Disclaimer: This is a sponsored Post! Focus Supplements were kind enough to give me their Caffeine and L-Theanine capsules as well as the D Mannose for testing!

There are negative side effects of caffeine… by itself.

Don’t believe me? Well, then keep on reading!

The combination of caffeine and L-Theanine is considered by many to be the best place for a beginner to start with nootropics.

The reason caffeine and L-theanine are useful is because of the simplicity and amount of data supporting that combination.

L-Theanine is an amino acid found primarily in green tea (but also in other types). Caffeine is found in coffee, cocoa, and there is even some in tea as well. Combined, these two ingredients create some magical things for us.

The Ultimate Combination! L-Theanine and Caffeine

Caffeine and L-Theanine by Focus Supplements

What makes L-Theanine and caffeine together so great?

One simple but important word – Synergy.

Caffeine is great for concentration, improving attention, and focus, I guess that most of us knew that BUT caffeine also has some major downsides! Such as, increased heart rate, blood pressure, and anxious/jittery feelings.

Now if we throw L-Theanine into the mix, the magic happens! L-Theanine is a relaxant that can reduce heart rate and blood pressure, promote alpha brain waves (associated with relaxation) and provide balance for the brain to avoid jitters.

When you start taking those two together you can concentrate on your work more effectively, be more creative, and achieve more success with the absence of headaches, crashes, and anxiety. The combination gives you the power to perform better and if you have been reading my site or books then you know that THIS is what I am all about! Improving PERFORMANCE.

Safety Concerns

The combination of those two is highly researched and has tons of evidence that is 1) Safe and 2) Works perfectly fine.

Hence, combining L-theanine and caffeine is incredibly safe.

There are many independent studies on caffeine cited on Examine.com alone. The side effects of caffeine are well documented as well.

L-Theanine also has a great safety track record. The United States Food and Drug Association (FDA) considers L Theanine G.R.A.S. – “generally regarded as safe”, which is a rare distinction. High doses in animals doesn’t cause toxicity.

L-Theanine The Underdog

L-Theanine definitely falls under the category of  “under the radar” supplements that can dramatically improve your brain health.

You know that feeling of “flow“ you get where work effortlessly flows through you? Usually, that happens when your brain is in an alpha wave state. One of the L-theanine benefits is an increase of alpha brain waves, which promotes relaxed, creative, and stress free thinking.

Who is L-Theanine and Caffeine for?

L-Theanine and Caffeine can be used by anyone, but it’s becoming especially popular for students who are looking to get an extra edge in the classroom. When finals season is coming up, and taking test after test starts becoming exhausting, finding supplements that can help boost your brain power, enhance your focus, and aid in memory retention can be extremely useful.

However, this stack can be used by just about anyone. If you’re an office worker this can be important as well. Sitting at a desk all day working on spreadsheets can be extremely monotonous, but using this can be beneficial to those looking to increase motivation.

L-Theanine and Caffeine isn’t just for students and office workers. It’s great for athletes as well. L-Theanine has been found to help increase blood flow and reduce fatigue.

Taking L-Theanine and Caffeine Daily

If you’re not convinced yet, you should be. The effects that L-Theanine and Caffeine can bring collectively to enhance your cognition is remarkable. I’ve been taking this nootropic stack nearly daily now and I don’t feel as if I’ll be stopping anytime soon. It brings me a smooth, clean energy throughout the day that I can’t say no to.

You can buy the stack individually or you can buy it mixed in as one clean dose. I prefer to take the pills that are all combined as I find it more convenient for me instead of taking several different pills to achieve the same effect.

I have been taking the Focus Supplements Caffeine and L-Theanine stack for a while now, and I just can’t beat the price. Each dose contains 100mg of caffeine and 250mg of L-Theanine, which has been found to be the optimum dosage of these two powerful supplements.

In conclusion, if you’re looking for increased mental focus, improved memory recall, improved reaction time, enhanced visual/spatial awareness, increased muscle dexterity, and an enhanced attention span, give this combination a try. I guarantee you’ll feel its effects on the first day and you’ll be instantly turned on to the idea of taking L-Theanine and Caffiene together regularly.

Getting Started with Caffeine and L-Theanine

When getting started with a caffeine + L-Theanine supplement, there is a proper ratio you must try to maintain. Numerous studies show the caffeine L Theanine ratio must be 1:2.

This caffeine theanine ratio is best for improving your concentration and alertness while reducing the negative side effects and jitters.

There is approximately 100 mg in a single cup of coffee, but sometimes that can still be a bit much. Then I add 160 mg of L-theanine. This L-theanine dosage is regarded as the best for your L-theanine and caffeine combination.

