{"id":18658,"date":"2026-04-20T22:22:32","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T20:22:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ngdcare.nl\/uncategorized\/magnesium-l-theanine-and-tryptophan\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T22:22:32","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T20:22:32","slug":"magnesium-l-theanine-and-tryptophan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ngdcare.nl\/en\/blog-en\/magnesium-l-theanine-and-tryptophan\/","title":{"rendered":"Magnesium, L-theanine and tryptophan"},"content":{"rendered":"
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NGD Care \u2014 Scientific background to food supplements<\/div>\n

Magnesium, L-theanine and tryptophan
\nexplained for stress and sleep<\/h1>\n

The science behind Relax Support: four ingredients, their mechanisms and the veterinary applications for stress, restlessness and sleep problems in dogs and cats.<\/p>\n

By Stefan Veenstra DVM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Stress and sleep as a system<\/h2>\n

Stress, restlessness and sleep problems in animals are rarely isolated symptoms. They are almost always expressions of a disturbed balance in the autonomic nervous system, the HPA axis (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) and the neurotransmitter balance with serotonin, GABA, dopamine and melatonin as central signaling substances. [1]<\/a><\/sup> An effective nutritional approach therefore targets multiple links at once: the cofactors for neurotransmitter synthesis, the direct modulation of GABA receptors, and the support of the sleep-wake cycle. <\/p>\n

NGD Care Relax Support combines four well-researched nutrients, each of which addresses a different link in this system. They are discussed separately below, followed by the veterinary application context. <\/p>\n

The four ingredients<\/h2>\n

Magnesium bisglycinate<\/h3>\n

Magnesium is involved in more than 300 enzymatic reactions in the body, including the synthesis of ATP, DNA repair, and the regulation of ion channels in nerve cells. [2]<\/a><\/sup> In the context of stress and sleep, two mechanisms are particularly relevant: magnesium modulates the NMDA receptor \u2014 a glutamate receptor involved in excitatory neurotransmission \u2014 and thus has an indirect anxiolytic effect when adequately available. [3]<\/a><\/sup> In addition, magnesium is a cofactor in the production of melatonin via the serotonin pathway.<\/p>\n

Magnesium bisglycinate is the glycine-chelated form, with a demonstrably higher bioavailability than inorganic magnesium salts such as magnesium oxide or sulfate, and with a lower risk of laxative side effects at higher doses. [4]<\/a><\/sup> In animals with chronic stress, muscle tension or disturbed sleep, this is the preferred form of supplementation.<\/p>\n

Magnesium deficiency has been associated in human research with increased cortisol response to stressors, increased irritability, and disrupted sleep architecture. Similar patterns are observed in veterinary practice, although animal-specific literature on this subject is limited. <\/div>\n

L-theanine<\/h3>\n

L-theanine is a non-proteinogenic amino acid that occurs naturally in tea leaves (Camellia sinensis<\/em>). It crosses the blood-brain barrier and has demonstrable effects on neurotransmitter balance: it increases GABA, serotonin and dopamine, and modulates alpha-brainwave activity which is associated with a state of quiet alertness without sedation. [5]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Clinical studies in humans show a significant improvement in subjective sleep quality, reduction of anxiety-related symptoms, and reduction of cortisol responses in acute stress after L-theanine supplementation. [6]<\/a><\/sup> In dogs, L-theanine has been studied in the context of situational anxiety, including thunderstorm anxiety and separation anxiety. with positive results in a randomized controlled trial of Pike et al. (2015). [7]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

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Veterinary Study L-theanine in Dogs<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pike et al. (2015) investigated the effect of an L-theanine-containing supplement in dogs with anxiety-related behaviors. The study showed significant improvement in anxiety scores compared to placebo, with no sedating side effects. This makes L-theanine one of the more substantiated nutritional interventions for situational stress in dogs in the veterinary literature. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

L-tryptophan<\/h3>\n

L-tryptophan is an essential amino acid and the direct metabolic precursor of serotonin via hydroxylation by tryptophan hydroxylase. [8]<\/a><\/sup> Serotonin is then converted in the pineal gland to melatonin, the hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. The availability of tryptophan in the brain is therefore a determining factor for both mood and sleep initiation. <\/p>\n

In dogs and cats, tryptophan has been studied in relation to aggression, dominance behavior and stress-related symptoms. Research by De Napoli et al. (2000) showed that a diet enriched with tryptophan significantly reduced dominance-directed aggression in dogs. [9]<\/a><\/sup> The combination with B6 as P-5-P is functionally essential: without sufficient B6, the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin is suboptimal. <\/p>\n

Vitamin B6 as pyridoxal-5-phosphate (P-5-P)<\/h3>\n

Vitamin B6 in the form of pyridoxal-5-phosphate (P-5-P) is the active, readily available cofactor for a range of decarboxylase and transaminase enzymes involved in the synthesis of serotonin, dopamine, GABA, and taurine. [10]<\/a><\/sup> Standard pyridoxine must be converted to P-5-P in the liver, a step that is less efficient in animals with liver problems, chronic disease or genetic variants in B6 metabolism. By directly supplementing P-5-P, this conversion step is bypassed and the cofactor is immediately available for neurotransmitter synthesis. <\/p>\n

