like your body is telling you, “Alert! Alert! Alert!” even when there’s nothing to be worried about. A little bit of stress is normal and even healthy. Too much can be a disaster. So, if you can keep cortisol under control, your overall health will benefit as a result.

So you’ve got L-theanine slamming the brakes on those overwhelming feelings and ashwagandha keeping your daily cortisol levels on point and helping you sleep at night. The effects of ashwagandha and L-theanine complement each other, supporting mood, attention, stress resilience and relaxation. Feel better, sleep better, perform better.

What’s the difference between ashwagandha and L-theanine?

While they work together nicely, in a nutshell, ashwagandha and L-theanine are two different compounds from their own sources that work in special ways. They are both herbal supplements but come from different plants.

Ashwagandha is an evergreen shrub also known as Indian ginseng, winter cherry, and Withania somnifera. Certain parts of the plant (like the ashwagandha root) are used as ingredients in supplements. “Extracts of ashwagandha roots and leaves are commonly used in dietary supplement preparations. The most researched active compounds are withanolide glycosides and oligosaccharides,” explained Dr. Gossard.

Then, we have L-theanine, which is a water-soluble amino acid that comes from the leaves that are used to make green tea. (That’s why you’ve maybe read that sipping on green tea is great for calming your mood.) The L-theanine can promote relaxation thanks to its impact on brain waves. That’s not all this amino acid can do, though. It can also support a healthy immune response and encourage tissue health.

How does ashwagandha support stress management?

While L-theanine helps you relax when you need to give yourself a time out, ashwagandha helps you keep from getting all worked up in the first place! Indeed, ashwagandha is practically the poster child of adaptogens (substances that help support healthy stress response and cortisol levels).

One way in which ashwagandha can help you tackle stress is by encouraging healthy levels of cortisol. Too much cortisol and your body will feel like it must be on-guard. But when cortisol levels are within a healthy range, you’ll feel more comfortable both mentally and physically.

Don’t forget, too, that stress is the starting point for many other health challenges. For instance, Dr. Gossard reminds us of some of the downstream effects of long-term stress, such as food cravings and eating behaviors. When you get stress under control, there’s an incredible ripple effect, and you can notice the cascade in other areas of your life. Ashwagandha can also support a healthy immune response! The benefits of Withania somnifera are abundant.