The Science
Improve
Recover
Protect
Improve
Mental
Repeated use of Rose Root (Rhodiola Rosea) improves energy and several cognitive functions.
It likely does this by increasing the fuel your brain cells have available known as ATP synthesis. Rhodiola Rosea boosts a protein called AMPK (adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase) this is a regulator of cellular energy which optimises the battery part of every cell called the mitochondria.
The outcomes seen in trials has been increased
associative thinking, short-term memory, calculation, prolonged concentration, and speed of audio-visual perception.
Mental
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), aids tolerance to stressors and improves sleep quality. In scientific trials, it resulted in significant improvements in both sleep parameters and anxiety indicators, with treatment over 10 weeks. It offers
improve sleep quality in athletes with insomnia and mood issues during a season
and helps get rid of unnecessary connections in the brain making more storage available for new memory formation. This process is known as synaptic pruning. It aids tolerance to stressors and improves sleep quality.
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Physical
Ashwagandha supplementation has been strongly associated with significant increases in muscle mass and strength, which suggests that Ashwagandha may be useful, in conjunction with a resistance-training program. A recent study also showed a significant enhancement in VO2max in healthy adults and athletes, with Ashwagandha supplementation. Ashwagandha root extract can also successfully enhance cardiorespiratory endurance and can aid in attaining better physiological, metabolic, and functional abilities in humans. Importantly no adverse events were reported by any of the subjects in these studies.
Mental
Tumeric (Curcuma longa) in the correct dosage improves decision making and learning and memory.
To discribe the positive biochemical and morphological effects of the Curcuma on the prefrontal
cortex (PFC) and hippocampus, which are the brain regions affected by chronic stress, and
crucial for learning and memory performance.
High levels of corticosterone in the
hippocampus and the PFC with chronic stress cause atrophy of the dendrites of the key
neurons and dendritic structural plasticity. Recent reports have demonstrated that curcumin
not only increases levels of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus and
PFC.
Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) is one of the richest natural sources of anthocyanins. It has
clear anti-inflammatory and lipid-lowering effects, and has been shown to lower oxidative
stress.
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Bilberry significantly increased, weight-loaded swimming time prolonged; their lactate, ammonia,
BUN, and CK activity decreased, and muscle and liver glucose and glycogen content increased
compared with the vehicle group.
Thus, anthocyanins-rich plants appear to have anti-fatigue
activity and an ability to increase exercise tolerance.
Mental
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) has both fast-acting anti-anxiety
effects and long-term increases the ability to cope with stress effects. In human studies, Lemon Balm increases self-rated
'calmness' using established mood scales. Additionally, when human subjects are subjected
to laboratory stressors, Lemon Balm also increased calmness in the face of external stressors.
The calming effects likely involve the suppression of hyperactive voltage-gated sodium channels.
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To explain this, normally, the inside of a neuron has a negative charge compared to the outside. Depolarisation occurs when the charge becomes less negative which can be triggered by a positively charged sodium ion rushing in.
So, hyperactive voltage-gated sodium channels allow more positively charged sodium ions to flood in, causing a rapid change in charge that travels along the neuron. This results in neuron misfiring and a poor state of mind. Preventing hyperactivity may help with headache pain and muscle cramps.
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Rosmarinic Acid is an active compound in Lemon Balm and increases the amount of acetylcholine (AcH) a key neurotransmitter involved in interbrain communication. More availability by preventing the breakdown of the neurotransmitter from the enzyme Ache makes for agile and speedy interbrain communication.
Recover
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) stops brain inflammation by inhibiting immune cells (microglia) from being over active and migrating to a point of the brain that has been stressed. This helps reduce brain fog.
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It is neuroprotective and neuroreparative in neuronal cells,
suggesting therapeutic potential to target factors involved in any form of head injury including long-term
sequelae of mild TBI
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) increases the availability of Gaba, the neurotransmitter associated with relaxation and balancing mood. More Gaba means increased relaxation, reduced stress, a more calm, balanced mood, alleviation of pain, and even speeds up recovery by improving sleep efficiency.
Rose Root (Rhodiola Rosea) is a fast-acting stress reliever that can work to reduce acute stress.
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When applied for a 4-week period, it was shown to be a safe and
an effective way of improving life-stress symptoms to a clinically relevant degree; the effects
were observed even after 3 days of treatment.
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When used consistently an interesting study looking at stress during
a student exam period showed R Rosea produced significant improvement in a series of physical
fitness, mental fatigue and neuro-motoric tests.
Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) increases blood flow and BDNF in the hippocampus, the part of the brain involved in learning and memory.
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When mice were stressed using a restraint, it showed increases in liver damage and reactive oxygen species(ROS). Levels associated with this stress were restored to normal levels by administering bilberry extract, together with enhanced mitochondrial function (the battery part of our cell's, with the bilberry treatment.
Protect
Tumeric (Curcuma longa) protects neurons from dying
it aids chronic stress by boosting BDNF a key protien in the brain.
Tumeric contains Curcuma which is not only benificial to mental preformance via the boost of BDNF but in improving cognitive longevity.
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Curcumin has been shown to activate the expression of thioredoxin, an antioxidant protein in
the Nrf2 pathway, which protects neurons from death caused by oxygen-glucose deprivation
in an in vitro model of ischemia/reperfusion
The well-established anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-
apoptotic pharmacological properties of Curcuma sugest that it is beneficial in treating brain injury and maintaining cognitive longevity.
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) contains Eugenol an antioxidant 5x more potent than Vit E. Antioxidants protect the brain because they scavenge loose electrons known as free radicals or oxidative stress that can damage cells.
Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) supplementation reduced both soluble Aβ40 and Aβ42 (two hallmarks for Alzheimer's disease) levels compared to blackcurrant. This suggest bilberry supplements offer a potential protective strategy for delaying long-term neurodegenerative disease.