Thursday, 12 February 2015
Thiamine - Vitamin B1
One of the next substances I wanted to trial for nootropic properties was Thiamine or Vitamin B1 which is water soluble. It is supposed to be involved in many neuroprotective processes and to aid in energy protection. Now a lot of people try a substance called sulbutiamine for the same purpose. Which is an analogue of Thiamine that is lipid soluble so it can pass the blood brain barrier more easily than it's older brother Thiamine. There is however one draw back it is much much more expensive compared to Thiamine. Thiamine alone is up 10x cheaper, and with a toxicity of 3g per kg of body weight and being water soluble, it will make an excellent addition to my upcoming homemade nootropic energy drink. Anyways I have some high hope as there seems to be a buzz about Sulbutiamine on some sites plus some research looks pretty good. And this on thiamine itself sounds promising too.
Tuesday, 10 February 2015
Nootropics and Such
As it's the first post, it would have to be about what got me started with the idea of having a blog again. This would be one of my latest interests being Nootropic drugs or supplements. To be fair I wont just be covering the classic nootropic drugs and herbs but basically everything that I find helpful to help keep me happy, awake and alert through the day.
So the basic definition of a Nootropic is a drug or supplement that improves mental function and memory and who wouldn't be interested in a bit of that.
Sage - salvia officinalis
First off I'll start off with what you could actually call nootropic supplements. The very first thing that I tried to improve my cognitive abilities was good old Sage Salvia offiicinalis in this instance. I had heard that it could help with your memory and as I had been acquiring an interest in nootropics I though it would be a good place to start. I found a few bits of research here and here so I thought there must be something in it as acetylcholine is involved in memory and memory formation. Hey they were cheap and seemed a good place to start. The mode of action is supposed to be a acetylcholinerase and enzyme inhibitor so it slows down the breakdown of acetylcholine.
I also found out that sage can help with keeping you alert and awake so I was doubly interested.
So the short verdict on Sage, well yes I've found that it does help my memory and have found that I generally feel more awake and less tired throughout the day. This could always be the placebo effect, but I have been taking Sage daily for three weeks now. I've definitely noticed a marked decrease in annoying memory lapses and have found my self feeling much more alert and less fatigued at work for the entire period.
l Theanine
Now this is the "classic" starter nootropic and is useful for aiding concentration and tacking the edginess off a caffeine high. It also has slight anxiolytic which is also helpful. The evidence for the effectiveness off L Theanine is anywhere you care to look. I can personally vouch after many months of use that it is a very helpful substance. I've heard anecdotal reports of L Theanine taking the edginess off of other stimulants, though, I have yet to try this combo out for myself. I take between 200mg to a gram of L Theanine a day depending on whats on and I also find it helps with anxiety.
Creatine
Now this one I had already taken in the past for a sports supplement (it used to help my sore legs from running) but basically it can also help with mental fatigue as well because of the role it helps play in ATP synthesis. You have to take this every day to reap the benefits, but I find it helps keeping my energy levels up into the evening. Anyway there is ample research out there supporting the theory that creatine supplementation can help with energy levels and mental fatigue, as well as neuroprotection. I take about 5 to 10 grams a day but I am a vegetarian so I need more. there is a wealth of research of the benefits of creatine supplementation for cognitive benefits.
Co-Enzyme q10
Now I started taking this when I stopped smoking as I found it helped stopped the annoying eye twitching that came with quiting. I also noticed that it did seem to help keep my energies up, and that it helped a lot with eye strain from looking at computer monitors for too long. After a little look into it I found that I was right that it can help with energy levels. Not only this but possibly has neuroprotective effects, cardioprotective effects and possible anti aging properties, win win. Also this piece shows co-enzyme q10 and creatine might have synergistic neuroprotective effects.
Omega 3
This one is a bit of a no brainer really and it's supposed to be the DHA in witch has the most benefits. Having said that I always try to supplement it, and subjectively at least it always makes my head feel better when I take it..
Caffeine
We all know caffeine is helpful when fatigued. My main complaint with it is that it leaves me feeling burnt out after large doses so I prefer it in tea, green or black unless I'm mixing it with L Theanine in larger doses for a big concentration session. ( teas already contain both caffeine and L Theanine yay!)
