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The secret to making your brain work better

Want to improve your cognitive function? Then you’ll need to get a handle on your supplements ‘stack’

Tiffanie Darke March 29 2022

This article is a repost which originally appeared on Financial Times Magazine

Edited for content.

Our Takeaways:

· Supplements can be used to enhance brain function

· Nootropics can yield benefits without the side effects of more commonly used substances, like caffeine

· Foods like eggs which are high in Choline and phospholipids are good for brain health and function

“I take lion’s mane with a daily microdose of psychedelic, and B6 to switch on the brain and get more ideas,” says writer Catherine Frenette, of the effects of her supplements regime. “I did it all through writing my latest book: I had a short deadline and needed to stay at my desk. It absolutely worked. Without doubt, I’m working better.”

Tired, unfocused brain in need of a boost? The traditional recourse – coffee – is, it turns out, very pre-pandemic. A stimulant made for 2019’s office-worker world, when we were all just striving to “keep up”, it’s a short-term fix that burns through your adrenal reserves and leaves you, ultimately, depleted. Nowadays, that’s not good enough. Enter the latest nootropics – cognitive enhancers that will take users up and up, and could support brain function and health in the long term.

Unlike coffee, these new nootropics, or smart drugs, nourish the brain without cashing in on its energy reserves. The brain is the body’s most hungry organ, consuming 20 per cent of our energy, so it is vital that it is well fed. Stimulants such as coffee, Adderall or “study drug” Modafinil operate by robbing Peter to pay Paul: increasing dopamine while simultaneously depleting reserves.

“We think it’s normal to be tired and forget things. That’s not normal. We should be feeling better”
Michelle Gundry, clinician nurse

There is much debate about which nootropics to take, how to take them – and how much to take. In online forums, the nootropic hive mind bandies about options that include amino acids like L-theanine and glutamine, the salt magnesium threonate, nutrients citicoline and phosphatidylserine, adaptogenic herbs such as rhodiola and Bacopa, or the ubiquitously trending cordyceps.

“Everybody wants to know about brain biohacking right now,” reports Dr Tamsin Lewis, founder of Wellgevity, a personalised preventative healthcare service. “Everything starts with the brain. If you can change your neurochemistry you move differently, you interact differently, the whole filter to your day changes.” Lewis, who began trying nootropics following a head injury, believes plenty of improvement can be gained, but counsels: “There’s no one-size-fits-all – everyone’s baseline function is different.” She also cautions that some supplements are not dosed correctly or do not include their ingredients in a bioavailable form – it’s important to look for clarity when it comes to dosages.

Lewis recommends to her patients personalised blends of intravenous ingredients, including B vitamin complex and alpha lipoic acid. She says the latter is “a great enhancer of mitochondrial function, naturally increasing levels of glutathione [an amino acid involved in cell repair]. It can make your brain feel very clear for a good few weeks.”

Another compelling ingredient is Cognizin, a version of choline, which is a compound derived from food, particularly eggs. It promotes the production of phospholipids, which make up the membranes of our neural cells. Studies of Cognizin demonstrate up to a 25 per cent increase in attention, memory and focus in patients versus a placebo. It is an ingredient available in brain-boosting supplements from Qualia to Mind Lab Pro. Julian Lee, CEO of green tech business Binding Solutions, began taking Cognizin as one of the ingredients in the super-supplement Lyma. “I have remarkably better energy and focus during the day,” he reports. “Things have really shifted. I’m 50 and in very good health and spirits – I feel much younger than my age. Mentally, clear as a whistle.”

“If you can change your neurochemistry you move differently, you interact differently, the whole filter to your day changes”
Dr Tamsin Lewis, founder of Wellgevity

Over at Matt Roberts Evolution in Mayfair, where longevity doctors, physiotherapists and microdosing and psychedelic experts operate in tandem, a 60-something client is emerging from an intravenous glutathione infusion to treat her “brain fog”. “Glutathione cleans out her cells,” explains clinician nurse Michelle Gundry. “We think it’s normal to be tired and forget things. That’s not normal. We should be feeling better.” Matt Roberts Evolution also has coffee on the menu, but with a difference: “Mushroom coffee,” confirms Roberts, “made with cordyceps to give you the kick you need without the comedown.”

