Evaluate the Effects of a Theanine Formulation on Stress, Burnout, Mood, and Sleep in Individuals Who Report Occasional Moderate or High Levels of Stress

NCT ID: NCT05450952

Last Updated: 2024-04-18

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

TERMINATED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

14 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2022-04-21

Study Completion Date

2022-12-22

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness and safety of the theanine formulation on stress, burnout, mood, and sleep in male and female subjects who are generally healthy

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

This is a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the effects of a theanine formulation on stress, burnout, mood, and sleep in individuals who are generally healthy.

Participants will be asked to completed assessments and questionnaires as well as obtain a self saliva sample.

The primary objective is to evaluate the change in response to the theanine formulation on stress from completed questionnaires at Day 1, Day 7 and Day 28 relative to the baseline values. The questionnaires utilized for this objective include Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14).

The secondary objective is to evaluate the change in response to the theanine formulation on burnout, mood, and sleep at Day 1, Day 7 and Day 28 relative to the baseline values. The questionnaires assessments utilized for this objective include Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaires (LSEQ), Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey (MBI-GS), Visual Analog Mood Scale (VAMS), Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) and Cortisol levels.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Stress

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Investigators

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Active

Dietary Supplement (Theanine Formulation)

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Theanine Formulation

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Theanine Formulation Tablet

Placebo

Placebo Tablet

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Placebo Tablet

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Theanine Formulation

Theanine Formulation Tablet

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Placebo

Placebo Tablet

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

1. Ambulatory, male or female, 21-65 years of age
2. A BMI of 18.5-34.9
3. Admits to having occasional periods of moderate or severe stress
4. Indicating a DASS score \> 19 (identification as having moderate, severe, or extremely severe stress)
5. Indicating a PSS-14 score \> 19 (identification as having moderate or high perceived stress)
6. Have personal access to and able to operate a smartphone, tablet, or computer with enough memory to accommodate additional application(s) and have a reliable internet service
7. Able to print out and return documents by email (preferred)or mail
8. If have a history of testing positive for coronavirus SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19, being asymptomatic for a minimum of 14 days and have a negative COVID-19 antigen test
9. Able to take saliva specimens with a swab and store them immediately in a freezer before breakfast, lunch, dinner, and bedtime on four different days during the study
10. Generally healthy and having no difficulty swallowing a tablet
11. Have sufficient freezer space to hold a minimum of 2 saliva test kits (approximately the size of 2 ice cream cartons)
12. Has regular daytime work hours or shifts, if employed (regular shift excludes night shift workers and those with rotating shifts)
13. Has been generally weight stable for the past six months (+/- 6 lbs.)
14. Willing and able to give written informed consent
15. Clearly understands the procedures and study requirements
16. Willing and able to comply with all study procedures, including following recommendations to maintain their usual diet and regular activity, as per protocol
17. Able to communicate, including reading, in English
18. Has not taken any nutritional supplements that may contain any of the active component of the study product including L-theanine for a minimum of 14 days before Screening/baseline and for the duration of the study period

Exclusion Criteria

1. Not having the basic skills needed to operate a smartphone, tablet, or computer
2. Unwilling to limit daily caffeine intake to less than 400 mg caffeine per day (\~ 95 mg caffeine in a cup of regular coffee) and refrain from consuming any caffeinated beverages/foods after 2 PM daily for the duration of the study
3. Having smoked any cigarette, electronic cigarette, cigar, pipe, or used a recreational drug as well as any product containing cannabidiol (CBD) or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the past 30 days prior to Screening/baseline
4. Having donated blood within 30 days before Screening/baseline
5. Having been diagnosed with dysphagia or difficulty swallowing
6. Having participated in another study within 30 days prior to Screening/baseline
7. Being pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant during study participation; or breast feeding
8. History of allergy or sensitivity to any component of the study products including L-theanine, microcrystalline cellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, stearic acid, silica, silicon dioxide, vegetable stearate, croscarmellose sodium or glycerin
9. Are not participating in a stress management program and will not for the duration of the study participation.
10. Unable to avoid any form of intense exercise or a significant change in your exercise routine during the day of saliva specimen collection
11. Currently taking supplements including melatonin, 5-hydroxytryptophan, Calamus, California poppy, St. John's wort, S-adenosylmethionine (SAM-E), catnip, hops, kava, valerian, Jamaican dogwood, skullcap, yerba mansa, Hawaiian baby woodrose, L-theanine, magnesium, or any other supplement for stress, burnout, mood, or sleep. These may preclude participation in the study dependent the judgment of the Study Investigator/Sub-Investigator
12. Having been diagnosed, received medical treatment, taking medication/supplements daily for the following medical condition(s):

