Calm is our anti-stress and sleep nootropic. It is designed to help you unwind at the end of a big day and prepare for a high quality sleep in the evening. It does this by helping modulate and reduce stress levels, support calming neurotransmitters like Serotonin and GABA and increase alpha brain wave activity.
Calm is our solution for the modern hustler who also understands the importance of de-stressing and sleeping well. It’s important to be productive and high performing during the day, but it is even more important to take the time to rest and recover and get your brain back in a state to do be able to do it all again. This is how you prevent burnout, and ensure a sustainable routine of high performance and output.
It’s also far too common now to spend all day consuming stimulants, through coffee, energy drinks and sports supplements which can lead to exhaustion, fatigue and impacting the quality of your sleep later at night. Calm is here to help calm down your nervous system so that you can still have a restful sleep.
A lack of sleep in the short term will significantly reduce your cognitive performance and output during the day. A chronic lack of sleep, however, can lead to accumulation of waste products in your brain, which can actually increase the chances of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases later in life. We want to avoid this at all costs.
Format: Powder
Flavour: Rich Chocolate
Purpose: To reduce stress and improve sleep quality later in the day. A soothing beverage to help you unwind, recharge and rest so that you can continue to operate at high performance the next day.
Who should use this product: Corporates, knowledge workers, busy parents, insomniacs or poor sleepers, people with high stress/anxiety levels, sleep optimisers and health nuts.
Directions of use: Mix 1 scoop with hot (not boiling) water and sip on later in the evening (2–3 hours before bed). Can also be used cold although we recommend a hot chocolate style!
Summary
Reishi Mushroom (Ganoderma Lucidum) is a polypore fungus that contains over 400 bioactive constituents including phytochemicals, triterpenes, polysaccharides (such as Beta Glucans), amino acids, fatty acids, proteins and more. It has been used as a Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Reishi is rising in popularity and commonly used to improve general health, immunity and support stress and sleep.
This mushroom exerts potent anti-oxidative effects, is able to activate natural killer cells which increases immunity and may increase anti-cancer effects.
Reishi can come in a variety of forms and extracts, from powdered extracts of varying concentrations, to liquid tinctures which can be ethanol or water extracted.
Nootropic Effect
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Summary
L-Tryptophan is an essential amino acid used to create proteins that must be taken in from the diet.
It is a precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin, melatonin and vitamin B3.
L-Tryptophan first converts into 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) before converting into serotonin and finally melatonin in the body. L-Tryptophan, therefore, gives your body the building blocks to create serotonin if required, as opposed to taking 5-HTP which bypasses the rate limiting step and outright increases brain serotonin levels.
Increasing serotonin can affect mood and is known as the “feel good” neurotransmitter.
L-Tryptophan is often supplemented and used as a natural remedy for depression, pain, insomnia, hyperactivity and eating disorders.
Within Calm, L-Tryptophan is used for its potential to support mood and wellbeing, and increase sleep quality.
Low levels of L-Tryptophan has been shown to impair cognitive function, and increases feelings of anxiety, tension and nervousness.
It’s important to not combine L-Tryptophan with other serotonin increasing supplements or drugs such as MAOI’s or SSRI’s.
Nootropic Effect
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Summary
GABA is an amino acid that also acts a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system.
It is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that limits nerve transmission. For this reason, it is often taken as a mild sedative to help reduce anxiety and potentially improve sleep.
It is known that a problem with GABA supplementation is its lack of efficiency in crossing the Blood Brain Barrier (BBB). This seems counter intuitive as it does seem to have a potent effect both anecdotally and in research. This could be in part, due to the fact that GABA receptors are also found in the enteric nervous system, such as in the gut and thus GABA can bind to these receptors.
One small 2018 study, showed that participants who took 300mg of GABA an hour before going to bed fell asleep faster than those taking a placebo. They also reported improved sleep quality four weeks after starting treatment. [3]
Nootropic Effect
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Breakdown/summary:
L-Theanine is a non essential and non-protein amino acid, commonly found in small quantities within green tea, black tea and some mushroom species.
When extracted from these sources and taken at higher doses (typically 100–400mg), there seem to be very unique and promising therapeutic properties for this compound.
It has a similar chemical structure to glutamine, and both neurotransmitters that are produced from it, GABA and glutamate.
L-Theanine is mostly taken for its ability to promote a relaxation feeling, and help calm down your nervous system. It is also commonly used with coffee or caffeine to reduce the negative side effects that can often occur, such as sweating, jitters or anxiety.
L-Theanine is thought to provide a relaxing effect without sedation.
Nootropic Effect
L-Theanine is able to support the following effects:
Mechanisms of Action
Research
Study 1 is a double blind, placebo controlled study evaluating the effects of caffeine and L-Theanine on cerebral blood flow, cognition and mood. 12 habitual and 12 non-habitual consumers of caffeine each received 75mg caffeine, 50mg L-theanine, 75mg caffeine plus 50mg L-Theanine, and placebo in a counterbalanced order across four separate visits. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured via near-infrared spectroscopy with cognition and mood assessed at baseline and 30 minutes post-dose. This study found that the combination of L-Theanine with caffeine, eliminated the vasoconstrictive and behavioural effects of caffeine.
Study 2 examined the effects of 4 weeks of L-theanine administration on stress-related symptoms and cognitive function in healthy adults. 30 individuals took either 200mg of L-Theanine or placebo each day. Stress related symptoms and scores all decreased after L-Theanine administration. Scores for sleep latency, sleep disturbance and use of sleep medication all reduced after L-Theanine administration. For cognitive function, verbal fluency and executive function scores all increased after administration.