Medicinal mushrooms such as lion’s mane show some evidence of supporting neural health and cognition. Roberts recommends magnesium threonate for sleep (good sleep is essential for brain recovery and memory) and the supplement NAD, which is essentially niacin (a vitamin B3 extract), or its more hardcore sister, NMN. NAD may increase human-growth hormone response and therefore the ability of the body’s cells to regenerate. “Watch how you take NMN, though,” he says, “as it needs to be attached to a fat molecule to be absorbable.” Like almost everyone else I spoke to, Roberts cites gut health – in the form of a diet rich in plants and fermented foods – as a key element in the quest to improve brain function and adaptability.

Neuroplasticity is also on the mind of Clinique La Prairie, the Swiss health and beauty brand, which declares it a fundamental aspect of healthy ageing. Cognition, says Professor Bogdan Draganski, a neuroscientist at the University Hospital of Lausanne and a member of CLP’s scientific committee, is a key target for biohackers – or “neurohackers”, as he calls them. Last year, Clinique La Prairie came out with its own health supplement range, Holistic Health. It has been formulated with the patented nootropic Cognivia, which showed a nine per cent increase in numeric working memory.

Much of the interest in neurohacking is fuelled by the work of key professors at Stanford, Harvard and Yale. Neuroscience professor Andrew Huberman at Stanford School of Medicine is one such guru, as is Harvard professor of genetics David Sinclair. Both publish their work daily on social media and have amassed huge followings. Sinclair believes it’s possible not only for us to halt cellular decline but to reverse it. Huberman recommends easy hacks such as 30 minutes of sunlight every morning to set the circadian rhythm and “put you in control of your nervous system”.

Huberman also likes to publish his “stack”, which is how wellness nerds refer to their supplement regime. On a recent podcast he listed his latest, which included eating foods that are rich in omega-3s and/or supplementing with omega-3s to get 2-3g of the fatty acid EPA per day; phosphatidylserine, a lipid-like compound abundant in meat and fish; choline, which helps in modulating brain circuits; and creatine – a supplement the fitness-obsessed use to bulk up, “but which is good fuel for the brain – at least 5g a day”, he said.

“The science is changing all the time,” says James Heagney, gym director of KX health club in South Kensington, where Chelsea’s most ambitious wellness disciples go for workouts. “We follow the research to choose not just the nutrients gaining in popularity but those that have scientific backing.”

Heagney is currently looking at “dopaminergic supplements for focus and concentration, the amino acid tyrosine to improve alertness, and adaptogens like gingko and holy basil”. As a 4am riser, and with two young children to wrangle, Heagney is laser-focused on his own “stack”. “Increased performance and cognition is where it’s at,” he says. “Brain function is everything in the body.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Biohacking 101: A Novice’s Guide to Molding Your Mind and Boosting Your Body

The fountain of youth (and performance) has never felt closer. Just check out these seven stepping stones.

By Hayley Helms

Updated: Jan 15, 2022

This article is a repost which originally appeared on GEAR PATROL

Edited for content

We’re in the infancy of 2022, and the air is thick with resolutions. People are eating healthier, growing their savings accounts and shrinking their waistlines.

You’ve probably got your fitness routine mapped out for the first month of the year, and maybe it includes lifting more weights, running more miles or squatting more squats. But does your carefully planned regimen include biohacking?

First off, what is biohacking? To the uninitiated, it sounds like some sort of sci-fi cyborg concept, and for the fringes of the biohacking community that are getting microchips implanted in their brains, bionic eyes and the like, that’s exactly what it is.

But for the average, about-to-be-above-average person, biohacking covers any clever DIY shortcut that provides an unexpected edge: heat and cold therapy, infrared saunas, intermittent fasting, adding adaptogens and supplements to your routine, and so on. Heck, you may even be biohacking right now, and not even know it.

The cleanest definition comes from self-help guru Tony Robbins and co.: “Biohacking your body means changing your chemistry and your physiology through science and self-experimentation to increase energy and vitality.”

Biohacking is rich with opportunities to maximize your workouts, heal your body and enhance your overall performance. It can be as basic as switching to organic foods and beverages — or as complex as cryotherapy to reboot your cellular system.

Need guidance where to start? I suggest keeping it simple. As noted in our recent Library of Pursuits course, one of the most helpful methods in developing a plan is to identify your goals, then tailor biohacking methods to help you reach them. Try hacks that fit into your existing lifestyle. They’ll be easier to implement and stick to — and give you the confidence to branch out from there.

Here are seven realistic jumping-off points — complete with products to optimize your experience, of course. Happy hacking.

1. Get More Out of Your Morning Joe

The jury is still out on whether coffee, or more specifically, caffeine, is beneficial for health, but if you’ve determined it works for you, try upgrading it. Biohacking works best when it can be integrated into already firmly set habits; as any ca-fiend knows, it’s an integral part of the morning routine.