* Stress disorder (including post-traumatic stress disorder \[PTSD\])
* Sleep disorder (including insomnia diagnosed by a physician)
* Psychiatric disorder (bipolar disorder, manic disorder, schizophrenia, apathetic \[inherited\] disorder), that include antidepressant drugs, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), tricyclic and atypical antidepressants; benzodiazepines; phenothiazines, central nervous system (CNS) depressants as well as the following medications: dextromethorphan, meperidine, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), pentazocine and tramadol. These may preclude participation in the study dependent on the judgment of the Study Investigator/Sub-Investigator.
* Acute or chronic inflammatory or autoimmune disease (including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, ankylosing spondylitis, Sjögren's syndrome, polymyalgia rheumatica, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriatic arthritis, fibromyalgia, or chronic fatigue syndrome)
* Active infection
* Active periodontal disease
13. Presence of active or recurring clinically significant conditions as follows:

* Diabetes mellitus (except on a stable dose of Metformin up to 1000 mg per day only for managing the diabetes mellitus for \> 3 months before Screening/baseline, unlikely to change medication or dose during the study, and under the care of a physician having seen the physician within 6 months before Screening/baseline)
* Endocrine disease (other than diabetes mellitus)
* Eating disorder
* Cardiovascular disease including heart and blood vessel disease, arrhythmia, heart attack, stroke, or heart valve problem
* Gastrointestinal disease including gallbladder problems, gallstones, or biliary tract obstruction
* Thyroid disease (except on a stable dose of medication for ≥ 3 months before Screening/baseline and unlikely to change medication or dose during the study)
* Hypertension (except on a stable dose of medication for ≥ 3 months before Screening/baseline and unlikely to change medication or dose during the study)
* Neurologic condition/disease
* Cancer (including skin cancer) which has been treated ≥ 5 years before Screening/baseline or at the discretion of the Study Investigator/Sub-Investigator
* Liver, pancreatic, and kidney disease
* Pulmonary disease
* Blood coagulation disorder or other hematologic disease
* Any other condition or medication that may preclude study participation in the judgement of the Study Investigator/Sub-Investigator
14. Currently taking or having taken within the 30 days before Screening/baseline any hormone replacement therapy (including dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), estrogen, progesterone, or testosterone), except those utilized as a method of birth control and which have been taken for \> 3 months with no anticipated change for the duration of the study period
15. Having had a surgical procedure or having an internal medical device which, in the judgment of the Study Investigator/Sub-Investigator, would preclude participation in the study
16. Currently consumes more than 4 standard alcoholic drinks per week for women and 7 drinks per week for men (a standard alcoholic drink is defined as one bottle/can of beer, one glass of wine, or one ounce of hard liquor)
17. Unable or unwilling to avoid consuming grapefruit juice or fresh grapefruit, Seville oranges, and tangelos for the duration of the study period
18. History of known or suspected substance abuse (e.g., alcohol, opiates, benzodiazepines, or amphetamines)
19. Having any other circumstance that may preclude study participation in the judgment of the Study Investigator/Sub-Investigator, including use of other nutritional supplements, which will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis
Minimum Eligible Age

21 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

65 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Supplement Formulators, Inc.

INDUSTRY

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Life Extension Clinical Research, Inc.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States

Site Status

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

United States

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Ahn RS, Lee YJ, Choi JY, Kwon HB, Chun SI. Salivary cortisol and DHEA levels in the Korean population: age-related differences, diurnal rhythm, and correlations with serum levels. Yonsei Med J. 2007 Jun 30;48(3):379-88. doi: 10.3349/ymj.2007.48.3.379.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 17594144 (View on PubMed)

Borzelleca JF, Peters D, Hall W. A 13-week dietary toxicity and toxicokinetic study with l-theanine in rats. Food Chem Toxicol. 2006 Jul;44(7):1158-66. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2006.03.014. Epub 2006 Apr 26.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 16759779 (View on PubMed)

