Theacrine Raw Material
Natural Kucha Tea Leaf Extract 30% - 60% & Synthetic 99%
for Pre-workout, Improving Energy, Memory, Mood, Focus &Motivation, Relieving Inflammation & Pain
Theacrine Overview
Theacrine (1,3,7,9-tetramethyluric acid) is a purine alkaloid found in cupuacu fruit (Theobroma grandiflorum) and the kucha plant (Camellia assamica var. kucha), that appears to work in a similar way to caffeine – but with less tolerance.
Theacrine shows anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects and appears to affect adenosine signalling in a manner similar to caffeine. In kucha leaves, theacrine is synthesized from caffeine in what is thought to be a three-step pathway.
A couple of human studies suggest that theacrine may increase mental clarity, boost energy, and improve mood and motivation
How does Theacrine work?
Researchers have determined that theacrine works in the primary ways: it facilitates adenosinergic neurotransmission.
That means that theacrine enhances physical energy by causing adenosine signaling changes similar to caffeine. It also acts as a adenosine antagonist by causing adenosinergic signaling, which enhances physical energy even further.
In layman’s terms, that means theacrine boosts physical and mental energy in your body by raising levels of certain neurotransmitters.
Theacrine Benefits
Theacrine is commonly found in sports supplements like preworkout formulas. Manufacturers used theacrine for the caffeine-like effects without the unwanted side effects of caffeine.
Here are some of the benefits of theacrine:
- Physical And Mental Stimulant
- Improve Focus, Memory & Motivation
- Reduces Stress And Anxiety
- Could Induce Thermogenesis And Facilitate Fat Burning
- May Reduce Inflammation & Pain
- Can Be Taken For Long Periods Of Time With No Tolerance Buildup
Theacrine Applications
Theacrine could be used for different applications as below:
- Pre-Workout, Increasing Energy
- Improve Focus, Memory & Motivatio
- Relieving Inflammation & Pain
- Improving Mood, Help with Depression
- Improving Sleep
- Reduce Stress & Anxiety
- Decrease Cholesterol
Theacrine raw materials was usually mixed with other ingredients to process to be ready-to-eat products in form like: dietary supplement (capsule / tablet), energy drink or powder.
Theacrine Applications
Pre-Workout, Increasing Energy
Theacrine is a brain/nervous system stimulant that became popular in sports nutrition as a pre-workout and fat burner supplement. Reports suggest it provides a long-lasting boost of energy without the negative side effects (anxiety, insomnia, tolerance) associated with caffeine.
A study of 15 healthy humans showed that a single 200 mg dose of theacrine resulted in a subjective increase in energy, focus, concentration, willingness to exercise, motivation to train, and libido.
Improving Focus Motivation & Memory
Another placebo-controlled study involving 20 healthy human subjects reported increased subjective feelings of attentiveness, alertness, and focus when using a supplement containing both theacrine and caffeine vs. caffeine alone.
Theacrine significantly enhances physical activity, and it’s suggested that this effect is mediated by the adenosine systems.
The results of this study were supported in another carried out in 2017 which showed improvements in energy, fatigue, and concentration after a single 200 mg dose of theacrine.
Relieving Inflammation & Pain
Oral consumption of theacrine reduced inflammation, with a potency comparable or lesser than the anti-inflammatory drug.
The pain relieving properties of theacrine were dose-dependent.
The same study showed that theacrine had acute anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties, while caffeine had no effect.
Improving Mood, Help with Depression
High adenosine levels result in perceived feelings of energy, improved mood, and sensations of pleasure.
Theacrine activates the adenosine receptors DRD1 and DRD2.
Research also indicates that this compound increases activity in the nucleus accumbens region of the brain, which is associated with pleasure and reward.
Data on 20 healthy humans suggested a supplement containing both theacrine and caffeine may favorably impact multiple subjective feelings related to energy and mood when compared to either caffeine alone or placebo. It also decreased feelings of lethargy and grogginess.
This evidence seems to back up the anecdotal personal experiences shared by consumers when combining the two substances.
Improving Sleep
A low dose of theacrine shortened wake time and increased sleep time. It also reduced caffeine-induced insomnia.
In addition, theacrine markedly increased adenosine levels in the brain (hippocampus) , which has sleep-promoting effects.