Four Sigmatic’s coffee is infused with mushrooms and adaptogens, giving you a jolt of energy with caffeine, but also balance, brain power or restoration, depending what you need. The Ground Mushroom Coffee With Lion’s Mane is the “Think” brew, thanks to 250mg of lionsmane and chaga mushrooms, each. Lionsmane has been shown to increase focus and brain function, while chaga has been used for centuries to support immune function. Swapping out your standard brew for this tasty upgrade is an easy and hassle-free hack.

2. Eat Drink Your Greens

You’ve been told to eat your greens since childhood, but I’m willing to bet there are a fair amount of you out there, reading these words, avoiding those leafy greens like the plague.

Avoid health no longer, and enjoy the perks of produce with Athletic Greens, a powder supplement that can be added to water or smoothies and contains a hard-to-believe amount of goodness inside every single scoop serving.

Athletic Greens checks all the modern dietary marks: It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, and contains no added sugar. What isn’t it free from? I’m glad you asked. The powerful powder contains the equivalent of 12 servings of fruits and veggies per scoop, as well as probiotics, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and immune-supporting mushrooms.

3. Take the Plunge

One of the more popular biohacking methods, plunging yourself into icy cold water, may sound like a recipe for disaster (or catching a cold), but studies as well as anecdotal evidence are showing that immersing yourself in cold water daily has a wealth of health benefits, including immune system support, increased blood flow, boosted metabolism and sleep, increased energy and lowered inflammation, to name a few.

Cold water plunges are a form of whole body cryotherapy, a method of biohacking that exposes you to extremely cold temperatures, which initially constricts blood flow. Upon leaving the plunge tank, there’s a rush of blood back to the tissues. Consistent practice brings benefits including reduced inflammation, faster muscle recovery, reduced risk of dementia and more.

The Plunge uses cooling, filtration and sanitation to deliver clean and cold water — think, 39 degrees Fahrenheit cold — whenever you want it. You can use it inside or outside, depending where you live.

4. Score Some Magic Mushrooms

No, not those magic mushrooms. We’re talking about the non-psychoactive, but still powerful kind — reishi, lion’s mane, chaga, cordyceps and turkey tail. Collectively, these five fungi are loaded with antioxidants, plus the potential to improve mood and immunity, boost energy, fight inflammation and maybe even fight cancer. You can add them to curries, salads, risottos or other dishes, or if you’re looking for a quicker option, you can take them in powder form.

Alchemi makes a mushroom powder that’s tasty on its own thanks to ingredients like cinnamon, cacao and coconut milk, but you can also add it to teas and chai lattes for a flavor — and brain — boost.

5. Pour a Cleaner Glass of Vino

You may not partake in Dry January, and that’s cool. To each their own. If you’re going to keep indulging into the new year, there are a couple ways to still incorporate a bit of body-friendly biohacking. The first option? Simply cut back your consumption. The second option: Upgrade your drink of choice to something cleaner, with fewer chemicals and less sugar than traditional alcohol.

Have your lips ever gotten stained from a glass of red wine? Yeah, that’s not just because of your favorite cab’s hue — that’s dye, added to make reds appear redder and more appealing. Grossed out? Switch to natural wines, which are farmed organically, have no additives or processing and are produced with natural fermentation.

One standout is Dry Farms Wine, which creates non-processed wines that go above and beyond the industry standards, resulting in a drink that’s free of sugar and additives, lower alcohol and produced with organic farming methods. The wines are keto and paleo friendly, vegan and biodynamic.

Sign up for its membership program, and pick your wine color, box size and how often you’d like to enjoy it. Dry Farms curates a box unique to your choices, alongside a 100% Happiness Promise, offering to either replace the bottle or refund you in full if you’re not satisfied.

6. Roll It Out

Foam rolling, a biohack? Why not?

Although it may feel like a commonplace technique, foam rolling is a recovery biohack, offering benefits including relieved muscle tightness and tension, increased range of motion, improved relaxation and sleep, and relief from back pain.

There are a multitude of foam rollers on the market, but I recommend the Trigger Point Grid 1.0 Foam Roller. The multi-density foam on the surface works out sore muscles, and also channels blood and oxygen to all the right places for enhanced muscle recovery. At under $40, it’s affordable, portable and easy to use.

