Smart Drugs For Brain Fog
Racetams refer to a group of over 20 compounds with similar backbones which help improve focus. Scientists still dont fully understand how they work but they seem to increase acetylcholine receptors, boost neuronal metabolism, improve GABA function, and counteract cellular oxidative stress.39 They also boost blood flow to the brain. In the US, racetams are borderline unapproved drugs due to the lack of clinical data.
Modafinil is a stimulant medication used to treat daytime sleepiness in narcolepsy, sleep apnea, jet lag, and shift work sleep disorder.40 Modafinil helps an unrested brain perform as if it is well-rested by improving driving simulator performance and reaction time. It increases glutamate, serotonin, histamine, and orexin levels outside of neurons in the brain, while reducing GABA.41 Reported long-term side effects of Modafinil in a clinical setting were headache, nervousness, and nausea.42
Adderall is an amphetamine medication indicated for ADHD. In non-ADHD people, it has small cognitive-enhancing effects. Adderall improves an individuals ability to focus and stay on task.43,44 Keep in mind that it also has many possible side effects which can cause changes in the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, endocrine, and central nervous systems.45 It also has the potential to be addictive and may cause hallucinations.
Hormonal Decline And Imbalances
Every one of your brain cells has receptors for sex hormones and cortisol. Therefore, imbalances in sex and stress hormones inevitably affect brain function.
Testosterone is one of the most important hormones for cognitive function. It increases the nerve growth factor in the brain.46 It also protects neurons from oxidative stress, glutamate toxicity, and Alzheimers pathology, especially in the hippocampus . 47,48
Many of my male patients low testosterone levels manifest as declining cognitive function and low mood. In both men and women, testosterone levels seem to have a U-shaped relationship with many aspects of cognitive function, including memory, concentration, attention, and mental control. Testosterone replacement therapy helps improve memory and many other aspects of cognitive function in men with mild cognitive impairment .49,50
For women, menopause, with its associated estrogen decline, is one of the biggest contributors to Alzheimers disease. This explains why Alzheimers affects more women than men. Testosterone replacement therapy also improves verbal learning and memory in menopausal women who are not taking estrogen replacement therapy.51
Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate is an important steroid precursor to estrogen and testosterone. Supporting DHEA-S levels with supplements may reduce age-related cognitive decline, especially in older adults.29
Common Symptoms Of Adrenal Fatigue
Adrenal fatigue has a wide range of vague symptoms such as:
- fatigue or feeling exhausted all the time
- insomnia or difficulty waking up in the mornings
- low motivation, feeling irritable or unhappy
- allergies or flu-like symptoms like body aches
- salt or sweet cravings
- unexplained weight loss or weight gain
- loss of body hair or skin discoloration
- lightheadedness, low blood pressure
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Laziness Could Lie In The Limbic System
It can feel great to lounge around all day doing nothing. Weve all had those days, and its a way of recuperating from super-busy and often over-stressed schedules. But when it becomes a habit, it can become a big problem.
Why are some people lazier than others? Is it genetic? Well, kind of.
Evolution has wired our limbic system to respond positively to feel-good activities that have helped us survive as a species. Eating, drinking, and sex are the big three at the top of the evolutionary response pyramid. But there are a slew of other behaviors that stem from primal brain programming.
The 6 Best Supplements For Adrenal Support
Adrenal fatigue occurs after periods of prolonged stress. At first, the adrenal glands may produce too much of the stress hormone cortisol. Then, as they become burned out, they produce too little of this hormone. This leads to tiredness, weakness, brain fog, irritability, frustration, difficulty handling stress, and having a hard time prying yourself out of bed in the morning.
These problems can often be supported by promoting healthy adrenal function. When implementing an adrenal support program, its important to take the best adrenal fatigue supplements. Here are six science-backed options that will help maintain healthy energy levels.
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Reishi Cordyceps And Lions Mane Mushrooms
Reishi mushrooms are also another well-researched adaptogen. Cordyceps and lion’s mane are two other mushrooms that exhibit adaptogenic properties. These powerful mushrooms are all considered safe for use and have been shown to support the reduction of stress and tension during athletic performance.
