Condition
Schizoaffective Disorder
Schizoaffective disorder is a long-term condition that blends psychosis, such as hallucinations, delusions and disorganized thinking, with episodes of depression or mania. Among supplements, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D have the strongest research behind them, each rated moderate, drawing on roughly 1,200 and 1,500 participants. Theanine is far less studied: two small studies of about 40 people found anxiety symptoms improved, but the evidence is limited.
Sources: PMID 31758301; PMID 16930802
- Supplements studied
- 1
- Graded outcomes
- 1
- Trials
- 1
- People studied
- 40
Evidence by supplement
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anxiety Symptoms Small Improvement | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 2 studies | 40 people | ||
| Subjective Well-Being | Improves (the measure goes up) | 2 studies | 40 people | |||
Studies that measured subjective well-being
| ||||||
| Schizophrenia symptoms | Improves (the measure goes down) | 40 people | ||||
Key findings
- Anxiety SymptomsImproves (the measure goes down)
The Schizoaffective Disorder Supportive Care protocol
2 primary supplements · 6 supporting supplements
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids2–4 g EPA+DHA daily (higher EPA ratio)
- Vitamin D2,000–4,000 IU daily (target 40–60 ng/mL)
Studies cited
36 studies from PubMed
- Safety and Tolerability of L-Theanine Supplementation
- L-Theanine: A Unique Amino Acid with Neuroprotective Properties
- L-Theanine and Cognitive Function: A Systematic Review
- L-Theanine in Psychiatric Disorders: A Comprehensive Review
- The Effect of L-Theanine Incorporated in a Functional Food Product (Mango Sorbet) on Physiological Responses in Healthy Males: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial
- Effects of L-Theanine on Anxiety and Stress: A Meta-Analysis
- L-Theanine and Sleep Quality: A Review of Clinical Studies
- Caffeine and L-Theanine: Synergistic Effects on Cognition
- L-Theanine and Alpha Brain Wave Activity: A Review
- Pharmacological Effects of L-Theanine in Healthy Volunteers
- L-Theanine as a Functional Ingredient in Foods and Beverages
- The Effects of L-Theanine on Mental Performance
- Acute effects of theanine, caffeine and theanine-caffeine combination on attention
- The effects of L-theanine, caffeine and their combination on cognition and mood
- l-Theanine and caffeine improve target-specific attention to visual stimuli by decreasing mind wandering: a human functional magnetic resonance imaging study
- Assessing the effects of caffeine and theanine on the maintenance of vigilance during a sustained attention task
- Time for tea: mood, blood pressure and cognitive performance effects of caffeine and theanine administered alone and together
- Effects of L-Theanine Administration on Stress-Related Symptoms and Cognitive Functions in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- Caffeine and theanine exert opposite effects on attention under emotional arousal
- Effects of l-Theanine on Cognitive Function in Middle-Aged and Older Subjects: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Study
- L-theanine and caffeine in combination affect human cognition as evidenced by oscillatory alpha-band activity and attention task performance
- A double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the effects of caffeine and L-theanine both alone and in combination on cerebral blood flow, cognition and mood
- L-theanine improves neurophysiological measures of attention in a dose-dependent manner: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study.
- Effect of L-theanine on sensorimotor gating in healthy human subjects
- Effects of chronic l-theanine administration in patients with major depressive disorder: an open-label study
- L-Theanine reduces psychological and physiological stress responses
- The Effects of Green Tea Amino Acid L-Theanine Consumption on the Ability to Manage Stress and Anxiety Levels: a Systematic Review.
- Anti-stress effect of theanine on students during pharmacy practice: positive correlation among salivary α-amylase activity, trait anxiety and subjective stress
- Safety and Efficacy of AlphaWave(®) L-Theanine Supplementation for 28 Days in Healthy Adults with Moderate Stress: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.
- The effects of L-theanine consumption on sleep outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
- The effects of L-theanine (Suntheanine®) on objective sleep quality in boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial
- Effects of L-theanine or caffeine intake on changes in blood pressure under physical and psychological stresses
- The effect of L-theanine supplementation on the immune system of athletes exposed to strenuous physical exercise
- L-theanine in the adjunctive treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: A double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial
- 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
- 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