The health supplements industry these days is booming and probably for good reason. Many of us take shortcuts with our diets and look to make up the shortfall in essential nutrients by popping vitamin and mineral pills or other dietary supplements. Most health authorities agree that there is nothing better than a balanced, healthy diet when it comes to supplying our bodies with the nutrients it requires for optimum function. However, for many of us our lifestyle is not always conducive to developing good, healthy eating habits and this can get us into trouble with our health in many ways. Our brain is one of the organs affected by an inadequate diet, particularly long term. Poor brain health leads to a number of issues such as memory loss, poor learning abilities, brain fog, behavioral dysfunction and anxiety and depression. Whilst some of these are natural signs of aging, when they happen consistently in someone younger than 55 it may be an indication of poor brain health. The brain requires a number of nutrients in order to function at full capacity. First up, the brain exclusively uses glucose for energy and is one of the few organs in the body that does not rely on the insulin activated GLUT4 glucose transporters to supply it with glucose.
Essential Nutrients For Good Brain Function Found In Body Brain Energytm
The brain also requires a range of amino acids, fatty acids, phospholipids and other substances, which can be found in Body Brain Energytm.
Docosahexaenoic acid
The omega-3 fatty acid Docosahexaenoic acid or DHA is one of the essential building blocks of the cerebral cortex. This is the area of the brain that controls language, emotion, attention, memory and creativity.
Some of the disorders and psychiatric problems linked to low DHA levels are ADHD, anger, depression, resentment and other serious psychiatric disorders. Increasing DHA levels through supplementation with products like Body Brain Energytm has been shown to help improve brain related health problems and disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, ADHD, dementia, depression, memory loss and extreme moodiness.
Cognizin® Citicoline
All body cells, including brain cells, contain naturally occurring citicoline. Citicoline is involved in a number of critical cellular functions in the brain including increased blood flow and enhanced glucose metabolism. It also increases the brain’s neuroplasticity, which essentially means it increases the brain’s ability to create new neural connections. Citicoline also helps to
- Decrease imbalances between free radical production and the body’s ability to neutralize them, a condition called oxidative stress.
- Reduce neural inflammatory responses by slowing down free fatty acid release and lessening brain/blood barrier breakdown.
- Build healthy neural membranes
- Increase the activities of the cellular powerhouses called mitochondria, which provide cells with their energy
- Bump up production of dopamine and acetylcholine, two important neurotransmitters. Dopamine is associated with pleasure, motivation and productivity. Acetylcholine is responsible for memory, particularly short term memory, learning and motor functions. Alzheimer’s sufferers have insufficient levels of brain acetylcholine.
Citicoline has been prescribed in Japan and Europe for many years as a treatment for brain disorders like stroke, dementia, brain injuries, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s as well as memory loss associated with aging. It has in fact been found to have similar effects to piracetam, a nootropic prescription drug in some countries. Body Brain Energytm contains Citicoline.
Phosphatidylserine (PS)
PS is a phospholipid. Phospholipids are important structural components of cell membranes. The brain has an especially high concentration of PS. PS plays a vital signaling role in cell apoptosis and also regulates the brain’s nutrient intake and waste removal processes.
PS has been proven to help with concentration, learning, mindfulness, attention and memory improvement. It’s been used by ADHD sufferers with good effect and is popular as a memory supplement. Additionally, it may be a valuable treatment for Alzheimer’s and Dementia. There is also good evidence to support PS’s role in helping to protect against age related brain issues such as mental decline as well as helping fight depression and assist with mood improvement. Importantly, PS also reduces stress by normalizing cortisol (the stress hormone) levels. Phosphatidylserine is one of the ingredients of Body Brain Energytm .
Vinpocetine
Vinpocetine, a brain supplement that could also be regarded as a smart drug, hasn’t been around for as long as most of the other ingredients of Body Brain Energytm. It is a semi synthetic version of vincamine, an alkaloid found in Vinca minor, the periwinkle plant. Available only by prescription in Japan and Europe where it is considered by many medical practitioners to be more effective than Gingko biloba, vinpocetine is sold as a health supplement in the US.
The main nootropic benefits of vinpocetine are memory improvement, better reaction time and enhanced brain metabolism leading to general good mental health. It’s also a good vasodilator and is recognised as a powerful anti-inflammatory with promising implications as a treatment for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Body Brain Energytm contains vinpocetine as one of its powerful brain health ingredients.
Synapsa™
Synapsa™ is a patented extract of Bacopa monnieri, a medicinal herb that has been widely used in some types of traditional medicine for centuries to treat a number of disorders including asthma, epilepsy, ulcers, leprosy, anemia, inflammation, gastroenteritis, tumors, ascites and enlarged spleen. The first mentions of Bacopa Monnieri in literature can be found in 6th century AD Indian texts describing how it was taken to help with mental deficits, sharpen intellect and to assist scholars who were required to memorize long scriptures and hymns.
The inclusion of Bacopa monnieri extract as Synapsa™ as an ingredient of Body Brain Energytm is based in part on currently available scientific research as well as on its historical use in herbal medicine.
