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07-11-2016

Rhodiola rosea, Suntheanine® and stress

Rhodiola - thenanine et stress In small doses, stress can be a good thing – it provides the energy we need to boost performance and allows us to respond appropriately and push ourselves when necessary. However, intense – and especially chronic - stress can be harmful to our health and equilibrium. Plant extract supplements, such as Rhodiola rosea, or Suntheanine®, obtained from the leaves of green tea, can help us to manage the way we respond to stress and to relax.

Essentially, two mechanisms are involved when the body protects itself against stress, emotion or danger.
- Firstly, an immediate, multi-action response is provided by two catecholamines which mobilise the body to rapidly supply maximum energy to the brain and muscles. They are adrenalin and noradrenalin, secreted by the adrenal medulla and the nerve endings of the sympathetic nervous system respectively.
- Then it is the turn of the pituitary gland and the adrenal cortex. The hypothalamus secretes a hormone, CRF (corticotrophin releasing factor), which stimulates the pituitary gland. This in turn releases adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) into the bloodstream which is essential for the secretion of corticosteroids (cortisone, cortisol) by the adrenal cortex. Cortisol, nicknamed the ‘stress hormone’, is known to raise blood sugar levels. At high doses, it stimulates protein catabolism (the breakdown of proteins into amino acids). Prolonged stress results in the secretion of large amounts of cortisol, potentially causing damage to the limbic system – brain structures that deal with emotions, as well as compromising immune defences. In addition, the CRF released by the hypothalamus promotes secretion of beta-endorphin, which has a morphine-like pain-relief action.

Rhodiola rosea helps overcome the effects of stress and fatigue Rhodiola Rhodiola rosea is used in traditional medicine to increase physical stamina, productivity at work, longevity and resistance to altitude sickness, as well as to treat fatigue, depression, anaemia, impotence, gastro-intestinal problems, infections and disorders of the nervous system.
Rhodiola rosea has been categorized as an adaptogen by Russian researchers. Coined by Lazarev in 1947, this term describes any agent that produces non-specific resistance in an organism enabling it to counteract adverse physical, chemical or biological sources of stress. An adaptogen plant’s function can be compared with that of an athlete’s pre-competition training: it prepares the body to adapt to stress. Thus, when a stressful event occurs, it allows the body to respond appropriately and take control of the situation.
In a test of physical endurance in rats, administration of Rhodiola rosea increased their swimming time by 135-159%. When Rhodiola-treated rats were subjected to non-specific stress for a period of four hours, the expected increase in beta-endorphin levels was either not observed at all, or was less evident. Researchers thus concluded that stress-induced disruption to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis may be decreased or even totally prevented by Rhodiola supplementation. The Rhodiola supplements appeared to have prepared the animals to react more appropriately to a stressful situation1.
The risks of prolonged night shifts to doctors’ intellectual and physical performance are well-known.
Scientists examined the effect on mental performance and fatigue of a 14-day daily dose of 170mg of Rhodiola rosea given to 56 male and female doctors aged 24-35, working night shifts. Mental performance was evaluated by tests to determine speed of audio-visual perception, capacity for concentration and short-term memory. A fatigue index was calculated based on these tests. The trial was divided into three periods:
    - two weeks of testing with a daily Rhodiola rosea tablet or a placebo,
    - two weeks of no treatment,
    - two weeks in which treatments were reversed.
The researchers observed a clear improvement in the fatigue index among the Rhodiola group during the first two weeks, as well as an improvement in mental performance which reverted to base levels during the no-treatment period. In contrast, Rhodiola rosea supplementation during the last two weeks of night shifts was unable to significantly reverse the intervening decline in mental performance 2.

A double-blind Russian study looked at the effects of 20 days’ supplementation with 100mg/day of Rhodiola rosea in a group of 60 Indian medical students studying in Russia. The trial was conducted during their final exams. Even at this low dose, researchers noted improvements in general well-being, mental performance and neuromotor performance. The students reported that their sleep habits had improved, they needed less sleep, their mood was more stable and they were more motivated to study. 3.

A randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled study4 investigated the anti-stress and stimulant effects of a single dose of Rhodiola rosea in healthy young men subjected to stress and fatigue. The population group comprised 161 Russian military cadets.
Between 4pm and 5pm, after a typical day’s training and exercise, they underwent three series of tests of their capacity for mental work:
    - tests to assess visual perception and information-processing,
    - tests to assess short-term memory,
    - tests involving higher mental functions.
The cadets then continued with their duties for the rest of the night and into the morning.
At 4am, one group of cadets were given two capsules of Rhodiola rosea (185mg per capsule), a second group three capsules, a third group a placebo and a fourth (control) group received nothing. To evaluate the results, researchers formulated a calculated measure of performance which they called the ‘anti-fatigue index’ (AFI) which combined the amount of mental work accomplished per unit of time and the quality of that work. They found that the sleep-deprived and stressed cadets who had received the Rhodiola rosea were significantly less tired than those given a placebo or nothing at all.

