The term 'Smart Drinks' was originally coined to
describe drinks that improved cognition under typical conditions often found in our
lives: mental and chemical stress, as caused by environmental toxins, sustained mental
effort, as when involved in late-night computer hacking, and the physical stress
that can frequently be caused by lots of work, or all night dancing to high BPM's.
Over the years I've become interested in research on nutrition and the brain, and
I've tried to apply these concepts to drinks to improve my mental clarity and quality
of life.
Since I've acquired an interest in neurochemistry, and I've been lucky enough to
read a bit on obscure aspects of nutrition and the brain, I'll describe here what
I consider to be "smart drinks" - drinks that use nutritive elements of
a natural diet to positively effect brain function.
I don't look as smart drinks as drugs, but they frequently can have therapeutic (and
druglike) effect.
And this is _not_ through reliance on stimulants or sedatives, but instead, through
a savvy knowledge of the way our bodies assimilate and use foods... Using these techniques,
you can use foods to attain the results you might not be able to get reliably with
drugs.I'm not talking about intoxicating effect, I'm talking about positive effects
on vigilance, stress resistance and neurotransmitter tone. I first got an
inkling of what these formulas could do in the late 70's, when I first became fascinated
with compounds that did not cause perceptoral distortion, but instead, which seemed
to release energy blocks within the body. One compound in particular, an extract
of harmala alkaloids, ( asite-specific MAO inhibitor) gave me such an improvement
in mental function that it prompted me to become interested in neurotransmitter levels,
and I began experimenting with taking measured doses of tryptophan, tyrosine, phenylanine
and choline at various times of the day.
Over time, and after getting a *lot* of help from friends, I realized that a lot
can be discovered by listening to your body's natural "neurotransmitter signals"...
and that a well thought out vitamin/neurotransmitter precursor recipe can improve
your quality of life tremendously.
I settled on a regimen of tyrosine in the morning and serotonin support in the early
evening.
I'll try to explain my approach.. Basically, these amino acids are the cofactors and "precursors" of very important brain chemicals "neurotransmitters" the messengers of the brain. These " smart drinks" are highly targeted micronutrient foods.. foods for the brain.
Nutrients can affect brain function, and the biological
effect of consuming them at different times of the day is also highly significant.
Your body has evolved mechanisms which we can take advantage of.
As R. Wurtman (recently one of the main advocates of regulating amino acids as drugs)
said in
1986,
"Tryptophan is converted in the termi
nals of certain neurons into the neu
rotransmitter serotonin. In other cells
choline is converted into the transmit-
ter acetylcholine. In still another popu
lation of cells tyrosine serves as the
precursor of dopamine, norepinephrine
and epinephrine, which are collectively
called the catecholamine transmitters.
An increase in the brain level of a pre
cursor enhances the synthesis of the
corresponding neurotransmitter prod
uct. The enhanced synthesis can in turn
cause the neuron to release more trans-
mitter molecules when it fires, amplify
ing the transmission of signals from
the neuron to the cells it innervates."
Thanks Richard!
These days, drugs are popular in psychotherapy, etc. but these drugs are often too strong, and too broad in their effects.(they have unwanted side effects.) They can also be expensive way out of proportion to their cost.
Whenever you have a problem, it is best to approach the problem with the less intrusive and most natural methods (which I would say are nutrients) first. If those methods fail to completely address the problem, then you might want to bring in the power tools.. (drugs)
When I was approached by friends and asked to create
my interpretation of what "smart drinks" should be for the first Bay Area
cyberclub, ToonTown, I drew upon a host of papers I had read on
depression, stimulant use and abuse, nutrients that effect brain function, military
research I had read about the use of amino acid supplements to protect soldiers under
battlefield stress, material I had read about defective dopamine transport mechanisms
in many people because of genetic abnormalities, and what I knew about the conditions
and the drugs commonly consumed at raves.
I ended up with several formulas that worked for me, but people should experiment
with what is available to them. The most valid approach to making nootropic drinks
would be to apply these principles to your daytime and evening diet 'with a gourmet
flair'.
;)
With a little imagination, these recipies can be adapted into cybercafe drinks.. (this is what I did with Nutrient Cafe in the early 90's)
As I said earlier, in the morning, or any time my
neurons are firing more rapidly than usual... I supplement with catecholamine precursors..(tyrosine
and/or phenylalanine) and maybye a bit of DMAE... (Precursors of acetylcholine serve
far better as stimulants of the initial rise in catecholamine turnover than caffeine,
because they don't let you down later on, Plus, it has been shown that DMAE initiates
a "cascade" effect. Nutrient Cafe was the first manufacturer to combine
DMAE with a tyrosine drink in 1990. This led to the wildly popular "Renew-You"™.
Here is a simplification of it's recipe:
Renew-You is based on a heaping teaspoon of L-Tyrosine, DMAE and orange juice..
I have found large amounts of tyrosine to be more effective than phenylalanine. One
study I've seen suggests 'frequent feedings throughout the early part of the day',
as the best way to use tyrosine.