Our Change Your Life Chai Latte is filled with adaptogenic ingredients. With reishi and Cordyceps mushrooms to ashwagandha root extract, this chai is unlike any youve had before. Not only is this warm, spiced beverage working hard to wake you up and keep you level-headed, but supporting your immunity and wellness with the inclusion of turmeric.
Theres nothing worse than waking up in the morning, eager for the first sip of coffee or tea, only to find yourself anxious after a few minutes. Caffeine can be difficult to mitigate, especially for people who struggle with stress and tension. And yet, our Chai latte brings you enough caffeine to keep you alert, but with the added adaptogenic properties, it provides you with calm and sustainable energy.
Add Balance To Your Nootropic Stack
Some of the adaptogens reviewed in this post have thousands of years of science supporting their use. Some of the newer adaptogens like Lemon Balm have dozens of clinical trials and hundreds of years of practical use proving their efficacy in treating stress.
When used according to dosage recommendations, side effects are few or non-existent with adaptogens. These natural herbs simply bring balance back to your body and brain.
Effectively treating stress often results in the added benefits of better memory and learning, less physical and mental fatigue, elimination of anxiety, and a better mood for a much more pleasant quality of life.
Living in this modern world makes it nearly impossible to bring balance back to our dysfunctional lives without the intervention of nootropics. And particularly an adaptogen or two.
Some of the higher quality, pre-made nootropic stacks like include adaptogens in their formula. For example, Mind Lab Pro® contains effective amounts of the anxiety-reducing adaptogens Bacopa Monnieri and Rhodiola Rosea. So read nootropic supplement labels carefully before making your selection.
Youll find that selecting the right adaptogens for your nootropic stack will often improve the effectiveness of racetams, choline supplements, and other nootropic compounds.
If youre dealing with chronic fatigue, low energy levels, poor memory or ongoing stress do yourself a favor. Add an adaptogen to your daily supplement regimen. And start enjoying life again.
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What To Search For When Purchasing Nootropics For Adrenal Fatigue
Another critical aspect is that you must submit your order on a reputable E-commerce platform. If you are still unsure about which website to utilize, seek advice from friends or follow the Quora section on Google or any other reliable source of information. And then get to work. Let’s go over some additional important aspects of online shopping.
Can You Take Both Adaptogens And Nootropics
You can mix and match, but its important to take your time in deciding which herb you want to take and allowing time to evaluate how its working for you. As noted above, some herbs have both adaptogenic and nootropic action, which can make it a good choice for meeting mental and physical needs.
When you select an adaptogen or nootropic from the botanical kingdom, herbal identity is everything. Youll want to have ID verification on herbs that you take, and New Chapter®s quality standards and partnership with Alkemist Labs help to ensure that what is listed on the side of the box is indeed whats in the bottle. Also, New Chapter DNA verifies our mushrooms, so that you get the true Ling Zhi Reishi that has been revered throughout Traditional Chinese Medicine, as well as authentic Lions Mane mushroom.
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You Might Have Adrenal Fatigue Heres How To Treat It Naturally
- Your adrenal glands are two nickel-sized glands, just above your kidneys. Adrenals produce and control cortisol, the stress hormone.
- Adrenal fatigue comes from chronic stress. When you push your body and mind too hard, your adrenals stop producing cortisol the way they should.
- Signs of adrenal fatigue are low energy, trouble sleeping, weight gain, mood swings, depression, anxiety, brain fog, and autoimmune issues. Get an adrenal fatigue test to know for sure.
- The best adrenal fatigue treatment is stress management. Some of your best biohacking tools are the Bulletproof Diet, sleep hacking, anti-stress supplements, meditation, and possibly changing your caffeine intake.
Balanced adrenal glands are a key part of being Bulletproof. Your adrenals create and regulate cortisol, which makes them essential for hacking stress. When your adrenals work the way they should, you become more resilient, and you have a much easier time taking on lifes challenges.