These results (from a rodent model) suggest that theacrine might regulate the adenosine system at lower doses to increase sleep.
Decrease Cholesterol
Polyphenols in tea can inhibit the absorption of dietary cholesterol and decrease blood cholesterol levels.
High-dose theacrine supplementation in 60 healthy humans reduced LDL and total cholesterol.
Similar to other studies on tea extracts, theacrine supplementation may be a viable alternative to cholesterol-lowering drugs but more research is needed in this area.
Reduce Stress & Anxiety
An investigational study demonstrated that theacrine has protective effects on liver damage induced by restraint stress .
Results suggest that these protective effects of theacrine may be correlated with its antioxidant activity.
Theacrine Advantages
What makes theacrine truly unique is how it differs from caffeine. Theacrine:
Theacrine VS Caffeine
Theacrine significant advantages, compared to Caffeine, makes Theacrine unique
and being great commercial-potential ingredient of alternative Caffeine.
Theacrine works in a similar way to caffeine. Chemically speaking, here’s what the two chemicals look like:
- Theacrine’s chemical name is 1,3,7,9-tetramethyluric acid
- Caffeine’s chemical name is 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine
The main difference between the two chemicals is that one has an additional methyl group and an additional ketone group.
What makes theacrine truly unique is how it differs from caffeine. Theacrine:
- Has a longer half-life
- Has no effect on blood pressure
- Is less likely to disrupt sleep compared to caffeine
- Has reduced tolerance
Caffeine is known to cause a comedown effect after a couple of hours, which leads to even more fatigue. This ultimately leads to drinking more coffee or taking higher doses, which causes tolerance in the long term.
Research in both animal and human has demonstrated that theacrine does not result in a fatigued crash or lead to tolerance build up over time. In a placebo-controlled study, theacrine demonstrated non-habituating effects in 60 healthy humans over 8 weeks of daily use at up to 300 mg/day.
Also unlike caffeine, theacrine doesn’t seem to affect blood pressure, cause anxiety, or lead to insomnia.
In addition, it may have benefits that caffeine doesn’t, such as decreasing inflammation and relieving pain.
However, these two compounds are more effective when taken together because caffeine increases the bioavailability and positive effects of theacrine.
- Specification, Dosage, Safety, Limitation & Reviews
Dosage (Finished Product)
Theacrine appears to have a biphasic dose response, meaning that it acts as a sedative at lower doses and has stimulatory properties at higher doses.
Recommended daily dosages in humans range from 50 to 200 mg/day.
Kucha tea, for example, contains low doses and has been used to induce relaxation.
Doses below 50 mg can be considered lower and relaxation-inducing, while doses closer to 200 mg are stimulatory.
Safety
Theacrine has demonstrated clinical safety and non-habituating effects in 60 healthy humans over 8 weeks of daily use at up to 200 mg/day.
The acute toxicity in mice would equate to roughly 4 grams for an individual weighing 170 lbs.
Although it is similar in structure to caffeine, at this point more research is needed to assess the safety in pregnant and breastfeeding women. It is recommended to consult with your healthcare provider or avoid theacrine during this time.
Limitations and Caveats
Theacrine is a relatively new compound on the market, and there are only a few published scientific studies that confirm a clear benefit over similar purine alkaloids such as caffeine and theobromine.
Theacrine is typically formulated as part of a multi-ingredient supplement and harder to find as a standalone supplement, making it difficult to trace the clinical benefits to one substance.
Reviews/User Experiences (of Theacrine Finished Product)
- “In general, theacrine has essentially all the same effects of caffeine, but slightly weaker stimulation at the same dose, and much less noticeable negative side effects like the jitters. It also lasts about 6 hours for me, as opposed to 3-4 hours of full efficacity from caffeine.”
- “As a sleep-deprived college student, 100 mg of this is enough to get me awake enough to get through class but its stimulant effects seem more clear and mild compared to caffeine. When combined with caffeine and l-theanine especially, this stuff provides a familiar buzz to most, with a slight difference in headspace.”
- “Theacrine works so much better for me than caffeine. It is smoother, longer-lasting and the effects are consistent. Sometimes I mix in a bit of caffeine for a little more kick. They work very well together.”