Also: Don't consume tyrosine or phenylalanine in the evening.They compete- blocking
off the
production of serotonin..
A midday "business lunch" recipe might consist of precursors of acetylcholine....
(choline or DMAE..) along with the cofactor vitamin B5.I also like to add a dollop
of ginkgo extract, but here, let the buyer beware.. Ginkgo is so expensive that most
vitamin preparations are worthless.
Everyone's neurochemistry is different, and so it is worthwile to experiment with different combinations of nutrients, and as importantly, different times of consumption. But, unless you are turning your day upside down. (like dopaminergic stimulant-takers, who can experiment with disregarding this advice..) you should, in general, avoid phenylalanine or tyrosine in the latter part of the day.. Low serotonin causes irratibility and agression, and prevents you from getting restful sleep..(This is why L-Tryptophan, serotonin's precursor, was so good at helping people sleep well when it was available.)
I can't buy L-Tryptophan at my vitamin store anymore, but in the evening I try to
increase serotonergicity of dietary tryptophan. This is done by supplementation with
niacin and B6, consumption of carbohydrates to stimulate insulin, and/or tryptophan-laden
foods like turkey or soy... Or L-Tryptophan itself, if you can get it and trust the
evidence against it's removal from the market. (coincidentally, just as the SSRI
market began to take off..)
So the best advice I can give you is to experiment, experiment, experiment.
Effective amounts of nutrients must be consumed, but if you are consuming atypical amounts of a substance, read up, so you can be aware of the risks. It's also wise to inform your doctor if you are taking large amounts of any substance.
I had this brought home to me several years ago when I was taking large amounts of choline and pyroglutamic acid. Over time it gave me stomach problems..Niacin can also give you liver problems if you overdo it, and high doses of B6 can cause nerve damage.
So, watch your step...if you don't - you could get
burned..
Please send me your experiences. (my email address is chris@hyperreal.com)
I am still doing research on food-based neuronutrition.A particular interest is
the use of neuronutrients in stimulant recovery. Quite bluntly, I believe precursor
loading is a valuable potential therapy is being overlooked.
Watch for a web page giving references here soon.
(time permitting)
Smart Drink Ingredients:
Some nutrients used in 'smart drinks' include:
Choline (trimethylaminoethanol) - A B-complex vitamin that your body uses
to manufacture acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in the formation and recall
of memories. Take this with vitamin B5. Available in many forms, choline chloride
and bitartrate being the cheapest. Can increase acid stomach problems markedly. Synergizes
(as does DMAE) with the pyrrilidones. (piracetam/pyroglutamate family) Good in alcohol
recovery.
In addition to fish,other natural foods that are high in "smart nutrients" include soy products,almonds and other nuts,brewers yeast,some fruits,and raw chocolate.
Two herbs that also have been associated with smart nutrition are Ginkgo biloba (very useful, but quite expensive...Check the label of ginkgo products carefully.) and Siberian (eluthero) ginseng.
Other herbs and vitamins that may have cognitive-enhancement properties are St. John's wort (hypericin is a interesting site-specific MAO inhibitor, but it must be taken for a month before it's effects can be measured.)
Beta-carbolines -like the alkaloids in Syrian Rue and passionflower may also be nootropic in small doses. There are many others.
Many vitamins enhance or inhibit various metabolic pathways, sometimes with nootropic effect. Read up on toxicity before overdosing ones- self with vitamins, though.
For example, when taken in the evening, vitamin B6 (never more than 40 mg. / day) can help improve serotonin metabolism.A different, but synergistic effect can be derived from non-time-release niacin.
Although it's useful to promote sleep, I have not seen any evidence that melatonin has any nootropic properties.
Good sleep is highly nootropic, as well as a potent GH releaser. For this reason it is extremely regrettable that after the tryptophan debacle L-Tryptophan was never researched with the eye to discovering the real story. Despite many unanswered questions ut the series of incidents that caused it's removal, and very real evidence that it helped in many neurotransmitter -related medical conditions, L-Tryptophan was never returned to the US market.
Small amounts of gammahydroxybutyrate (GHB) when used to assist sleep are nootropic - mostly by dramatically improving the quality of sleep in some people. The improvement in mood can be measured. (I've seen it help friends with depression that wasn't helped by other drugs) Researchers in Illinois have published some amazing reports of older people actually feeling much younger due to the increased GH release during deep sleep, something many people rarely get. Research on nontoxic sleep aids should be promoted, but unfortunately the war on drugs has made GHB controversial.
Many people are now making their own, but soon that too will probably be banned.At the very least, it should be available by perscription, but again, since it is unpatentable, there is no route in the current medical system for research to be done.(funded) DHEA, a hormone, may also improve cognition in some, particularly aging people.
In response to many questions, in my (and many others) opinion, caffeine or Ephedra - i.e.: 'Ma Huang' are _not_ appropriate ingredients for smart drinks. Ephedra can be dangerous if combined with some drugs, and it isn't a clear-headed stimulant. It's primary use is as a decongestant. Caffeine is a lot better consumed as coffee.. These ephedra products are ludicrously expensive and sometimes dangerous.