Why the combination is more effective than individual ingredients<\/h2>\n

The four ingredients work complementary at different levels of the stress and sleep chain. Magnesium modulates the NMDA receptor and supports melatonin synthesis. L-theanine increases GABA and alpha brainwave activity directly. L-tryptophan provides the substrate for serotonin and melatonin. P-5-P optimizes the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin and of glutamate to GABA. Together, they cover both the application side (substrate and cofactors) and the modulation side (receptor action and neurotransmitter balance) of the system, which increases the clinical relevance in complex stress images. <\/p>\n

Veterinary applications<\/h2>\n

Situational stress in dogs and cats<\/h3>\n

Fireworks, thunderstorms, relocation, visits, changes in pack composition or diurnal structure are common triggers for acute stress-related behaviors in dogs and cats. Relax Support is suitable for daily use in the run-up to and during stress periods, as non-sedating nutritional support. <\/p>\n

Chronic tension and excessive waking behavior<\/h3>\n

In animals with persistent agitation, excessive barking, vigilance or nocturnal activity, a disturbed serotonin-melatonin balance may play an underlying role. Long-term supplementation with tryptophan, B6, and magnesium supports the normalization of this pathway without habituation or dependence. <\/p>\n

Addition to behavioural therapy<\/h3>\n

Nutritional stress support does not replace a behavioural therapy intervention, but can improve the learnability and trainability of animals during behaviour modification by lowering basal arousal. The combination with environmental adjustments, desensitization and positive reinforcement is the recommended approach for complex behavioral problems. <\/p>\n

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Possible areas of application \u2014 dog & cat<\/h3>\n

Situational stress during fireworks, thunderstorms or moving. Chronic tension, restlessness or excessive guard behavior. Sleep problems or disturbed day-night rhythm. Aggression or dominance problems with a behavioral component. Additional support for behavioral therapy and environmental adjustments. Senior animals with age-related agitation or cognitive changes. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Conclusion<\/h2>\n

Relax Support combines four nutrients with complementary mechanisms of action on the stress and sleep chain. The formulation logic is mechanistically substantiated: substrate (tryptophan), cofactor (P-5-P), direct neuromodulation (L-theanine) and receptor modulation (magnesium) work together without overlap or antagonism. <\/p>\n

The product is suitable for long-term daily use, even with sensitive animals, and is a useful addition to behavioural and environmental interventions. From systems biology, there is relax support in our behavioural protocol<\/a> for an even broader approach. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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View Liposomal Relax Support in the NGD Care webshop<\/p>\n

To the product page<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Literature<\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Chrousos GP. Stress and disorders of the stress system. Nat Rev Endocrinol.<\/em> 2009; 5(7):374\u2013381.<\/li>\n
  2. de Baaij JH, Hoenderop JG, Bindels RJ. Magnesium in man: implications for health and disease. Physiol Rev.<\/em> 2015; 95(1):1\u201346. <\/li>\n
  3. M\u00f6ykkynen T, Uusi-Oukari M, Heikkila J, et al. Magnesium potentiation of the function of native and recombinant GABA(A) receptors. Neuroreport.<\/em> 2001; 12(10):2175\u20132179.<\/li>\n
  4. Schuette SA, Lashner BA, Janghorbani M. Bioavailability of magnesium diglycinate vs magnesium oxide in patients with ileal resection. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr.<\/em> 1994; 18(5):430\u2013435.<\/li>\n
  5. Nobre AC, Rao A, Owen GN. L-theanine, a natural constituent in tea, and its effect on mental state. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr.<\/em> 2008; 17(Suppl 1):167\u2013168.<\/li>\n
  6. Hidese S, Ogawa S, Ota M, et al. Effects of L-theanine administration on stress-related symptoms and cognitive functions in healthy adults. Nutrients.<\/em> 2019; 11(10):2362.<\/li>\n
  7. Pike AL, Horwitz DF, Lobprise H. An open-label prospective study of the use of L-theanine (Anxitane) in storm-sensitive client-owned dogs. J Vet Behav.<\/em> 2015; 10(4):324\u2013331.<\/li>\n
  8. Young SN. How to increase serotonin in the human brain without drugs. J Psychiatry Neurosci.<\/em> 2007; 32(6):394\u2013399.<\/li>\n
  9. De Napoli JS, Dodman NH, Shuster L, et al. Effect of dietary protein content and tryptophan supplementation on dominance aggression, territorial aggression, and hyperactivity in dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc.<\/em> 2000; 217(4):504\u2013508.<\/li>\n
  10. Mooney S, Leuendorf JE, Hendrickson C, Hellmann H. Vitamin B6: a long known compound of surprising complexity. Molecules.<\/em> 2009; 14(1):329\u2013351.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n

    This information is educational in nature and based on available scientific literature. The studies mentioned are not always directly veterinary or specific to the formulation described here. This text does not replace a veterinary consultation and does not contain any therapeutic claims. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    NGD Care \u2014 Scientific background to food supplements Magnesium, L-theanine and tryptophan explained for stress and sleep The science behind Relax Support: four ingredients, their mechanisms and the veterinary applications for stress, restlessness and sleep problems in dogs and cats. By Stefan Veenstra DVM Stress and sleep as a system Stress, restlessness and sleep problems … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":18660,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[178,12029],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18658","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-en","category-supplements","infinite-scroll-item"],"meta_box":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ngdcare.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18658","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ngdcare.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ngdcare.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ngdcare.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ngdcare.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18658"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ngdcare.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18658\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ngdcare.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18660"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ngdcare.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18658"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ngdcare.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18658"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ngdcare.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18658"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}