Dallal, G. (2021). www.Randomization.com. Retrieved from http://www.randomization.com

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Drugs, O. o. N. (2005). Guidance for Industry. Estimating the Maximum Safe Starting Dose in Initial Clinical Trials for Therapeutics in Adult Healthy Volunteers. Retrieved from https://www.fda.gov/media/72309/download

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Fernandez-Guasti A, Fiedler JL, Herrera L, Handa RJ. Sex, stress, and mood disorders: at the intersection of adrenal and gonadal hormones. Horm Metab Res. 2012 Jul;44(8):607-18. doi: 10.1055/s-0032-1312592. Epub 2012 May 11.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22581646 (View on PubMed)

Hidese S, Ogawa S, Ota M, Ishida I, Yasukawa Z, Ozeki M, Kunugi H. Effects of L-Theanine Administration on Stress-Related Symptoms and Cognitive Functions in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients. 2019 Oct 3;11(10):2362. doi: 10.3390/nu11102362.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31623400 (View on PubMed)

Hidese S, Ota M, Wakabayashi C, Noda T, Ozawa H, Okubo T, Kunugi H. Effects of chronic l-theanine administration in patients with major depressive disorder: an open-label study. Acta Neuropsychiatr. 2017 Apr;29(2):72-79. doi: 10.1017/neu.2016.33. Epub 2016 Jul 11.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27396868 (View on PubMed)

Higashiyama, A., Htay, H, Ozeki, M Et Al. (2011). Effects of L-theanine on attention and reaction time response. Journal of Functional Foods, 3, 171-178.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Kakuda T, Hinoi E, Abe A, Nozawa A, Ogura M, Yoneda Y. Theanine, an ingredient of green tea, inhibits [3H]glutamine transport in neurons and astroglia in rat brain. J Neurosci Res. 2008 Jun;86(8):1846-56. doi: 10.1002/jnr.21637.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 18293419 (View on PubMed)

Kim EJ, Dimsdale JE. The effect of psychosocial stress on sleep: a review of polysomnographic evidence. Behav Sleep Med. 2007;5(4):256-78. doi: 10.1080/15402000701557383.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 17937582 (View on PubMed)

Kim S, Jo K, Hong KB, Han SH, Suh HJ. GABA and l-theanine mixture decreases sleep latency and improves NREM sleep. Pharm Biol. 2019 Dec;57(1):65-73. doi: 10.1080/13880209.2018.1557698.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30707852 (View on PubMed)

Kimura K, Ozeki M, Juneja LR, Ohira H. L-Theanine reduces psychological and physiological stress responses. Biol Psychol. 2007 Jan;74(1):39-45. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2006.06.006. Epub 2006 Aug 22.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 16930802 (View on PubMed)

Levine A, Zagoory-Sharon O, Feldman R, Lewis JG, Weller A. Measuring cortisol in human psychobiological studies. Physiol Behav. 2007 Jan 30;90(1):43-53. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2006.08.025. Epub 2006 Oct 19.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 17055006 (View on PubMed)

Lopes Sakamoto F, Metzker Pereira Ribeiro R, Amador Bueno A, Oliveira Santos H. Psychotropic effects of L-theanine and its clinical properties: From the management of anxiety and stress to a potential use in schizophrenia. Pharmacol Res. 2019 Sep;147:104395. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2019.104395. Epub 2019 Aug 11.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31412272 (View on PubMed)

Miodownik C, Maayan R, Ratner Y, Lerner V, Pintov L, Mar M, Weizman A, Ritsner MS. Serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and cortisol to sulfate of dehydroepiandrosterone molar ratio associated with clinical response to L-theanine as augmentation of antipsychotic therapy in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder patients. Clin Neuropharmacol. 2011 Jul-Aug;34(4):155-60. doi: 10.1097/WNF.0b013e318220d8c6.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21617527 (View on PubMed)

Nathan PJ, Lu K, Gray M, Oliver C. The neuropharmacology of L-theanine(N-ethyl-L-glutamine): a possible neuroprotective and cognitive enhancing agent. J Herb Pharmacother. 2006;6(2):21-30.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 17182482 (View on PubMed)

