Brain Function Boosters 3.0

Nutrition
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[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:

[quote]EvanX wrote:

[quote]EvanX wrote:

[quote]wfifer wrote:

[quote]EvanX wrote:
So, for those on the protocol suggested or a similar one, any updates? How are you all feeling anything new?[/quote]

Taking 750mg of aniracetam and 500mg DMAE two or three times a day. Also taking in a fair amount of caffeine (400-600mg) and have been using St John’s wort here and there. Mood has been outstanding lately. Creative juices are flowing, brain fog isn’t much of an issue anymore, and I’ve been “on” a lot more in conversation. I’m not going to mess with this at all, I’m super happy with the results.

I’m not crazy about vinpo, I get headaches and even just a general crappy feeling sometimes. I’ve also decided to leave deprenyl alone for now. Doesn’t seem like dopamine is my issue. [/quote]

That is good stuff. I have only been taking VINPO, ANI, DMAE, AND BACOPA 2-3x a day for 2 whole days, 2 days playing with dosages but, already I feel a bit more alert to early to really tell though. I am however feeling less anxious/stressed, Thank You Bacopa. Have not tried the OXI.

My brother who is learning guitar and german at the moment has noticed that he can better remember/concentrate on vocab, chords, etc.

Another thing he has noticed is that his face is clearer, has not gotten any new pimples since taking the same stack. Has anyone noticed this?? I found it weird but, who knows, I believe I read a while back that DMAE can help. He has been on it for a little over 2 weeks.[/quote]

Quick update. I had an exam early today, tried OXI last night while studying, scored a perfect 50 out 50 today. I had been putting studying off and was afraid I would not remember the material today but, everything was just clicking.

As for it helping with acne, it has got to be true. Now before I go on I will say that my acne is not out of control and it is pretty much directly linked to my food intake, high carb, simple sugars, spiking blood sugar levels will give me pimples nothing major but, annoying. Which is why I stick to a low carb/paleo diet. However since taking this stack I have not gotten any new pimples. To test it out further for the last two days I have eaten a ton of oatmeal with berries, bananas, dried fruit and nothing, I am clear. Maybe BBB or someone else can chime in on if this is indeed possible or in my head.[/quote]

I am not aware of any reasons why there should be an effect o acne, unless it has affected the pH of your sebaceous secretions, in a way that is restrictive to bacterial growth.

BBB[/quote]

Well if the stack may cause hypoglycemia that could be an answer. Lower blood sugar levels mean less insulin release, and less sebum production. However I do not no how much of the glucose produced after eating the products may use.

Another answer may be the stress/anxiety relieved from the stack. Stress can cause acne.

These are just gueses I am not taking any of the mentioned products.

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[quote]EvanX wrote:
So, for those on the protocol suggested or a similar one, any updates? How are you all feeling anything new?[/quote]

I’ve been experimenting with these and thought that my experiences might be of interest.

At first I used 3x10mg vinpo a day. (Who knows how much of what I’ll describe in this post is placebo, but who cares.) I definitely felt that I had more blood in my head. I never encountered “brain fog” and I felt like my head simply had more energy.

Con (which I no longer experience):
I found that if I cut myself while shaving, it took longer for the blood to coagulate. Way longer.
First theory: This thing works as a vasodilator for my whole head.
Revised theory: Vasodilation in the brain increases blood flow and will affect all vessels on the way to the brain, meaning that my carotid arteries will dilate and that my whole head could get more blood even though the vasodilation only occurs in the brain.
An interesting observation is that the wounds healed quicker.

Then I started taking this every day, split up in two pills:

30 mg vinpo
930 mg ani
600 mg DMAE

I feel great. It’s my second semester in medical school and I absolutely feel an effect. I’m better at memorizing things. I haven’t really studied much except paying attention in classes (which, by the way, is a lot easier) but I keep up with my friends who spend most of their time studying. I’m also better at recalling things that happened before I started taking these pills. Learning and understanding is much easier now.

I have also found that I like music more. I’ve heard new sounds in songs I’ve listened to hundreds of times. Maybe some corpus callosum activity from the ani, I don’t know.

For me, taking Spike with these pills in my system blunts the effects of both and makes me feel like a weak, ill child. But we’re all different.

I also have some theories on what makes people who are on vinpo experience headaches and an “impaired immune system”.

Headaches: If you get them when you’re on vinpo, try drinking more and eating more carbs. The engine is bigger, it’s no wonder the car runs out of gas quicker.