7. Meditate On It

You’ve no doubt heard about the benefits of meditation. Although it’s a practice rooted deeply in history, over the last few years everyone and their brother seems to be touting its benefits, from CEOs to celebrities.

There’s a reason why: Studies show that a consistent meditation practice can yield reduced stress, better sleep, increased focus and improved relationships. But how do you fit it into a busy schedule? And how do you even meditate, anyway?

Meditation apps like Headspace answer your burning questions and provide guidance as you embark on your mindfulness mission. Based in research, Headspace offers a 10-day beginner’s course as part of its free trial, and once you subscribe, hundreds of exercises for mindfulness, sleep, focus and more. You can listen on your phone, tablet or computer, or even download sessions to check out when you are, say, seeking a little solace while masked up the middle row on a cross-country flight.

An Herbalist On The Best Bedtime Herbs For Super Vivid Dreams

A Herbalist Spills The Tea On What Herbs Can Give You Vivid Dreams

This article is a repost which originally appeared on MBG

Edited for content.

mbg Spirituality & Relationships Writer
By Sarah Regan

Few things are more fascinating—and mysterious—than our dreams. If you’ve dipped your toes in the dream interpretation realm, you might be wondering how you can have more vivid or lucid dreams (and the resulting peeks into your subconscious) on a nightly basis.

According to Rachelle Robinett, R.H., the founder of herbalism education company Supernatural, certain herbs are here to help. Here’s what she had to say about achieving vivid dreams using herbal allies, plus a ritual to get you started.

The herb-dream connection.

According to Robinett, certain herbs can have a powerful effect on sleep and dreams. “The typical blends for lucid dreaming and dream recall, or vivid dreaming, are generally nootropics and hypnotics or sedatives,” she explains to mbg.

Nootropics are drugs or supplements believed to improve cognitive function, including memory. And hypnotics or sedatives, which Robinett notes are pretty interchangeable, allow you to be relaxed and somewhat sedated.

“Nootropics are stimulating cognitively but not caffeinated,” she adds, “and hypnotics or sedatives create this tension where you’re partly awake and you’re kind of sedated, so you’re able to be in that lucid state for longer or be more aware of your time in that space.”

And this isn’t a 21st-century discovery by any means: Cultures around the world have been incorporating herbs into their dreaming regimens for generations. From Mexico to China to India and even ancient Aztec civilizations, our ancestors have long believed in the power of herbs for dreams.

11 herbs for dreams.

Robinett says that these 11 herbs are great for getting us into the relaxed, receptive state where dreaming can occur. As always, talk to your doctor before adding any new herbals to your routine, as they can interfere with certain medications:

  1. Gotu kola: An herb that would be considered a nootropic, found in research to improve cognitive function and promote healthy aging.
  2. Ginkgo: A plant native to China, ginkgo is another nootropic, Robinett says. It’s thought to improve cognition as well as memory.
  3. Bacopa: Long used in Ayurveda, bacopa is a nootropic herb that has been found in research to improve cognition and memory and even increase cerebral circulation.
  4. Rosemary: It’s great in your food and for dreaming, too! Rosemary, according to Robinett, increases cerebral circulation and may improve dream recall.
  5. Cordyceps: A type of fungus, cordyceps have actually been found in animal studies to increase nonrapid eye movement sleep.
  6. Lavender: A favorite herb when it comes to calming down, Robinett notes lavender can also help open your mind.
  7. Valerian: Moving into the sedative and hypnotic herbs, Robinett says valerian is one of the biggest heavy-hitters. Research suggests valerian can help improve sleep quality in some people.
  8. California poppy: The California poppy has hypnotic and sedative effects, Robinett tells mbg.
  9. Hops: Believe it or not, hops can actually help you sleep. It’s known for its calming properties, and in one study, researchers found nurses who worked rotating shifts were able to fall asleep faster after consuming it.
  10. Blue lotus: Robinett notes blue lotus is a favorite for dreaming and achieving a “trippy” state. It’s been used as far back as Ancient Egypt, and it can produce a somewhat “dreamlike” effect.
  11. Mugwort: “If you had to choose one herb for dreaming, it would be mugwort,” Robinett says, adding that “it’s a must.” It’s believed to help induce vivid and even lucid dreams.

How to take them.

If you’re looking to have some fun and interesting dreams, start by brewing the herb of your choice into a tea. A strong, small cup is better since you don’t want to drink a ton of tea before bed, for obvious reasons! From there, you can put a few drops of an essential oil blend on your wrist, perhaps light some incense, and just relax before bed as you sip your tea. Next stop: your subconscious.