Can you take L-theanine and alcohol together?
By
Dr Natalia Marceli Stephanes (PhD)
Author bio
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes PhD is a Pharmacist with expertise in Drugs Administration and Toxicity; Discovery of New Drugs; Cancer Treatment; Biochemical Analyzes and Hematological Analyzes. She writes and reviews content on these topics.
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes’ Highlights:
- Pharmacist at the Department of Health of Santa Catarina State, Brazil
- PhD with a focus on oncology treatment
- Years of experience in commercial pharmacy
- Bachelor, Master and PhD degrees in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina
Professional Experience:
From her undergraduate studies to her Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Pharmacy, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes has participated in numerous scientific studies in the field of oncology and onco-hematology at the University Hospital of the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Her research has focused on understanding the molecular and biochemical bases of malignant neoplasms and investigating safer and more effective therapeutic alternatives.
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes has also served as an assistant professor of haematology for undergraduate students at the Federal University of Santa Catarina. Additionally, she held the position of professor of Hospital Pharmacy at the Qualificar Technical School in Brazil, where she developed instructional materials for use in the Pharmacy Postgraduate Program at the Leonardo Da Vinci University Center.
In addition to her academic experiences, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes possesses a strong expertise in commercial pharmacy, with in-depth knowledge of medications, their routes of administration, desired effects, adverse effects, and toxicity.
Currently, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes works as a Pharmacist at the Health Department of Santa Catarina State, where her role entails providing pharmaceutical scientific consulting services to judges.
Education:
- 2016 Bachelor in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
- 2018 Master in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
- 2023 PhD in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
The main publications of Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes are:
Falchetti M ; Delgobo M, Zancanaro H, Almeida K, Das Neves RN, Dos Santos B, Stefanes NM, et al. Bishop Omics-based identification of an NRF2-related auranofin resistance signature in cancer: Insights into drug repurposing. Comput. Biol. Med [Internet]. 2023; 152:106347.
Feuser PM, Matos dos Santos PC, Cordeiro AP, Stefanes NM, Walter LO, Maioral MF, Santos-Silva MC, et al. Antineoplastic activity of free 4-nitrochalcone and encapsulated in poly(thioether-ester) nanoparticles obtained by thiol-ene polymerization in two human leukemia cell lines (Jurkat and K562). J Drug Deliv Sci Technol [Internet]. 2022; 67:102924.
Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Walter LO, Perondi DM, Efe FL, Souza LFS, Sens L, et al. Synthesis of chalcones derived from 1-naphthylacetophenone and evaluation of their cytotoxic and apoptotic effects in acute leukemia cell lines. Bioorg. Chem [Internet]. 2021; 116:105315.
Duarte BF, Vieira DSC, Lisboa ML, Stefanes NM, Grando LJ, Santos-Silva MC. Características clínico-epidemiológicas de pacientes portadores de carcinoma de células escamosas de boca. Arquivos Catarinenses de Medicina. 2021; 50(2): 232–245.
Machado V, Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Santos-Silva MC, Biavatti MW. Anti-leukemic activity of semisynthetic derivatives of Lupeol. Nat. Prod. Res. 2021; 35(22):4494-4501.
Bigolin A, Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Mascarello A, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Nunes RJ, Yunes RA, et al. A novel sulfonamide derivative as a strong and selective apoptotic agent against hematological malignancies. Chem. Pap. 2020; 74:2965–2976.
Bigolin A, Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Zatelli GA, Philippus AC, Falkenberg MB, Santos-Silva MC. Cytotoxic mechanisms of primin, a natural quinone isolated from Eugenia hiemalis, on hematological cancer cell lines. Anticancer Drugs. 2020; 31(7):709-717.
Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Neufeldt PD, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Nunes RJ, Santos-Silva MC. Aldehyde biphenyl chalcones induce immunogenic apoptotic-like cell death and are promising new safe compounds against a wide range of hematologic cancers. Future Med. Chem. 2020; 12(8):673–688.
Perondi DM, Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Maioral MF, Sens L, Pacheco LA, Cury NM, et al. A novel thiosemicarbazone as a promising effective and selective compound for acute leukemia. Anticancer Drugs. 2019; 30(8):p 828-837.
Rengifo AFC, Stefanes NM, Toigo J, Mendes C, Argenta DF, Dotto MER, Santos-Silva MC, et al. PEO-chitosan nanofibers containing carboxymethyl-hexanoyl chitosan/dodecyl sulfate nanoparticles loaded with pyrazoline for skin cancer treatment. Eur. Polym. J. 2019; 119:335-343.