I caught a cold while on vinpo (99,7% chance that it’s completely unrelated). I was also experiencing an unusually runny nose. (This was while I employed the “vasodilation in the whole head” theory). Then I saw a classmate use nasal spray and realised that nasal spray makes you less snotty by vasoconstriction in the nose through the action of an adrenaline analogue. If my theory was correct, vinpo does the opposite. If my second theory (up there somewhere) is correct, increased blood flow in the whole head could still lead to more diffusion of fluid from the capillaries in the nose to the interstitial space and hence more mucus. Can you blame people for equating “worse colds” to “impaired immune system”?

Cliffnotes: BBB:s stack is great, try it!

226

Question: I’ve been off vinpo for a while but just recently got back on it. (taking a different company product this go around) anyway. From day 1 i began taking 30-40 mg/d and noticed i was having some pretty severe GI issues. Are the GI issues from not easing into the vinpo (i.e. starting at a lower dose and gradually building up) or could it from the other ingredients found in the capsule such as gelatin, rice flour, magnesium stearate etc…?

Thanks for any input.

227

[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
Nice feedback, thanks.

I’m a little unclear as to your theory. Are you agreeing that there is more blood, therefore more intracranial pressure and hence headaches, or are you saying that low blood sugar is responsible?[/quote]

Thanks for questioning my half-ass ideas! Really. What I meant in that part was:

  1. More glucose metabolism without increased intake → low blood sugar → headaches
    (2, which I didn’t cover much). Cephalic vasodilation (all other things being equal) → same blood in more space → lower blood pressure, which you’ll compensate for in some way. (Stop me whenever you want), but I’m thinking some sympathetic nervous system activation and slight, slight dehydration maybe.

[quote]Also, I’m not sure that your theory:“increased blood flow in the whole head could still lead to more diffusion of fluid from the capillaries in the nose to the interstitial space and hence more mucus.” is physiologically correct.

Mucus is secrected from cells, not merely ‘lost’ from the interstitium. Greater ECF does not equal greater nasal secretion.

I’m not even sure that greater blood flow to an area must always equate to greater diffusion of fluid to any significant degree.

BBB[/quote]

True, but if we put the rules of making a strong argument aside for a while and you forgive me for quoting the wikipedia entry on nasal sprays with xylometazoline:

“The drug works by constricting the blood vessels in the nose. The vasoconstriction means that there is less pressure in the capillaries and less water can filter out, thus less discharge is made. (If the colour of the nasal passage is observed, it is visibly paler after dosage.)”

And I’d say that what comes out of a nose isn’t just mucus, but also water. (I wrote mucus, but didn’t mean mucus literally, I meant “the liquid stuff that comes out of a nose”) The viscosity varies from “drips from a faucet” to hard boogers. (How smart do I sound right now, haha) At least for me, one dose of this puts me in the “hard boogers camp”. Of course the actual mucus isn’t affected by capillary pressure, but I think that water is.

It’s not proof, and it’s not a good argument, but wouldn’t the opposite have the opposite effect? I’ll admit that I don’t know exactly how blood, mucus glands and “the liquid stuff that comes out of a nose” are related, but if less blood leads to a less runny nose, maybe more blood leads to a more runny nose. The effect of xylometazoline at least implies that the diameter of the capillaries is related to this.

And regarding the last part: Right now I’m just in the “learn this stuff by heart” mode and my understanding for the big picture and how important the different processes are in relation to each other isn’t that well developed. But throwing out an idea and discussing it is always nice.

In my little “review” I forgot a very important effect. As a somewhat tall guy at 6’2", I get small bouts of orthostatic (a.k.a. postural) hypotension. (For the non-nerds: If I stand up suddenly after lying down for a while, I get lower blood pressure temporarily and I get very dizzy. Nothing dangerous, but it once made me faint and fall down a flight of stairs.) Anyway: Vinpo cures it (for me at least). More blood in the head is fantastic. And (in me) I’m pretty sure of this effect. I take 30mg a day during the week days, but have skipped it these last weekends. I never experience orthostatic hypotension during the week but I have felt it several times during these two weekends.

228

Anybody here tried Lion’s Mane mushroom? Found some info on it over at ImmInst and wondered if anyone here has experience.

Also this bit (emphasis mine):

[quote]Inducers of Nerve Growth Factor Synthesis in vitro

One of the major new approaches to the study of treatments for Alzheimer’s disease concerns the search for agents that stimulate Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) production in the brain. NGF is part of a family of proteins that play a role in the maintenance, survival and regeneration of neurons during adult life. Its absence in the adult brain of mice leads to a condition resembling Alzheimer’s disease.

Nerve Growth Factor itself cannot be used as an orally administered drug to regenerate brain tissue because it does not cross the blood-brain barrier. If bioactive substances with low molecular weight can be found that penetrate the barrier and induce the synthesis of NGF inside the brain, such substances may be applied as oral agents to prevent this disease. Even if these substances cannot go through the barrier, the enhancement of NGF production would be beneficial for disorders of the peripheral nervous system since NGF has a similar effect on neurons in the periphery.