But if youre overwhelmed by chronic stress, your adrenals can get burnt out from constantly producing cortisol. The result is adrenal fatigue. Your natural cortisol rhythm becomes irregular sometimes you produce too much cortisol, sometimes not enough and you can struggle to make other hormones, like androstenedione .
Adrenal fatigue is real, and its something you can treat.
Lets talk about the signs of adrenal fatigue, what causes it, how to stop it from happening, and how to treat it.
Mind Lab Pro Nootropics For Laziness Boosts Mood Energy And Motivation To Support A Healthy More Active Lifestyle
Mind Lab Pro® is a Universal Nootropic that works on a whole-brain level to activate 100% Brainpower for advanced cognitive performance, mental energy, and mood support.
When your brain is energized with Mind Lab Pro®, motivation and well-being follow so you can stay active and do more every day.
References
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Pantothenic Acid For Adrenals
Pantothenic acid was first linked to the bodys main stress regulatory center, the hypothalamuspituitaryadrenal axis, in research released in the 1950s. Pantothenic acid helps the adrenal glands produce healthy amounts of cortisol. In rodent models, pantothenic acid deficiency leads to a decrease in the function of the adrenal cortex, the outer area of the adrenal gland. Conversely, replenishing pantothenic acid by injecting animals with pantothenic acid derivatives similar to calcium pantothenate led to an improvement in the production of cortisol and other hormones by the adrenals.
A human study found that the use of vitamin B5 reduced the rise in urinary cortisol metabolites. This indicated that vitamin B5 can suppress the excessive secretion of cortisol that occurs during times of stress.
Adrenal Bovine Extract
A lot of naturopathic and integrative health care practitioners use adrenal bovine extract to support adrenal health. These are extracts of dried whole adrenal glands and extracts of the outer cortex section of the adrenal glands from cows. These extracts contain hydrocortisone and are helpful in cases of adrenal exhaustion. They may help replenish depleted cortisol.
Performance Lab Energy Ingredients
Acetyl-L-Carnitine, R-Lipoic Acid , Coenzyme Q10 , PQQ , Black Pepper Ext.
- Performance Lab® Energy supports non-stim cellular energy, enhancing ATP energy production by improving mitochondrial function. Improves macro performance on the micro level, energizing brain and body without the use of stimulants.
Performance Lab® Energy and Mind Lab Pro® are both Opti-Nutra Quality.
References
* Please note that many Pine Bark Extract studies include data and citations which are specific to Pycnogenol®, which is not an ingredient of Mind Lab Pro®.
These statements have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
This article is an opinion and explanation of current research given by the author. It is not an expression of a medical diagnosis or treatment and should not be relied on as such.
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How Do Nootropics Work
Nootropics support the bodys performance by affecting the brain through several neural pathways. Specifically targeting the dopaminergic pathway, nootropics can support memory, attentiveness, energy levels, and motivation.
The two kinds of nootropics synthetic and natural work similarly. The only significant difference between them is that one naturally occurs in plants, and the other has been synthetically crafted in a lab.
Does Daily Adrenal Support Help You Sleep
Daily Adrenal Support makes a great sleep aid if you take it before bed. Several of its key ingredients have research to back their ability to reduce worry and improve sleep quality.
Research shows that the active ingredient in Ashwagandha, triethylene glycol, may help you fall asleep quicker.2 Ashwagandha may also help alleviate sleeplessness and improve your sleep quality.
Holy basil may help you reduce stress, which is a common cause of sleeplessness. One review of studies found adults who took Holy basil had lower stress and worry levels compared to a control.3 The study also found people with psychosomatic problems also had a 31.6%-39% reduction of stress symptoms.
Panax ginseng may also have the ability to reduce stress and improve sleep by decreasing stress hormone levels.4
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Symptoms Of Brain Fatigue
Often used as a catch-all phrase for any decrease in focus and cognitive clarity, the term “brain fog“ significantly overlaps with brain fatigue. However, brain fog seems more a symptom of brain fatigue, or poor brain energy metabolism, especially in the more advanced stages of brain fatigue.
