Herbal Magick inc.

11/05/2026

With Creepy Crosby Ave – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉
Right around the corner from Herbal Magick inc. !

11/05/2026

With Kristina Maria – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉
Yup!
She's the bomb 😍

11/05/2026

With Niagara Downunder – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉

11/04/2026

Angela Blackley

Pay Attention! L-Theanine Can Help.
New research suggests that L-theanine can benefit cognition by helping attention and that it can help depression.
L-theanine is an amino acid found almost exclusively in green tea. It improves calm by increasing alpha brain waves, which leads to relaxation and better focus.
That ability of L-theanine has been shown to help improve sleep. New research shows that it can also help improve concentration.
The meta-analysis of 31 controlled studies, which included 1168 people, compared L-theanine to placebo. It found that a single 200mg dose improves choice reaction time, suggesting that it enhances attention.
A single dose also appeared to significantly reduce depression.
L-theanine was safe.
This study suggests that taking a single dose of L-theanine offers short term benefit for attention and depression.

Study below,


Epub 2026 Jul 6.
Cognitive and affective effects of L-Theanine: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 31 randomized trials
Cyril Gerolymos 1, Elisa Saddier 2, Laurent Boyer 2 3, Guillaume Fond 2 3
Affiliations Expand
PMID: 42410082 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-026-03727-9
Abstract
Background: L-theanine, an amino acid derived from green tea, has been suggested to alleviate affective symptoms and enhance cognitive performance, but its clinical relevance remains uncertain.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 31 randomised controlled trials (n = 1168) comparing oral L-theanine with placebo in healthy and clinical populations. The primary outcome was the acute effect of a single dose on stress in healthy adults. Secondary outcomes included clinical measures (stress after repeated dosing, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and fatigue) and cognitive measures (reaction times and attention tasks with single and repeated doses). Safety was assessed by comparing dropout rates and reasons between L-theanine and placebo groups.

Results: A single 200 mg dose taken 30-60 min before cognitive testing significantly improved choice reaction time (Standardised Mean Difference [SMD] = 0.51; 95% CI, 0.25-0.77), indicating enhanced attention. The reduction in acute stress was modest (SMD = 0.31) and largely influenced by studies with a high risk of bias. No significant effect on fatigue was observed. Excluding one outlier, a significant reduction in depressive symptoms following a single dose in healthy individuals was found (SMD = 0.69; 95% CI, 0.13-1.25) with low heterogeneity. Anxiety effects were inconsistent and non-significant except for one study on psychotic anxiety (SMD = 0.54; 400 mg/day for 8 weeks). No serious adverse events were reported.

Conclusions: L-theanine is safe and shows a robust short-term benefit on attention in healthy adults, with a potential antidepressant effect warranting confirmation in high-quality trials, especially in clinical populations.

© 2026. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement
Competing interest: Dr Guillaume Fond founded a company selling dietary supplements. The other authors report no conflicts of interest. Ethics approval and consent to participate: All included randomized controlled trials reported approval by an appropriate ethics committee and obtained informed consent from participants, as required by local regulations.

11/04/2026

Pay Attention! L-Theanine Can Help.
New research suggests that L-theanine can benefit cognition by helping attention and that it can help depression.
L-theanine is an amino acid found almost exclusively in green tea. It improves calm by increasing alpha brain waves, which leads to relaxation and better focus.
That ability of L-theanine has been shown to help improve sleep. New research shows that it can also help improve concentration.
The meta-analysis of 31 controlled studies, which included 1168 people, compared L-theanine to placebo. It found that a single 200mg dose improves choice reaction time, suggesting that it enhances attention.
A single dose also appeared to significantly reduce depression.
L-theanine was safe.
This study suggests that taking a single dose of L-theanine offers short term benefit for attention and depression.

Study below,


Epub 2026 Jul 6.
Cognitive and affective effects of L-Theanine: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 31 randomized trials
Cyril Gerolymos 1, Elisa Saddier 2, Laurent Boyer 2 3, Guillaume Fond 2 3
Affiliations Expand
PMID: 42410082 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-026-03727-9
Abstract
Background: L-theanine, an amino acid derived from green tea, has been suggested to alleviate affective symptoms and enhance cognitive performance, but its clinical relevance remains uncertain.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 31 randomised controlled trials (n = 1168) comparing oral L-theanine with placebo in healthy and clinical populations. The primary outcome was the acute effect of a single dose on stress in healthy adults. Secondary outcomes included clinical measures (stress after repeated dosing, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and fatigue) and cognitive measures (reaction times and attention tasks with single and repeated doses). Safety was assessed by comparing dropout rates and reasons between L-theanine and placebo groups.