5-HTP
This is an amino acid and it is also a precursor for serotonin, melatonin and tryptophan. I find I have to take it most nights and that it usually helps me sleep well. I also find it helps with keeping my mood nice and balanced. Though some of the research is a bit contradictory I still find it helpful.
So anyways that is my starter stack and I generally find it serves me well, but I always feel there is room for improvement. Just to note I added one thing at a time ( so I could identify benefits or not). I have a few more things in the pipe line and will do a update to this once I have some results.
So the basic definition of a Nootropic is a drug or supplement that improves mental function and memory and who wouldn't be interested in a bit of that.
Sage - salvia officinalis
First off I'll start off with what you could actually call nootropic supplements. The very first thing that I tried to improve my cognitive abilities was good old Sage Salvia offiicinalis in this instance. I had heard that it could help with your memory and as I had been acquiring an interest in nootropics I though it would be a good place to start. I found a few bits of research here and here so I thought there must be something in it as acetylcholine is involved in memory and memory formation. Hey they were cheap and seemed a good place to start. The mode of action is supposed to be a acetylcholinerase and enzyme inhibitor so it slows down the breakdown of acetylcholine.
I also found out that sage can help with keeping you alert and awake so I was doubly interested.
So the short verdict on Sage, well yes I've found that it does help my memory and have found that I generally feel more awake and less tired throughout the day. This could always be the placebo effect, but I have been taking Sage daily for three weeks now. I've definitely noticed a marked decrease in annoying memory lapses and have found my self feeling much more alert and less fatigued at work for the entire period.
l Theanine
Now this is the "classic" starter nootropic and is useful for aiding concentration and tacking the edginess off a caffeine high. It also has slight anxiolytic which is also helpful. The evidence for the effectiveness off L Theanine is anywhere you care to look. I can personally vouch after many months of use that it is a very helpful substance. I've heard anecdotal reports of L Theanine taking the edginess off of other stimulants, though, I have yet to try this combo out for myself. I take between 200mg to a gram of L Theanine a day depending on whats on and I also find it helps with anxiety.
Creatine
Now this one I had already taken in the past for a sports supplement (it used to help my sore legs from running) but basically it can also help with mental fatigue as well because of the role it helps play in ATP synthesis. You have to take this every day to reap the benefits, but I find it helps keeping my energy levels up into the evening. Anyway there is ample research out there supporting the theory that creatine supplementation can help with energy levels and mental fatigue, as well as neuroprotection. I take about 5 to 10 grams a day but I am a vegetarian so I need more. there is a wealth of research of the benefits of creatine supplementation for cognitive benefits.
Co-Enzyme q10
Now I started taking this when I stopped smoking as I found it helped stopped the annoying eye twitching that came with quiting. I also noticed that it did seem to help keep my energies up, and that it helped a lot with eye strain from looking at computer monitors for too long. After a little look into it I found that I was right that it can help with energy levels. Not only this but possibly has neuroprotective effects, cardioprotective effects and possible anti aging properties, win win. Also this piece shows co-enzyme q10 and creatine might have synergistic neuroprotective effects.
Omega 3
This one is a bit of a no brainer really and it's supposed to be the DHA in witch has the most benefits. Having said that I always try to supplement it, and subjectively at least it always makes my head feel better when I take it..
Caffeine
We all know caffeine is helpful when fatigued. My main complaint with it is that it leaves me feeling burnt out after large doses so I prefer it in tea, green or black unless I'm mixing it with L Theanine in larger doses for a big concentration session. ( teas already contain both caffeine and L Theanine yay!)
5-HTP
This is an amino acid and it is also a precursor for serotonin, melatonin and tryptophan. I find I have to take it most nights and that it usually helps me sleep well. I also find it helps with keeping my mood nice and balanced. Though some of the research is a bit contradictory I still find it helpful.
So anyways that is my starter stack and I generally find it serves me well, but I always feel there is room for improvement. Just to note I added one thing at a time ( so I could identify benefits or not). I have a few more things in the pipe line and will do a update to this once I have some results.
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