We have been engaged in a study to search for NGF synthesis-promoting agents in medicinal mushrooms since 1991. [b]We discovered a class of benzyl alcohol and chroman derivatives in the fruit body of Lion’s Mane mushroom called the hericenones C-H that stimulate NGF production from mouse astroglial cells in culture. (1-18) Subsequently, we discovered another group of cyathane derivative compounds from the mycelium of the same mushroom called the erinacines A-I that also induce NGF production. /b (Figure 1)[/quote]

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ISW/is_249/ai_114820665/

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What does everyone think of Ginkgo Biloba and l-tyrosine? I read about the latter and that it is only useful in stressful situations. What about the former? Seems to have some positive studies.

Also, FML: What was that link everyone was tossing around here? I can’t seem to find it anymore. I’m in Canada and no where locally (or Canada supplement company) has any of the listed supplements you guys provided.

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First of all: Supplement porn.

Second of all: Can oxi be taken on an empty stomach or should I take it with some food as well?

231

[quote]kakno wrote:
First of all: Supplement porn.

Second of all: Can oxi be taken on an empty stomach or should I take it with some food as well? [/quote]

I find it works best when taken without a lot of food, that being said, I mix mine with a small amount of a sugary drink along with my DMAE (both are water soluble and it helps the DMAE go down since it’s kinda bitter).

232

Love the noop/stimulant castle you’ve got going there. I just found a nearly unused container of oxi in my brother’s old drawer. I wish I could think of a reason to test it! Maybe I can see how many piano pieces I can learn over the course of a few hours?

Speaking of which, my (somewhat haphazard) noop stack is really working wonders. I’ve been doing 750mg ani + 600mg DMAE two or three times a day. Plenty of B-complex, occasionally vinpo (which seems to help with visual acuity). I’ve really noticed an improvement in learning guitar chord progressions, song lyrics, classical piano–you name it.

I don’t exactly need the boost for my gen-ed classes, but I guess every little bit helps. My core classes are art-related. Anyone know of any “mind’s eye” enhancing sorta supps? Aside from my inner and outer vision, I don’t know what sort of things a graphic designer would look to focus on. No pun intended? Wasn’t even a good one.

Not sure about anxiolytic effects of ani; it may very well be taking care of the day to day stuff while doing nothing for the heavier bouts. I guess that’s what 5-HTP is for. I know I often bring up things that are not necessarily nootropic, but this thread is called “brain function boosters.” :slight_smile:

233

[quote]Ghost22 wrote:

[quote]kakno wrote:
First of all: Supplement porn.

Second of all: Can oxi be taken on an empty stomach or should I take it with some food as well? [/quote]

I find it works best when taken without a lot of food, that being said, I mix mine with a small amount of a sugary drink along with my DMAE (both are water soluble and it helps the DMAE go down since it’s kinda bitter). [/quote]

Thanks for a great answer!

wfifer: seems like you’re on quite a good stack for your needs. Haven’t tried oxi yet but my bottle says that it’s good for motor learning as well, so who knows until you try it?

I like what ani does in way of connecting the hemispheres. Perhaps it’s the placebo effect I’m enjoying, but who cares, this stuff is fantastic!

234

[quote]kakno wrote:

[quote]Ghost22 wrote:

[quote]kakno wrote:
First of all: Supplement porn.

Second of all: Can oxi be taken on an empty stomach or should I take it with some food as well? [/quote]

I find it works best when taken without a lot of food, that being said, I mix mine with a small amount of a sugary drink along with my DMAE (both are water soluble and it helps the DMAE go down since it’s kinda bitter). [/quote]

Thanks for a great answer!

wfifer: seems like you’re on quite a good stack for your needs. Haven’t tried oxi yet but my bottle says that it’s good for motor learning as well, so who knows until you try it?

I like what ani does in way of connecting the hemispheres. Perhaps it’s the placebo effect I’m enjoying, but who cares, this stuff is fantastic![/quote]

Glad you like it. :wink:

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[quote]RSGZ wrote:
Glad you like it. ;-)[/quote]

This is so cool.

236

Anyone tried the drink Brain Toniq? I actually enjoyed it, taste and all.

Can’t wait to start implementing some stacks once I get back into school.

