My confession
Before I tell you my personal antioxidant cocktail for mental performance, I want to confess to you a inexpressive of mine. This is hard for me because this is an uncomfortable topic. I legitimately hate talking about it, but it's something I think you should know. Some people close to me may consider me to be slightly cheap. I rarely buy anything new. I purchase refurbished electronics, used cars, clothes on the clearance rack, and generic medications. My beloved shopping sites are dealnews.com, autotrader.com (I've driven 250 miles before to buy a used car), overstock.com, craigslist.com, and any clothing store that has a clearance page. I legitimately can't remember when was the last time I purchased an description of clothing that wasn't on clearance. I won't buy anything with a price tag over without researching it for at least 5 hours. I have to get the best deal possible. I think it's a disease. I despise paying for something that's over-priced. Oh hell, I am a cheap bastard. I don't care because I save money, and that's money I work too damn hard for to waste on inflated prices.
When it comes to dietary supplements, I am no different. In an business that's filled with snake-oils and miracle-cures, I have to be even more alert and aggressive in my research. Like I've told you before, I've wasted roughly ,000 over the last 10 years on dietary supplements. Over the last merge of years, I finally wised up, and decided that adequate was enough. No longer would I believe what every supplement man-made told me. I'd first try to exquisite my diet, then anything supplements I needed thereafter, I'd look to the explore for answers. And that's exactly what I've done the last merge of years. Not only has my condition improved, but my wallet has gotten heavier too.
Bang for your buck
So why am I confessing to you my cheap lifestyle? I know that after I post my extreme antioxidant recipe, I will receive numerous e-mails and comments complaining that a positive antioxidant wasn't included. I can already envision it. Joe Smith: "I can't believe you didn't consist of antioxidant 'x'. It's the best antioxidant out there. This just goes to show that you know nothing. You're a quack." Even though I appreciate negative feedback, I don't appreciate those kind of e-mails.
This recipe is not the end-all-be-all antioxidant recipe. This recipe gives you the most "bang for your buck." That's what my shopping religious doctrine is all about. The majority of antioxidants I get are from my diet. They come from the fruits and vegetables I eat. However, there are some supplements that even a exquisite diet can't give you adequate of. The antioxidants listed below have the most explore supporting them along with having a whole lot of real-world feedback. I know a ton of very exciting people (many times more exciting than myself) that ordinarily take these antioxidants on a daily basis. Because of my thrifty lifestyle, I've superior these antioxidants below to cover all of my bases. However, don't think that because I'm cheap, I'm cutting corners. condition and effectiveness are my top priorities. I would never risk rescue a few bucks for quality.
The extreme antioxidant cocktail for mental performance
Let's take a wee to refresh why antioxidants are leading for mental performance. Your brain uses more vigor than any organ in your body. The original source of vigor is created from glucose and oxygen. Whenever oxygen is involved in the creation of energy, the risk of free radical formation is greatly increased. Free radicals are harmful substances that bind to anything and everything. When they bind to something that's beneficial to your health, like cell membranes, the effect is damage and dysfunction. Antioxidants bind to free radicals, thereby preventing them from damaging your cells. Not only does general metabolism originate free radicals, but so do sunlight, pollution, and your diet. Thus, the brain is under constant free radical attack. If you don't have adequate antioxidant protection, mental operation will suffer. Side note: Oxidative stress (free radical damage) is carefully one of the inherent causes of Alzheimer's disease. explore has legitimately shown that the free radical damage precedes the disease. There are several clinical studies going on right now that are looking at the beneficial effects of antioxidants in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
Now let's get to the cocktail
Vitamin C- everywhere from 1000-2000mg as buffered ascorbate powder or ester-C
Because the body doesn't fabricate vitamin C, it must come from your diet. Even though it's carefully a water soluble vitamin, it's still leading for permissible brain functioning. Its original advantage for cognitive condition is its potential to help recycle vitamin E, a fat soluble antioxidant. However, that's not the original fancy I added it. I think this next advantage is often over-looked, and roughly just as beneficial. A large estimate of vitamin C is stored in the adrenal gland. The adrenal gland is carefully the stress gland. It releases cortisol and noradrenaline in times of stress. Think flight-or-fight when you think about the adrenal gland. Not only is a large estimate of vitamin C stored in the adrenal gland, but it's conception to play a major role in the creation of noradrenaline. Nor adrenaline, when in the brain, helps keep you awake and energized. A insufficiency in vitamin C can lead to a dysfunctional adrenal gland and a decreased estimate of noradrenaline, especially during times of mental stress. Cortisol helps raise your blood sugar when it drops too low while noradrenaline stimulates the brain. A dysfunction in whether of those will effect in impaired cognitive performance. Did I mention that it's highly cheap?