Study 3 looked at electrical brain activity using EEG technology after ingestion of L-Theanine. A total of 35 healthy, young participants consumed 50mg L-Theanine or placebo. They were resting with their eyes closed during this period. EEG recordings were taken at baseline and 45, 60, 75, 90 and 105 minutes after ingestion. There was a statistically significant increase in alpha brain wave activity in the L-theanine group as compared to placebo. This was also replicated in another study, showing that L-Theanine, at realistic dietary levels can have a significant impact on mental alertness and arousal.
Summary
Ashwagandha or Withania Somnifera is a plant of the nightshade family that has been traditionally used in Eastern, Indian medicine (Ayurveda).
It’s commonly known to be an “Adaptogen” e.g. a natural compound that helps your body fight stress and physical/mental fatigue.
The main phytochemical constituents in Ashwagandha which contribute to its potent effect are called withanolides.
Current research shows Ashwagandha can have an appreciable anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) effects and may reduce cortisol levels, reduce fatigue, reduce insomnia and may increase testosterone.
The most common dose for Ashwagandha seems to be in the range of 300–500mg per day. Most extracts are a 10:1 extract. Several high quality patented extracts exist such as KSM-66 and Sensoril Ashwagandha.
Nootropic Effect
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Summary
Chamomile is a daisy-like plant that is often used as a herbal tea infusion. Chamomile tea is most often consumed for its ability to promote a sense of calm and wellbeing.
The main constituents in Chamomile flower are polyphenol compounds like apigenin, quercetin, patuletin and luteolin.
Apigenin is a bioflavonoid and antioxidant found in Chamomile tea which is most associated with reducing anxiety and improving sleep quality.
One study in particular showed that people who consumed 270mg of chamomile extract, twice daily for 28 days, had 1/3 less night time awakening and fell asleep 15 minutes faster than those who did not consume the extract.
Nootropic Effect
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Summary
Magnesium is an essential mineral used by over 300 chemical processes within the human body.
Everything from helping muscles contract to keeping your immune system strong and healthy.
Magnesium can be found in many foods such as green leafy vegetables, nuts, whole grains beans and fish.
Many people have been found to be at least partially deficient in this essential mineral. Keep in mind the RDA for it is 420mg for men and 320mg for women. If you’re not getting enough from your diet, which you can confirm via a blood test, you should definitely be supplementing with one form or Magnesium!
Magnesium Glycinate, in particular, is a form of Magnesium that is bound to glycine (an amino acid and inhibitory neurotransmitter), and has very high absorption levels in the body.
It has a list of positive effects, including:
This is the best form of Magnesium if you’re looking to promote anti-stress and better sleep.
Other forms of Magnesium are known to give an upset stomach or diarrhea more easily (not ideal). This can also occur if you take too much at once or too frequently, so watch out. You’ve been warned.
Nootropic Effect
Research
Summary
Zinc is an essential trace element and mineral for humans, second to Iron in the human body.
Zinc is required for the function of over 300 enzymes and 1000 transcription factors (proteins that control the rate of transcription of genetic information from DNA to messenger RNA).
Approximately 2–4 grams of zinc are distributed throughout the human body, with most being located in the brain, muscle, bones, kidney, and liver with high concentrations in the prostate and parts of the eye.
Within the brain, zinc is stored in synaptic vesicles by glutamergic neurons and can modulate neuronal excitability. It plays a key role in synaptic plasticity and in learning. Zinc homeostasis also plays key role in the functional regulation of the central nervous system (CNS).
Nootropic Effect
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Summary
Vitamin B6 is a water soluble vitamin naturally present in many foods.
Vitamin B6 performs a wide variety of functions, involved in over 100 enzyme reactions. Vitamin B6 plays a role in cognitive development through the biosynthesis of neurotransmitters, supports immune function and much more.
The RDA for men 14–50 years old is 1.3mg daily and for women aged 19–50.
Nootropic Effect
Mechanisms of Action
Research
Astragin by NuLivScience is a patented ingredient combining two natural extracts from Panax Notoginseng and Astragalus Membranaceus.
It has been shown to increase the absorption of many vital nutrients such as amino acids, Omega 3s, creatine and even CBD.
It promotes a healthy gut lining and gut barrier integrity which leads to reduced inflammation in the intestinal lining.
There have been a total of 16 in-vitro (test tube/cell model) studies and 8 in-vivo (animal/human) studies on Astragin. These studies have shown that Astragin has the following mechanism s of action:
The recommended dose for Astragin is 50mg and that is the amount we use in Calm Nootropic.
goMCT is a patented form of medium chain triglycerides by our friends over at Compound Solutions. This form of MCT is a healthy fat that converts readily into ketones, an alternate energy source for the human brain and body. It also has the additional benefit of staving off hunger and potentially aiding in weight management.
goMCT specifically contains C8 (caprylic acid) and C10 (capric acid) MCT’s as well as acacia fiber, a prebiotic that aids in gut health.
goMCT was used in Enhance V2 primarily as a source of healthy fat to help increase absorption of the fat-soluble ingredients and plant extracts found in this formula. It also has the additional benefit of giving a rich, creamy texture to the powder when mixed in water.
MCT’s are also a great source of ketones, which has some evidence showing it can help support long term brain health. In particular, the use of MCT’s or a high fat ketogenic diet to reach nutritional ketosis may have a modest beneficial outcome in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s Disease and in mild cognitive impairment [1].
Another major study found that MCT’s improved learning, memory and brain processing in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. However, this was only observed in those who didn’t have the APOE4 gene variant. [2]
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