How Magnesium And L-Theanine Help You Stay Calm Throughout The Day

The rundown on magnesium and L-theanine:

• Magnesium and L-theanine support calm in different ways, with magnesium helping relax the body and nervous system, and L-theanine supporting a calm, focused mind.
• Together, they may help with everyday stress, focus and sleep, without causing drowsiness.
• This combination can be used flexibly throughout the day, depending on whether your goal is mental clarity, relaxation, or winding down at night.

Between balancing work, family, social commitments and everyday responsibilities, it’s common for stress to become part of daily life. However, when things start to feel overwhelming, supporting the body’s natural calming processes can help take the edge off. 

Nutrients such like L-theanine and magnesium are often used to help support relaxation and stress¹. Magnesium is an essential mineral involved in muscle function and nervous system regulation, and can help support physical relaxation². L-theanine, an amino acid found in green tea leaves, works primarily in the brain and has been studied for its role in supporting a calm, focussed state³. Together, they can help support a sense of daily calm. Let’s take a closer look at how it works. 

Magnesium + L-theanine: how they work together to support daily calm

Thanks to their calming properties, together magnesium with L-theanine can have a relaxing, calm effect on the body, even during more stressful times. While they both help tackle stress in the mind and body, they do so in different ways:

• L-theanine helps relax the mind4, while supporting the brain’s alertness, improving the ability to focus on tasks and get a better night’s sleep⁵. 
• Magnesium can help reduce the feeling of stress, including relaxing the muscles when they feel tense². 

If you’re needing support for stress, sleep or focus, this duo can be a useful way to help assist you in creating a calmer daily routine.

Can you take L-theanine and magnesium together?

Yes, L-theanine and magnesium can generally be taken together. They have complementary benefits, where magnesium helps regulate the nerves and muscles¹, and L-theanine acts mainly in the brain⁴ It’s important to always speak to a doctor before changing your daily intake or starting new supplements to make sure they work with your lifestyle and goals. 

L-theanine and magnesium benefits 

Because magnesium helps to relax your nervous system and muscles¹, and L-theanine to the mind⁴, some benefits may include:

• Supporting better sleep quality²
• Improved task focus⁵
• Feeling more relaxed in your body¹
• Finding it easier to unwind at nighttime² 

L-theanine and magnesium can help you feel more supported throughout the day, while allowing your body to relax and prepare for sleep.

Taking L-theanine and magnesium for sleep 

Sleep is influenced by both physical relaxation and mental calm, and magnesium and L-theanine support these in different ways.

Magnesium on its own has been studied for its role in supporting sleep onset and sleep duration². People with higher magnesium levels may have better sleep length and quality⁶, while it can also help create a calming feeling in the evening to help you prepare for rest². If you already follow a consistent nighttime routine, magnesium may be a suitable addition to help relax muscles and support falling asleep.

L-theanine has been shown to help reduce nighttime awakenings and support sleep continuity once you’ve fallen asleep⁵. This can contribute to feeling more refreshed in the morning, with improved mental clarity and steadier energy throughout the day. This can help support you through more stressful daily moments. 

How to include L-theanine and magnesium in your daily routine

When you take L-theanine and magnesium together is really up to you and your routine. If you’re looking for support in mental clarity and focus, like those in both magnesium and L-theanine⁴, or for energy⁷, it may be more beneficial to take the supplements in the morning. To use magnesium benefits of calming the body¹, and L-theanine’s potential aid in stress reduction⁵, an afternoon or evening schedule may suit you better.

It’s always important to consult your GP or healthcare professional before changing or adding new supplements to your routine. They will be able to help guide you on the right type of magnesium, supplements and lifestyle changes to suit your goals.

Want to learn more? Visit our Swisse Wellness Hub to read up on self-care, the immune system and stress, and other topics. 

References:

1. Pickering, G., Mazur, A., Trousselard, M., Bienkowski, P., Yaltsewa, N., Amessou, M., Noah, L., & Pouteau, E. (2020). Magnesium Status and Stress: The Vicious Circle Concept Revisited. Nutrients, 12(12), 3672. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12123672
2. Zhang, Y., Chen, C., Lu, L., Knutson, K. L., Carnethon, M. R., Fly, A. D., Luo, J., Haas, D. M., Shikany, J. M., & Kahe, K. (2022). Association of magnesium intake with sleep duration and sleep quality: findings from the CARDIA study. Sleep, 45(4), zsab276. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsab276
3. Everett JM, Gunathilake D, Dufficy L, Roach P, Thomas J, Upton D, et al. Theanine consumption, stress and anxiety in human clinical trials: A systematic review. Journal of Nutrition & Intermediary Metabolism. 2016 Jun;4:41–2. https://researchprofiles.canberra.edu.au/en/publications/theanine-consumption-stress-and-anxiety-in-human-clinical-trials-/
4. Evans, M., McDonald, A. C., Xiong, L., Crowley, D. C., & Guthrie, N. (2021). A Randomized, Triple-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study to Investigate the Efficacy of a Single Dose of AlphaWave® L-Theanine on Stress in a Healthy Adult Population. Neurology and therapy, 10(2), 1061–1078. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40120-021-00284-x
5. Hidese, S., Ogawa, S., Ota, M., Ishida, I., Yasukawa, Z., Ozeki, M., & Kunugi, H. (2019). Effects of L-Theanine Administration on Stress-Related Symptoms and Cognitive Functions in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients, 11(10), 2362. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11102362
6. Hausenblas, H. A., Lynch, T., Hooper, S., Shrestha, A., Rosendale, D., & Gu, J. (2024). Magnesium-L-threonate improves sleep quality and daytime functioning in adults with self-reported sleep problems: A randomized controlled trial. Sleep medicine: X, 8, 100121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleepx.2024.100121
7. Barbagallo, M., Veronese, N., & Dominguez, L. J. (2023). Magnesium-An Ion with Multiple Invaluable Actions, Often Insufficiently Supplied: From In Vitro to Clinical Research. Nutrients, 15(14), 3135. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15143135