However, if you want to buy and ignore all the stress of taking the right amount then I can only advice you to get the capsules from Focussupplements. They are pre-made with the perfect dosage and I take 1-2 daily depending on how much work I need to get done. Stress free and it works like a charm! You can go and get them yourself right here on Amazon! Caffeine and L-theanine Capsules!

As I mentioned earlier, unlike other nootropics, L theanine and caffeine isn’t cost prohibitive to nearly anyone. For a 2 month supply of caffeine and L theanine you only have to pay a couple of cents per day!!

That is less than two quarters to improve your concentration and achieve more success while preventing negative side effects and feelings of caffeine.

What Else Could I use Besides Caffeine and L-Theanine?

For the curious ones, there are plenty of ways to use caffeine and L-theanine as a ground of your nootropic stack. Some people choose to use this combination daily because caffeine is one of the most impactful components for stimulation.

In addition to caffeine and L-theanine, it’s possible to focus on different cognitive processes. For example, some people have concentration covered with this basic stack and decide to add memory enhancers. A good combination for memory enhancement and learning is piracetam, aniracetam, or phenylpiracetam combined with choline sources like Alpha GPC or CDP choline.

D Mannose by Focus Supplements

I for one also use D Mannose to get rid of nasty bacteria and stay safe from infections, also it helps you to keep a healthy bladder. Some people even have genetic defects which prevents them from splitting Mannose correctly so taking D Mannose is even more important for those, again and as always get in contact with your doctor to see if you might need D Mannose.

Be conscious of stacking stimulants on top of each other stimulant especially for those who are sensitive. Adding modafinil on top of this combination could actually create adrenal fatigue and other side effects that are not positive long-term (this includes the cousins adrafinil and armodafinil).

Starting with caffeine and L-theanine is a good idea, but as many nootropics enthusiasts found out, it is easy to go down the rabbit hole and create even more effective nootropic stacks for yourself.

Medical Disclaimer: While we support psychedelic science and support usage of entheogens like ayahuasca (DMT) and psilocybin, it is recommended to avoid using other substances such as caffeine alongside them. We do not recommend using them together and as always, before taking anything that you are unsure about, consult your Doctor first!

Remember that movie Limitless, about a guy who discovers a drug that can unlock the 80% of his brain that humans supposedly don’t use?

He becomes a financial wizard, gets tangled up with angry hit men, gets addicted to the drug, experiences some weird side effects, and has to outwit a lot of people who want to kill him.

It was about as realistic as it sounds.

But in recent years, there has been a surge in people taking nootropics, or “smart drugs”. Those taking these drugs believe they increase their mental stamina and clarity, allowing them to achieve more in less time. While the idea of nootropics isn’t new (the term was coined in 1971), they have increased in popularity as more and more people are interested in “body hacking” for optimal performance.

So what are these drugs? Are they safe? Who should take them?

In this post, we’re going to break down the who, what, when and why of nootropics. We’re going to bring clarity to the topic so that you can make informed decisions.

What Exactly Is A Nootropic, and Who Is Taking Them?

According to Dr Corneliu Giurgea, who created the first nootropic, piracetam, a nootropic must adhere to these rules:

1. The substance should enhance memory and ability to learn.

2. The substance should help the brain function under disruptive conditions, such as hypoxia (low oxygen) and electroconvulsive shock.

3. The substance should protect the brain from chemical and physical assaults, such as anti-cholinergic drugs and barbiturates.

4. The substance should increase the efficacy of neuronal firing control mechanisms in cortical and sub-cortical regions of the brain.

5. The substance should lack a generalized sedative or stimulatory effect. It should possess few-no side effects and be virtually non toxic.

Many people report huge benefits when taking these nootropic supplements, and use them on a regular basis for improved productivity and mental performance.

Think of nootropics as mental steroids, of sorts.

As with all supplements, you should consult with your doctor before using nootropics.

What Types Of Nootropics Are Available?

There are a variety of nootropics widely available that can be taken on a regular basis for increased cognitive performance.

Choline

A vast majority of people are significantly deficient in choline, which is a nutrient normally found in eggs, meat, seafood, and dairy products. It is an integral part of a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine (ACh), which is essential for memory encoding and retrieval, cognition, and mood regulation.

People deficient in ACh may encounter:

• Low memory capacity
• Sluggish thinking
• Overall sense of being in a fog

If you want to increase the amount of choline in your brain, you may want consider supplementing with Alpha-GPC, choline citrate, or choline bitartrate.

Generally speaking, when it comes to choline, the more inexpensive supplements don’t function as well on their own and need to combined with racetams to achieve noticeable effects. However, Alpha-GPC or Citicoline can create a noticeable difference even when taken without anything else. Our overall favorite is definitely Alpha-GPC, as it easily crosses the blood-brain barrier.