Generally, brain fatigue contributes to total cognitive impairment however, brain fatigue symptoms seem to particularly include decreases in:
- Task-related memory
- Memory and learning
- Mood and motivation
The longer that brain fatigue symptoms go unaddressed, the longer it takes to rectify them. Addressing them early may go a long way in reducing your risk of chronic fatigue syndrome.
Who Shouldnt Take Daily Adrenal Support
Some of the ingredients in Daily Adrenal Support arenât suitable for pregnant or breastfeeding women, people with diabetes, heart conditions, thyroid conditions, blood clotting disorders or those who have recently had surgery.
If you have any of these conditions or any other medical conditions, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor before taking Daily Adrenal Support or any other supplement.
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Insufficient And Poor Sleep
During sleep, your brain processes new information and stores memories, while also cleaning up toxic wastes. Your body also undergoes a hormone, detoxification, and circadian reset. Lack of sleep is not only stressful for the body but also increases oxidative stress and inflammation, which impair your brain function.25,26
As a busy executive, sleep is a worthwhile investment of your time, but you want to get the most out of your time investment. Sleeping well involves more than just lying still for eight hours every night. For your brain to function optimally during the day, you need to enough achieve deep and rapid eye movement sleep, and sleep through the night without disruption.
To optimize sleep quality, we start with sleep quality data obtained from wearables such as the Oura ring or BioStrap. Then, you can work on improving your sleep hygiene and adding interventions that can maximize your sleep quality. For example, L-theanine promotes relaxation by increasing GABA and serotonin, so it reduces the time you need to fall asleep and improves sleep quality.27
While many supplements and interventions can improve your sleep or counteract the short-term effects of poor sleep, there are no nootropics that can replace good sleep. Therefore, optimizing sleep is an essential component of overcoming any kinds of cognitive issues.
Three Stages Of Adrenal Fatigue
This condition may exhibit itself in three different phases. The first stage is triggered by a protracted stimulus to the adrenal glands, which can cause a spike in cortisol levels in the bloodstream. At this phase, the production of other critical hormones such as testosterone, progesterone and estrogen will be impaired. This eventually will throw off kilter the normal functions of your immune system and even your metabolic rate. The second stage of adrenal fatigue is characterized by a decrease in cortisol and DHEA levels. You may start to experience symptoms like depression, insomnia, anxiety, weight loss, recurrent infections, and impaired memory to mention a few. On the flipside, phase three of this condition occurs once the adrenal glands have become completely incapable of producing cortisol, while other hormonal imbalances may take place. Ultimately, you will start suffering from chronic fatigue, which can make you unable to execute day-to-day activities and work-related tasks.
15 Steps to Combat Adrenal Fatigue
1. IV Vitamin Therapy for Adrenal Fatigue
2. Eat Meal Within an Hour After Waking
Eat your first meal within an hour after you wake up in the morning, so that you do not allow your blood sugar levels to drop precipitously.
3. Skip Processed Foods
4. Say No to High Impact Exercise
5. Say Yes to Fresh Air
Fresh air and a walk in nature is also a great form of stress management and relief. Get out in nature. Take in slow deep breaths and relax.
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Nootropics And Brain Health
Stress may cause an imbalance in brain hormones and can, in turn, affect brain health. But because your brain forms part of a holistic whole, other body functions can also become affected. Your adrenal health included, which could lead to issues like Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome .
You could end up with not only impaired brain function but end up with other health issues that include heart disease, diabetes, and various others.
Nootropics promote brain health in several ways. In so doing, they may also promote the health of other bodily functions and aid in deterring the development of certain health issues.
How Do I Select The Best Nootropics For Brain Fog
There are many factors we take into account when recommending the best personalized treatments and nootropic stacks for brain fog, including:
Weve found our individualized and thorough approach to work best long-term because we work with your body to address the root causes that led to the brain fog. It also maximizes your health and longevity in your career. Whereas, blindly using nootropics tends to work only to suppress symptoms without addressing the underlying malfunctions.
To learn more about our approach, click the button below.
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