Theanine use while Breastfeeding

Summary of Use during Lactation

No information is available on the use of theanine or l-theanine during breastfeeding. The amounts found in green tea are likely acceptable during nursing, but the amounts from high-dose l-theanine supplements are not necessarily safe for the breastfed infant. Since the half-life of theanine is about 1 hour, it should be mostly eliminated from the milk in 3 to 5 hours. It is probably best to avoid using theanine or l-theanine while nursing a newborn or preterm infant.

Dietary supplements do not require extensive pre-marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Manufacturers are responsible to ensure the safety, but do not need to prove the safety and effectiveness of dietary supplements before they are marketed. Dietary supplements may contain multiple ingredients, and differences are often found between labeled and actual ingredients or their amounts. A manufacturer may contract with an independent organization to verify the quality of a product or its ingredients, but that does not certify the safety or effectiveness of a product. Because of the above issues, clinical testing results on one product may not be applicable to other products. More detailed information about dietary supplements is available elsewhere on the LactMed Web site.

Drug Levels

Maternal Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.

Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.

Effects in Breastfed Infants

Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.

Effects on Lactation and Breastmilk

Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.

Substance Name

Theanine

CAS Registry Number

3081-61-6

Drug Class

Breast Feeding

Lactation

Milk, Human

Complementary Therapies