Racetams

The racetam family of nootropics contains a variety of different compounds, with piracetam being the most studied and aniracetam and phenylpiracetam being some of the most effective.

Many people say that racetams provide the effects of amphetamines without the wicked crash afterwards.

Racetams stimulate the acetylcholine receptors, as well as stimulating glutamic receptor activity. The end results may be:

• Improved memory
• Ability to learn more effectively
• Increased focus
• Elevated cognition

Studies have suggested that phenylpiracetam can improve cognition of those recovering from strokes, improve memory and counter depression, and improve verbal learning.

Granted, some of these studies are small and in the early stages, but the results have been promising to say the least.

People often take a variety of racetams and stack them together for maximum effectiveness.

L-Theanine

This is an amino acid with cognitive- and -relaxation-inducing abilities, found in green and black tea. Additionally, it can be used as a sleep aid (though the impact here is so slight that it probably should not be an initial choice; talk to your doctor to see if you can safely combine it with a sleep aid).

Its effects in increasing cognition and attention tend to be more subtle, so ideally it should be combined with caffeine. Taking 200 mg of each can help enhance the best qualities of both.

Many people speak of combining L-Theanine and coffee for a “clean” caffeine boost, meaning they get the stimulant effects of caffeine without the jitters

You can ingest L-Theanine via green tea (which is the only dietary way to receive it), or via capsule. Green tea grown in the shade is best for this as these leaves tend to be very high in this amino acid.

Unfair Advantage

This is the brand name of something called a “mitochondrial energizer.” Your mitochondria are the little powerhouses that animate your cells.

Unfair Advantage has two extremely helpful ingredients: The first, called CoQ10, enhances cell energy production in your cells, and Active PQQ™ , which promotes both the growth of new mitochondria, and helps the body clear out old ones.

Often, its healthy effects on brain and heart function make it an excellent pre-supplement for your daily workout.

Bacopa monnieri

This is an extract from a water plant located in India. Depending on where you purchase it, it may also be called brahmi (so be careful to not confuse it with other drugs that can go by that name).

The primary effect of bacopa is its ability to enhance memory and lower stress in healthy adults–but note that you probably won’t notice its effects until about four weeks of consistent intake (at last 750 mg daily, taken with a source of fat).

Medical researchers advise users to stop talking bacopa after three months, at only 300 mg per day.

Forskolin and artichoke extract

Forskolin is a plant extract that has been used in Indian forms of medicine for thousands of years. It’s also been suggested to increase cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), which is essential for memory formation and better learning.

When combined with artichoke extract, forskolin is even more effective, because of enzymes in the artichoke that break down the cAMP and make it more available to the body.

Be careful, though: Some users get bad headaches and an energy crash when the effects wear off. You can buy a commercial combination of the two called Ciltep.

Noopept

This is the brand name for a molecule with similar effects as Piracetam. It provides a small cognitive boost after intake and its distinctive contribution is a neuroprotective effect that helps the body heal from stress.

The vast majority of studies done on Noopept have been within the last fifteen years, and all suggest very positive and helpful insights on the supplement. Many people find it most helpful if consumed with a dose of choline.

Where Can I Find Nootropics, and How Can I Start?

Some nootropic experts say the easiest place to begin is by combining Piracetam with a choline supplement. (Please make sure to talk to your primary care provider first to see if any of these drugs will negatively impact you or have bad reactions with current medications.)

Moreover, simple regular vitamin intake can be very effective with lots of positive effects. If you do decide to take nootropics, it may be best to do it simultaneously with exercise and better diet–not only will the healthier eating and physical activity be beneficial in themselves, but as you grow healthier the nootropics will have a better effect on your internal makeup.

As far as finding safe nootropics: Common sense is key here. Most of us don’t read labels (or don’t read them closely if we do). Some companies push products with food coloring, fructose, even pieces of metal.

Make sure your nootropics are pure and purchased from companies with high standards. Be wary of purchasing things off of catch-all online stores like Amazon, as well. Anyone can sell anything with little oversight or regulation.

And don’t forget to frequent your local health food store for excellent natural supplements, vitamins, and (hopefully) tasty food, all with the personal interaction and service from committed, face-to-face professionals.

Conclusion

Do you want to have better memory, clearer thinking, relief from anxiety, more energy, and just feel better? Nootropics, like anything, don’t work for everyone, but lots of people are finding them an integral part of a healthful lifestyle. With common sense and patience, you might be one of them!

As always thanks for reading and until next time.

P.S. If you liked this post then you’ll like my books as well. You can get them on Amazon.