Bacopa or Brahmi is a herb native to the wetlands of southern and Eastern India, Australia, Europe, Africa, Asia and America.

Bacopa has been used for 1000's of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as well as traditional Indian and eastern medicine, or what's known as Ayurveda. The herb was allegedly used by ancient Vedic scholars to memorize lengthy sacred hymns and scripture.

Bacopa contains numerous compounds called Bacosides which contribute to its potent, memory and brain enhancing effects.

Bacopa contains many constituent compounds, such as Bacosides, that determine its effect in the brain and in the body. 

These natural constituents act through many pathways to exert its potent effect.

Sharp PS™ Phosphatidylserine is a phospholipid (fatty substance) and key component of cell membranes, including the myelin sheath surrounding neurons/nerve cells.

It plays an important role in cell signaling, and is required for healthy nerve cell membranes and myelin (the fatty sheath that surrounds and protects neurons, providing insulation and allowing electrical impulses to travel between them).

Supplementation with Sharp PS Phosphatidylserine has also been shown to:

1. Increase cell-to-cell communication,

2. Support neuron cell survival

3. Activation of various cellular enzymes that are important for synaptic plasticity

Sharp-PS is a patented form of Phosphatidylserine (developed by Frutarom Health) that has achieved GRAS status from the FDA and is derived from soy lecithin.

Phosphatidylserine itself is the ONLY nootropic ingredient/dietary supplement that has been identified by the FDA to be eligible for a cognitive health claim.

Sharp PS has also recently been approved by FSANZ and the TGA in Australia to make brain health claims (one of very few ingredients).

Grape Seed Extract (Vitis Vinifera) contains proanthocyanidins that reduce oxidative stress, reduce inflammation and increase blood flow in the brain and body.

Rhodiola Rosea is a perennial flowering plant that grows naturally in wild arctic regions of Europe, Asia and North America. Traditionally, it is seen as an “Adaptogen” which is a herb or compound that can help increase resistance to stress.

The main constituents in Rhodiola which are thought to provide its beneficial effects are Rosavin and Salidroside.

Rhodiola is primarily used for its ability to reduce stress/anxiety, reduce fatigue from physical performance, improve mood and may even have a neuroprotective and longevity affect.

Rhodiola is known to be a very mild Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor (MAO), which means it can inhibit enzymes with breakdown serotonin and dopamine in the brain, thus leading to elevated levels of these neurotransmitters.

Usage of Rhodiola starts as low as 50mg a day, but is often used in the range of 288–680mg per day as this is what most clinical studies are based off.

Nootropic effect

1. Can reduce stress and anxiety

2. Can reduce physical fatigue

3. Promote longevity

4. May aid in depressive symptoms

5. May aid in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s

Mechanisms of action

1. Acts as a MAO inhibitor and thus may affect serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine

2. Modulation of stress response and cortisol

3. May help modulate oxidative stress and cellular health

Research

1. Rhodiola rosea in stress induced fatigue — a double blind cross-over study of a standardized extract SHR-5 with a repeated low-dose regimen on the mental performance of healthy physicians during night duty — PubMed (nih.gov)
2. Clinical trial of Rhodiola rosea L. extract SHR-5 in the treatment of mild to moderate depression — PubMed (nih.gov)
3. Rhodiola rosea L.: an herb with anti-stress, anti-aging, and immunostimulating properties for cancer chemoprevention (nih.gov)

L-Tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid that is required to be taken in from the diet or from supplementation. It is used to produce catecholamines such as noradrenaline and dopamine. Increasing L-Tyrosine in the body will not simply outright increase levels of noradrenaline and dopamine, as this is a tightly regulated process in the body. It does however provide the building blocks to create these when needed.

Here is a basic understanding of the pathways involved in catecholamine synthesis. L-Tyrosine converts into L-Dopa via the enzyme Tyrosine Hydroxylase (TH). TH is the rate limiting enzyme in the synthesis of dopamine, which means it is the slowest step and most tightly controlled. L-Dopa then converts into Dopamine, which can then convert into Norepinephrine.

L-Tyrosine appears to be able to reduce stress during exposure to acute stressors (which tend to deplete noradrenaline) such as cold exposure, hypoxia and sleep deprivation and may help prevent stress-induced memory and attention deficits.

Nootropic Effect

May increase mood, motivation and drive

Acts as a buffer to acute stressors (cold, sleep deprivation etc.)

Mechanisms of Action

Precursor to catecholamines such as Dopamine and Norepinephrine

Enxtra is a proprietary extract of Alpinia galanga, a commonly used spice in Asian cooking, enXtra targets a cognitive process known as “Attention Network Function” (ANF), which is the ability of the brain to allocate processing resources to a specific task. The ANF system plays a critical role in mental alertness and the ability to focus on a task.

EnXtra is unique among caffeine-free energy supplements:

- Same-day effect that can last up to five hours

- Supports mental energy without the “crash” phenomenon

- Can be used in combination with caffeine to provide a complete solution for mental energy

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 there are unique and promising therapeutic properties for this compound.

L-Theanine is taken for its ability to promote relaxation and help calm down the 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 provides a relaxing effect without sedation.

Nootropic Effect

L-Theanine is able to support the following effects:

1. Lower stress and anxiety

2. Increase sense of calm and wellbeing

3. Reduce blood pressure and heart rate

4. Reduce time to fall asleep

5. Increase quality of sleep

Pinebark extract contains proanthocyanidins that reduce oxidative stress, reduce inflammation and increase blood flow in the brain and body.

Vitamin B6 is a water soluble vitamin naturally present in many foods. It is essential in the production of Serotonin and Melatonin which are both important to sound, restful sleep and overall mood.

Nootropic Effect

Indirectly aids in brain function by lower levels of homocysteine