Comment · Wed, September 18, 2013 · Ceretropic
How exactly is theanine able to reduce anxiety and take the edge off caffeine jitters without the usual side-effects of sedatives?
Original post in this thread
danysdragons · 25 points
I've found it hard to get definite answers on how exactly theanine works in the brain.
According to many sources I've seen, theanine increases activity of the inhibitory GABA system. But if it functions like benzos in that respect, why doesn't it have the usual benzo side effect like drowsiness?
Other sources suggest that it could be a weak NMDA antagonist. This is interesting in light of the fact that a much stronger NMDA antagonist - ketamine - is currently being hyped as an extremely effective and fast-acting antidepressant.
What they were answering
Direct reply to the original post — see the thread post above.
u/MisterYouAreSoDumb · Ceretropic
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jphs/105/2/105_2_211/_pdf
The general consensus is that it modulate the GABA-A receptors, and/or increases GABA in the brain. However, as you can see from the papers I linked, it affects multiple monoamine systems.