Theanine has both relaxing and stimulating effects

Thenanine Interest in theanine is related to the fact that paradoxically, it has a high caffeine concentration and at the same time, a genuinely calming effect.
Theanine was isolated from the leaves of green tea in 1945 by Japanese scientists. Its presence in black and oolong teas was identified a little later.
Theanine is an amino acid found in tea which has calming effects. The vast majority of the research conducted to date has used a patented product called Suntheanine® which notably contains only the pure ‘L’ form, rather than the ‘D’ form which has no biochemical benefits.
Animal and in vitro studies have demonstrated what happens to L-theanine once it has been orally ingested. It is absorbed into the bloodstream through the small intestine membrane 30 minutes after ingestion. It then easily crosses the blood-brain barrier to be transported to the brain. Within an hour of ingestion, L-theanine concentrations in the brain have increased significantly, peaking after five hours. L-theanine does not seem to accumulate; it is metabolised in the blood, liver and brain before being completely eliminated via the urine within 24 hours.

Studies have shown that Suntheanine® has a positive effect on electrical impulses in the brain and that it has many beneficial effects including that of relieving stress.
Brain waves are classified as either alpha, beta, gamma or theta depending on mental state. Generation of alpha waves is considered a sign of relaxation and alertness. Research has shown that alpha waves were generated in volunteers in the occipital and parietal regions of the brain 40 minutes after ingesting 50-200mg of theanine, indicating a state of non-drowsy relaxation 5.
This effect is similar to that of a massage or warm bath. Unlike tranquillisers, it does not affect the ability to think. Studies on rodents show that it stimulates capacity for learning and memory.
L-theanine influences the release and concentration of various neurotransmitters. It increases levels of dopamine and gamma amino-butyric acid (GABA) in the brain, and can either raise or lower those of serotonin. Each of these neurotransmitters can play a mediating role in L-theanine’s ability both to regulate mood (by creating a feeling of relaxation and thus promoting a sense of well-being) as well as to carry out a number of other actions demonstrated in animal studies, such as stimulating memory and learning capacity and regulating blood pressure.
By promoting feelings of relaxation and well-being without affecting cognitive ability, L-theanine helps increase concentration and determination, particularly in those under significant stress, which improves capacity for learning and memorising. By increasing brain concentrations of dopamine and GABA, and influencing those of serotonin, L-theanine can also help lower blood pressure and limit the stimulant effects of caffeine.
A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of L-theanine on perception of fatigue. It investigated twenty healthy volunteers aged 30-55 who had experienced constant fatigue for more than a month with no diagnosis of any underlying disease. For a period of seven consecutive days, subjects were given either a placebo or a test-solution containing 200mg of Suntheanine®.
Treatments were then crossed over for a further week. An electroencephalogram was used to measure brain waves one hour after administration of the L-theanine or the placebo and subjects were asked to complete a questionnaire before and after each 7-day period in order to measure their sensitivity to fatigue. After seven days’ treatment with L-theanine, an increase in alpha waves and a decrease in fatigue scores were observed in the most anxious subjects. These results suggest that L-theanine is effective at promoting mental relaxation and relieves feelings of fatigue 6.

Improves quality of sleep

L-theanine does not appear to produce theta waves in the brain, and as such, neither induces drowsiness nor directly promotes sleep via a sedative effect. Nevertheless, it has been shown to improve quality and soundness of sleep and dream state without increasing sleep time or causing grogginess on waking 7. In a double-blind study, 26 healthy males (13 daytime workers aged 25-36 and 13 students aged 20-33) reported feeling more rested and content while taking L-theanine compared with placebo.
The study encompassed two six-night treatment periods, with an initial three-night adaptation period and one day with no treatment between crossovers. The participants were given 200mg of L-theanine (4 x 50mg Suntheanine® tablets) or 4 placebo tablets, one hour before bedtime. During the sleep analysis phase, they replied to questionnaires each morning on their mood, sleepiness and sleep quality. Their sleep and wake habits were analysed. No differences in feelings of daytime sleepiness was observed between the L-theanine and placebo treatments, confirming that L-theanine did not cause drowsiness.



1- Lishmanov I.B. et al., Plasma beta-endorphin and stress hormones in stress and adaptation, Bull. Eksp. Biol. Med., 1987; 103: 422-424.
2- Darbinyan V. et al., Rhodiola rosea in stress induced fatigue a double blind cross-over study of a standardized extract SHR-5 with a repeated low-dose regimen on the mental performance of healthy physicians during night duty, Phytomedicine, 2000; 7: 365-371.
3- A double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of stimulating and adaptogenic effect of Rhodiola rosea SHR-6 extract on the fatigue of student caused by stress during examination period with repeated low-dose regimen, Phytomedicine, 2000; 7(2):78-8.
4- Shevtsov V.A. et al., A randomized trial of two different doses of a SHR-5 Rhodiola rosea extract versus placebo and control of capacity for mental work, Phytomedicine, 2003; 10: 95-105.
5- Mason R., M.S., “L-theanine boosts alpha waves, promote alert relaxation” Alternative complementary therapies, The official Journal of the Society of Integrative Medicine, vol. 7, n° 2, 91-94, April 2001.
6- Song C.H. et al., The effects of L-theanine - containing functional beverage on mental relaxation and fatigue perception, J. Korean Acad. Fam. Med., 2002; 23(5); 637-45.
7- Ozeki M. et al., “The effects of theanine on sleep with the actigraph as physical indicator”, Proceedings from the 50th Japanese society of physiological anthropology conference, 2003 Oct 25, presentation 1-2 Jpn. J. Physiologic anthropol., 2003; 8 (special issue 2) 26-7.
Order the nutrients mentioned in this article
Rhodiola rosea

Rhodiola rosea extract has been considered one of the principal adaptogens substances.

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L-Theanine

Pharmaceutical, scientifically supported form of L-Theanine

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