The One Ingredient A Neurohacker Adds To Coffee To Boost Its Brain Benefits

Early research shows that Ricker’s on to something with this combo: In one small study published in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience, a combination of caffeine and L-theanine did, indeed, improve participants’ mental performance.

In the study, 27 people were given 50 milligrams of caffeine, either with or without 100 milligrams of L-theanine, and thereafter, their cognition and mood were analyzed (including factors like word recognition, visual processing, attention switching, and more).

After 60 minutes of having the caffeine and L-theanine, participants saw improved speed and accuracy of performance in the attention-switching task compared to the placebo. They were also less easily distracted at both 60 minutes and 90 minutes.

“These results replicate previous evidence which suggests that L-theanine and caffeine in combination are beneficial for improving performance on cognitively demanding tasks,” the study authors write.

Bonus: This powerhouse amino acid has other research-backed benefits like helping to ease stress and slowing cognitive decline, too.

L-theanine is generally well tolerated by healthy adults and doesn’t come with any known side effects.