Rengifo AFC, Stefanes NM, Toigo J, Mendes C, Santos-Silva MC, Nunes RJ, Parize AL, et al. A new and efficient carboxymethyl-hexanoyl chitosan/dodecyl sulfate nanocarrier for a pyrazoline with antileukemic activity. Mater. Sci. Eng. C [Internet]. 2019; 105:110051.
Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Bigolin A, Zatelli GA, Philippus AC, Falkenberg MB, Santos-Silva MC. Miconidine acetate, a new selective and cytotoxic compound with synergic potential, induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in leukemia cells. Invest. New Drugs. 2019; 37:912–922.
Srefanes NM, Toigo J, Maioral MF, Jacques AV, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Perondi DM, Ribeiro AAB, et al. Synthesis of novel pyrazoline derivatives and the evaluation of death mechanisms involved in their antileukemic activity. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2019; 27(2):375-382.
Maioral MF, Bodack CN, Stefanes NM, Bigolin A, Mascarello A, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Yunes RA, et al. Cytotoxic effect of a novel naphthylchalcone against multiple cancer cells focusing on hematologic malignancies. Biochim. 2017; 140:48-57.
You can view some of Dr Natália’s work below and links to her professional profile below.
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Natalia-Stephanes
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliamarceli/
Can you take L-theanine and alcohol together?
Yes, you can take L-theanine and alcohol together. The combination is actually beneficial for you to some extent. L-theanine is an amino acid that your body does not produce on its own.
This amino acid can help enhance your mood and sleep patterns because of its effects on some excitatory monoamine neurotransmitters in your brain, like serotonin, dopamine, etc.
Although excessive use of anything is injurious to health, L-theanine and alcohol do go well together and the concomitant use holds some positive outcomes. Let’s talk about them.
What are the benefits of taking L-theanine and alcohol together?
L-theanine and alcohol together can be beneficial for you in a number of ways. These include:
- Protects your liver from alcohol-induced damage
- Decreases free radicals
- Reduces the effects of alcohol hangover
- Decreases your alcohol tolerance
Protects your liver from alcohol-induced damage
Almost everyone is aware of the fact that alcohol is heavy on your liver and long-term use of alcohol is linked to a number of liver diseases, like fatty liver, cirrhosis, etc.
This is because alcohol is primarily metabolised by the liver. L-theanine actually helps relieve the burden on your liver and enhances the metabolism of alcohol (1).
This causes less liver damage. In fact, several research studies have reported that the use of L-theanine with alcohol, in the long run, can protect your liver from severe damage.
Decreases free radicals
Alcohol consumption is highly responsible for the production of free radicals in your body. Free radicals are harmful to your body as they give rise to a number of problems like cancer, early aging, gene mutation, etc.
L-theanine actually helps kill these free radicals as this amino acid is antioxidant in nature. That’s how your body does not end up having a lot of free radicals as a result of alcohol consumption.
Reduces the effects of alcohol hangover
L-theanine counteracts the effects of alcohol because of its chemical nature and how it works in your body. It is actually used by a lot of people before or after drinking alcohol to prevent hangover effects.
Decreases your alcohol tolerance
Alcohol tolerance builds when you continue to drink large proportions each day and your body slowly starts getting used to it. This tolerance makes you drink more to achieve that ‘drunk’ effect or you can say that you end up needing more alcohol to get under the influence.
L-theanine counteracts that and reduces your alcohol tolerance. You start drinking less and get drunk just after a few drinks. This is actually a good approach to treating alcoholism.
Final words
L-theanine and alcohol can be consumed together, and the amino acid can actually help you with the negative effects of alcohol. However, it is generally recommended to cut back on alcohol as much as possible.
If you are struggling with alcohol addiction, you should seek professional help. Long-term use of alcohol and other medications can lead to dangerous health risks.
It is also important to note that not all supplements can be beneficial to pair with alcohol. Some supplements, such as 5HT supplements, can cause nerve-racking side effects when paired with alcohol. So, make sure you discuss drinking alcohol with supplements with your provider.
L-theanine, on the other hand, can also be taken with antidepressants and antipsychotics. Just make sure you discuss the use of supplements with your doctor if you are on other prescription medications.
Was this helpful?
References
1.-
Sadzuka Y, Inoue C, Hirooka S, Sugiyama T, Umegaki K, Sonobe T. Effects of theanine on alcohol metabolism and hepatic toxicity. Biol Pharm Bull. 2005 Sep;28(9):1702-6. doi: 10.1248/bpb.28.1702. PMID: 16141543. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16141543/