Unfortunately modern scientific testing of this herb to date has been limited but what research there has been indicates that it is a very effective antioxidant. It improves cognitive function and provides cellular neuro-protective benefits by reducing the oxidative stress associated with aging and neurodegenerative disorders. It has also been found to help increase blood flow to the brain. Other limited tests have shown that Bacopa monnieri can also reduce cortisol levels and produce a positive mood which has implications for its effective use as a supplement to help manage stress. However, more testing is required to scientifically confirm these results.
Tests on animals further show that Bacopa monnieri extract helps regulate the actions of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), a transferase enzyme responsible for the production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that initiates muscle contractions. Low levels of ChAT activity and mutations in ChAT are linked to a number of neuromuscular diseases and congenital disorders respectively.
Huperzine A
Huperzine A is made from Huperzia serrata or Chinese club moss. It has been researched as a possible treatment for Alzheimer’s and whilst it has shown potential, clinical trials to date have not been big enough or substantive enough for mainstream adoption of its use in the US. In China however Huperzine A has been a part of ancient Chinese medicine for centuries where it’s been used to help with inflammation, blood flow and memory enhancement. This traditional use is why it’s an ingredient in Body Brain Energytm. Today in China Huperzine A is approved for the treatment of Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia.
Although clinical trials in the West have been limited and small in size, what is well known about Huperzine A is that it is an effective cholinesterase inhibitor. A cholinesterase inhibitor improves neurotransmitter levels in the brain by inhibiting their breakdown, more specifically acetylcholinesterase (AchE) in the case of Huperzine A, leading to enhanced nerve cell protection and memory improvements. This may help to slow cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer’s and also provide memory-boosting properties. Huperzine A is also believed to provide other protective benefits for the brain.
Ginkgo Biloba
Surprisingly, in view of its long established and accepted use as one of the best natural brain supplements available, Ginkgo biloba has had a hard time scientifically standing up to its reputation for memory improving and cognitive enhancing functions, especially in healthy adults. At least 2 studies in fact have concluded that it has no appreciable benefits in these areas whatsoever, contradicting many hundred of years of use.
Despite these findings, Ginkgo biloba is one of the primary ingredients in Body Brain Energytm because it’s still an extremely useful brain supplement for helping to balance out the brain’s chemistry, protecting it from damage caused by free radicals and increasing blood circulation. It’s used as a prescription drug in Europe but is available as a health supplement in the US.
Vitamin B12
One of the B Group vitamins, vitamin B12 is required for the production of red blood cells, the synthesis of DNA and for normal healthy brain and nervous system function. Low levels of B12 is also linked to cognitive deterioration. The vitamin B12 in Body Brain Energytm helps ensure adequate daily intake of this essential vitamin.
Tyrosine
Tyrosine is an amino acid. It is not an essential amino acid however because the body can manufacture it from phenylalanine, which is one of the 9 essential amino acids. Tyrosine is converted by the brain into L-DOPA and then into dopamine. Dopamine in turn is used to manufacture other neurotransmitters norepinephrine and epinephrine.
Dopamine and norepinephrine belong to a category of brain chemicals called monoamines. Monoamines play a major role in controlling mood and how we experience fear and pleasure. It’s also thought that they are pivotal in numerous other brain functions like memory, attention and learning. Low levels of dopamine have been linked to depression, addictions, poor attention, lack of focus, compulsive behavior, cravings and loss of motor control.
Ensuring that we get enough tyrosine or its precursor phenylalanine is crucial for normal dopamine production. Tyrosine is one of the ingredients in Body Brain Energytm.
Theanine
Theanine is a natural amino acid analogue of the amino acid glutamate, meaning that it has a similar structure to this amino acid but differs slightly in composition. Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter responsible for stimulating the brain and because theanine is similar in construction, it can bind with glutamate receptors in the brain. This interaction with the glutamate receptors inhibits the process by which glutamate stimulates the brain, causing a calming effect.
Theanine has been linked with an increase in alpha wave brain activity, reduced anxiety and also improving sleep quality. It is also thought to play a role in regulating inhibitory neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA as well as perceived cognitive benefits. Traditionally found in green and black teas, theanine is also an ingredient in Body Brain Energytm.
Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5)
Pantothenic acid is used to manufacture coenzyme A (CoA), an important component in the creation of fatty acids, cholesterol and the all important neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Although pantothenic acid deficiencies are rare, in studied cases it was found that acetylcholine production was also low, leading to the onset of neurological symptoms. Because of its importance in the synthesis of acetylcholine pantothenic acid is included as an ingredient in Body Brain Energytm.
Folic Acid (Vitamin B9)
Another of the B group vitamins, folic acid is required by numerous processes in the body, notably for DNA and RNA synthesis, new cell growth, fertility and neural tube development in foetal growth. There is also evidence that indicates a folic acid deficiency may be associated with depression. The same study also found that supplementation with folic acid affects serotonin and norepinephrine receptors in the brain, something that is believed could be the reason why folic acid appears to act as an antidepressant. Folic acid is found in a wide variety of foods but is also one of the ingredients in Body Brain Energytm.
If you’re looking for the ultimate in smart pills to help boost cognitive function and boost your brain power, Body Brain Energytm can certainly help. However, remember that not even Body Brain Energytm can undo the effects of a bad diet.