Perez-Valdecantos D, Caballero-Garcia A, Del Castillo-Sanz T, Bello HJ, Roche E, Cordova A. Stress Salivary Biomarkers Variation during the Work Day in Emergencies in Healthcare Professionals. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Apr 9;18(8):3937. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18083937.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33918537 (View on PubMed)

Ritsner MS, Miodownik C, Ratner Y, Shleifer T, Mar M, Pintov L, Lerner V. L-theanine relieves positive, activation, and anxiety symptoms in patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder: an 8-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2-center study. J Clin Psychiatry. 2011 Jan;72(1):34-42. doi: 10.4088/JCP.09m05324gre. Epub 2010 Nov 30.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21208586 (View on PubMed)

Rogers PJ, Smith JE, Heatherley SV, Pleydell-Pearce CW. Time for tea: mood, blood pressure and cognitive performance effects of caffeine and theanine administered alone and together. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2008 Jan;195(4):569-77. doi: 10.1007/s00213-007-0938-1. Epub 2007 Sep 23.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 17891480 (View on PubMed)

Rosner, B. (2006). Hypothesis Testing Two-Sample Inference. In Fundamentals of Biostatistics (6th ed., pp. 331-334): Duxbury Press.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Sanford LD, Suchecki D, Meerlo P. Stress, arousal, and sleep. Curr Top Behav Neurosci. 2015;25:379-410. doi: 10.1007/7854_2014_314.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24852799 (View on PubMed)

Scheid L, Ellinger S, Alteheld B, Herholz H, Ellinger J, Henn T, Helfrich HP, Stehle P. Kinetics of L-theanine uptake and metabolism in healthy participants are comparable after ingestion of L-theanine via capsules and green tea. J Nutr. 2012 Dec;142(12):2091-6. doi: 10.3945/jn.112.166371. Epub 2012 Oct 24.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23096008 (View on PubMed)

Silva BKR, Quaresma FRP, Maciel EDS, Figueiredo FWDS, Sarraf JS, Adami F. Correlation Between Stress and Quality of Life Experienced by Caregivers: Perception of a Group of Healthcare Professionals. Open Nurs J. 2017 Sep 27;11:135-141. doi: 10.2174/1874434601711010135. eCollection 2017.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29238419 (View on PubMed)

Tsujita S, Morimoto K. Secretory IgA in saliva can be a useful stress marker. Environ Health Prev Med. 1999 Apr;4(1):1-8. doi: 10.1007/BF02931243.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21432164 (View on PubMed)

Unno K, Tanida N, Ishii N, Yamamoto H, Iguchi K, Hoshino M, Takeda A, Ozawa H, Ohkubo T, Juneja LR, Yamada H. Anti-stress effect of theanine on students during pharmacy practice: positive correlation among salivary alpha-amylase activity, trait anxiety and subjective stress. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2013 Oct;111:128-35. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2013.09.004. Epub 2013 Sep 16.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24051231 (View on PubMed)

Weitzman ED, Fukushima D, Nogeire C, Roffwarg H, Gallagher TF, Hellman L. Twenty-four hour pattern of the episodic secretion of cortisol in normal subjects. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1971 Jul;33(1):14-22. doi: 10.1210/jcem-33-1-14. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 4326799 (View on PubMed)

WHO (2019) Burn out an occupation phenomenon. International Classification of Diseases. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Williams JL, Everett JM, D'Cunha NM, Sergi D, Georgousopoulou EN, Keegan RJ, McKune AJ, Mellor DD, Anstice N, Naumovski N. The Effects of Green Tea Amino Acid L-Theanine Consumption on the Ability to Manage Stress and Anxiety Levels: a Systematic Review. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2020 Mar;75(1):12-23. doi: 10.1007/s11130-019-00771-5.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31758301 (View on PubMed)

Yaribeygi H, Panahi Y, Sahraei H, Johnston TP, Sahebkar A. The impact of stress on body function: A review. EXCLI J. 2017 Jul 21;16:1057-1072. doi: 10.17179/excli2017-480. eCollection 2017.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28900385 (View on PubMed)

Care, I. f. Q. a. E. i. H. (2020). Depression: What is burnout? Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279286/

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

Protocol CL111

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

Effects of Green Tea on Cardiometabolic Outcomes
NCT06795438 NOT_YET_RECRUITING NA