237

A single acute dose of lemon balm has positive effects on the brain via inhibition of both GABA-transaminase and acetylcholinesterase.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) using an in vitro measure of GABA transaminase activity.
Awad R, Muhammad A, Durst T, Trudeau VL, Arnason JT.
Centre for Advanced Research in Environmental Genomics (CAREG), Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Abstract
A novel pharmacological mechanism of action for the anxiolytic botanical Melissa officinalis L. (lemon balm) is reported. The methanol extract was identified as a potent in vitro inhibitor of rat brain GABA transaminase (GABA-T), an enzyme target in the therapy of anxiety, epilepsy and related neurological disorders. Bioassay-guided fractionation led to the identification and isolation of rosmarinic acid (RA) and the triterpenoids, ursolic acid (UA) and oleanolic acid (OA) as active principles. Phytochemical characterization of the crude extract determined RA as the major compound responsible for activity (40% inhibition at 100 microg/mL) since it represented approximately 1.5% of the dry mass of the leaves. Synergistic effects may also play a role.
Acetylcholinesterase inhibitory guided fractionation of Melissa officinalis L.
Dastmalchi K, Ollilainen V, Lackman P, Boije af Gennäs G, Dorman HJ, Järvinen PP, Yli-Kauhaluoma J, Hiltunen R.
Division of Pharmaceutical Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, PO Box 56 (Viikinkaari 5E), Helsinki FIN-00014, Finland.
Abstract
The plant Melissa officinalis L. has been used traditionally in the treatment of cognitive dysfunction. Based on its traditional medicinal use, it was assessed for its clinical efficacy in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s patients. The plant was effective in the management of the disease. Therefore, based on this result, a similar plant extract was prepared in order to be screened for bioactivities which are relevant in Alzheimer’s disease therapy. The extract was recently screened for antioxidant activity and it showed a wide range of antioxidant properties. Another important bioactivity is acetylcholinesterase inhibition, which the extract was screened for in the current investigation. The extract was capable of inhibiting the enzyme in a time and dose-dependent manner. Activity of the extract at 10 min was estimated as 1.72+/-0.16 microg equivalents of physostigmine/mg of the extract. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitory guided fractionation of the extract was then carried out. Most of the fractions showed inhibitory activity and were more potent than the extract. The contents of the most potent fraction were identified as cis- and trans-rosmarinic acid isomers and a rosmarinic acid derivative using LC-DAD-ESI-MS and NMR methods.
Modulation of mood and cognitive performance following acute administration of Melissa officinalis (lemon balm).
Kennedy DO, Scholey AB, Tildesley NT, Perry EK, Wesnes KA.
Human Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Division of Psychology, University of Northumbria, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Abstract
Melissa officinalis (lemon balm) is a traditional herbal medicine, which enjoys contemporary usage as a mild sedative, spasmolytic and antibacterial agent. It has been suggested, in light of in vitro cholinergic binding properties, that Melissa extracts may effectively ameliorate the cognitive deficits associated with Alzheimer’s disease. To date, no study has investigated the effects on cognition and mood of administration of Melissa to healthy humans. The present randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, balanced-crossover study investigated the acute effects on cognition and mood of a standardised extract of M. officinalis. Twenty healthy, young participants received single doses of 300, 600 and 900 mg of M. officinalis (Pharmaton) or a matching placebo at 7-day intervals. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Cognitive Drug Research (CDR) computerised test battery and two serial subtraction tasks immediately prior to dosing and at 1, 2.5, 4 and 6 h thereafter. In vitro IC(50) concentrations for the displacement of [3H]-(N)-nicotine and [3H]-(N)-scopolamine from nicotinic and muscarinic receptors in human occipital cortex tissue were also calculated. Results, utilising the cognitive factors previously derived from the CDR battery, included a sustained improvement in Accuracy of Attention following 600 mg of Melissa and time- and dose-specific reductions in both Secondary Memory and Working Memory factors. Self-rated “calmness,” as assessed by Bond-Lader mood scales, was elevated at the earliest time points by the lowest dose, whilst “alertness” was significantly reduced at all time points following the highest dose. Both nicotinic and muscarinic binding were found to be low in comparison to the levels found in previous studies.

239

[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
Nice, thanks for posting.

BBB[/quote]
You’re welcome BBB…trying to keep this thread going. We are all learning from each other!!

240

We need to do a noop pot luck.

I’ll bring 10,000 flash cards.

241

Ok guys, here is my situation: I play online poker for a living. I play 9-15 tables of poker at a time, usually 3-4 hours per session, and I usually play 2 sessions per day (afternoon, and night). So, I need a stack that allows for sustained focus, and most importantly CLEAR THINKING.

I have experimented with a few nootropics with mixed results.

Modafinil- I hated it. I could stay alert and play for as long as I wanted, but my thinking was not at all clear.

DMAE and Aniracetam- I liked this stack at first but the ani. always seems to end up giving me brain fog at some point (usually after 2-3 hours) I have experimented with raising the dose of DMAE but it has not helped the brain fog, only gave me a tight neck and upper back.

Any suggestions for a performance stack are welcome.