Let's talk about on of the lesser-known but important ingredients of Toby&Co.

L-theanine is a great supplement and Toby used to take it in both tea and supplement capsule form, but now it is easy and delicious to have your daily ritual of a refreshing Toby&Co instead. The bonus is that it works along with caffeine and helps combat anxiety at the same time.

L-theanine and caffeine have one of the best-studied interactions in nutrition. Rather than blocking caffeine, L-theanine changes how many people experience it.

Here is what happens:

Caffeine alone

• increased alertness
• can cause jitters
• faster heart rate in some people
• increased focus, but sometimes distractibility
• may lead to an energy crash

Caffeine + L-theanine

• similar or slightly improved alertness
• reduced jitters and nervousness
• often perceived as smoother stimulation
• better sustained attention and concentration
• some people report a gentler decline in alertness

How it works

Caffeine primarily works by blocking adenosine receptors in the brain, making you feel less tired.

L-theanine, an amino acid found naturally in green tea, appears to:

• increase alpha brain wave activity, which is associated with a relaxed but alert mental state
• influence neurotransmitters such as GABA, dopamine and serotonin
• help moderate the overstimulation that cafeine can produce.

The result is often described as "calm focus" rather than simply more energy.

Does it reduce the effect of caffeine?

Not significantly.

Most studies suggest that L-theanine does not reduce caffeine's ability to improve alertness.  Instead, it tends to reduce unwanted side effects such as:

• shakiness
• anxiety
• tension
• difficulty concentrating because of overstimulation.

Many people find they can consume the same amount of caffeine with greater comfort.

L-theanine is also great against anxiety, regardless if you like to consume caffeine or not.

The Green One by Toby&Co has 333mg of L-theanine.  The Red One by Toby & Co has 100mg.