Results: A single 200 mg dose taken 30-60 min before cognitive testing significantly improved choice reaction time (Standardised Mean Difference [SMD] = 0.51; 95% CI, 0.25-0.77), indicating enhanced attention. The reduction in acute stress was modest (SMD = 0.31) and largely influenced by studies with a high risk of bias. No significant effect on fatigue was observed. Excluding one outlier, a significant reduction in depressive symptoms following a single dose in healthy individuals was found (SMD = 0.69; 95% CI, 0.13-1.25) with low heterogeneity. Anxiety effects were inconsistent and non-significant except for one study on psychotic anxiety (SMD = 0.54; 400 mg/day for 8 weeks). No serious adverse events were reported.

Conclusions: L-theanine is safe and shows a robust short-term benefit on attention in healthy adults, with a potential antidepressant effect warranting confirmation in high-quality trials, especially in clinical populations.

© 2026. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement
Competing interest: Dr Guillaume Fond founded a company selling dietary supplements. The other authors report no conflicts of interest. Ethics approval and consent to participate: All included randomized controlled trials reported approval by an appropriate ethics committee and obtained informed consent from participants, as required by local regulations.

11/02/2026

Science Supports Saffron & Ashwagandha for Stress-Related Mental Health
This new systematic review examined the evidence for using the herbs saffron and ashwagandha for stress-related issues from depression and anxiety to stress and insomnia. The results support the use of these two great herbs.
The systematic review included 19 controlled studies that examined the use of saffron and 14 that looked at ashwagandha for several “stress-related mental health outcomes.”
Both plants demonstrated a “robust” effect for anxiety. In people with depression with anxious distress, saffron was as effective as the SSRI citalopram (Celexa). And in people with “low mood,” saffron reduced their anxiety. In one ashwagandha study, the herb reduced anxiety by 75.6% versus 4.3% on placebo.
When it came to depression, saffron was as effective as the antidepressant imipramine. It also had antidepressant effects in depression that accompanies menopause or medical conditions. Saffron has also repeatedly demonstrated the ability to help subclinical depression or low mood as well as low mood that comes with poor sleep. Ashwagandha has been shown to reduce depression by 52.1% when a placebo could manage only 13.6%.
Saffron has also demonstrated the ability to sooth stress and depression that comes with social relationships, to lower cortisol and reduce stress scores. Stress was where ashwagandha shone the most. For stress, it beats placebo 44% to 5.5%. Several studies show that ashwagandha reduces stress and cortisol.
Saffron improves sleep, including in people with low mood, subclinical depression and daytime sleepiness. Ashwagandha significantly improves how fast you fall asleep, total sleep time and sleep efficiency in people with insomnia.
This systematic review shows that the science backs the claims for saffron and ashwagandha as exciting herbs for mental health and, specifically, for depression, anxiety, stress and insomnia.
J. Vis Exp. October 2026;236:e73092.
and Yes Herbal Magick Inc carries multiple items for you to give this a try!
Angela Blackley Herbal Magick inc.

10/31/2026

Diet plays a significant role on how we feel daily!
Keep soda as a treat, Afterall, It's candy in a cup!
How Diet Affects Depression & Anxiety in Adolescents
Rates of depression and anxiety are soaring among adolescents. Increasingly, research is showing that nutrition plays a crucial role in mental health. This new study provides important new clues for adolescents.
About 50% of people who experience common mental health disorders experience their first struggles before they reach 18. More and more research is pointing to an association between diet and mental health in young people.
This new study followed 6537 students from 71 secondary schools in Australia for 3 years. It found that eating more fruit was associated with a 13% lower risk of depression and a 7% lower risk of anxiety.
It also found that drinking more sugar-sweetened beverages was associated with 3.22 times the risk of depression and 3.36 higher risk of anxiety. In males, the risk of anxiety went up 5 times!
This study suggests that increasing fruit and limiting sugar-sweetened beverages could be part of a strategy for reducing the risk of depression and anxiety at a time in life when they often first occur.

Google search:
Child and Adolescent Mental Health. October,19 2026
An extra serve of fruit linked to lower risk of depression and anxiety in teenagers

Angela Blackley

10/30/2026

It's finally BACK,!!
Herbal Magick inc. Angela Blackley

10/30/2026

Brazil nuts are back at Herbal Magick inc.
Angela Blackley

10/30/2026

If you need or want something from Herbal Magick Inc for Halloween, make sure to stop by today! 10-6!

Don't forget that Herbal Magick inc. will be CLOSING for Halloween this year! We'll be back Sunday 10-4

Picture from years ago. 🤣
Angela Blackley Angela Blackley Herbal Magick inc.