Vitamin E - 400-1000 Iu of d-alpha-tocopherol or the mixed tocopherol combination
I'm sure every person already knows this, but vitamin E is carefully by most to be the most leading fat soluble antioxidant. Remember, the brain is largely composed of fat. Thus, it helps to assert the stability and integrity of the brain cell's membranes. I don't want to go into too much information because there is a ton of explore supporting this. The majority of its benefits have been in the news for quite some time. A easy search on google will give you a list of benefits.
R-Alpha lipoic acid -300-1000mg per day
I'm legitimately in love with this nutraceutical. Every month or so, a study comes out touting a new advantage of alpha lipoic acid. It's been used in peripheral neuropathy, blood glucose regulation, and cognitive disorders. Not only is it water-soluble, but it's also fat soluble. Thus, it can get everywhere in the body. In addition, it fights a host of dissimilar free radicals such as peroxyl, peroxynitrite, hydroxyl, alkoxyl, and superoxide radicals, among many others. It also helps to recycle glutathione, vitamin E, and coenzyme Q10, all leading antioxidants. On top of its antioxidant properties, it's also leading in cellular vigor production. It's been shown to heighten mitochondrial function, neural blood flow, and nerve conduction along with upregulating several dissimilar enzymes that offer neural protection. The R isomer has been shown to be more noteworthy than the S isomer. Thus, I advise choosing a goods that just includes the R-isomer instead of the mixture.
Green Tea Extract - everywhere from 400-1200mg of Egcg
When most people hear Green tea, they think of fat-loss. Yes, it's great for weightloss, however its benefits don't stop there. It's also a very noteworthy antioxidant. It's legitimately made up of several dissimilar nutraceuticals, together with caffeine, theanine, and Egcg, what I'm particularly curious in. Egcg is currently involved in clinical trials that involve allergies, Alzheimer's disease, bladder cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, heart disease, diabetes, immune disorders, metabolic syndrome, stroke, among others. Needless to say, I'm a huge fan. In fact, it's in my top 3 supplements that every person should take. Can you guess the other two? Magnesium and fish oil.
In addition to its antioxidant properties in the brain, it has also been theorized that green tea prevents the breakdown of noradrenaline. I've already discussed the stimulatory effects on noradrenaline in the Cns. With these two "brain benefits", green tea is a must for the poker professional. I advise taking the excerpt capsules because it becomes inconvenient to drink the large estimate of green tea that's required to reach the above dosage.
There you have it. That is my extreme antioxidant cocktail for mental performance. Cheap, yet highly effective. I promise that you won't be disappointed. Begin taking it now. Not only does it help you in the future, but you'll feel the benefits within a merge weeks. vigor and antioxidants. Your brain will love you for it.
Clinical Studies
Here are just a few studies on alpha lipoic acid and its neuroprotective properties. Before you criticize that these studies involve mice, Alzheimer's patients, and patients with other neurodegenerative disorders, I know. However, I just wanted you to read them first. I'll clarify later this week the value behind these studies, and what they mean for the average, salutary person. There are wee pieces of gold sprinkled throughout these studies. Mark my words, there will be a prescription medication in the time to come that contains some form of alpha-lipoic acid. Now whether it's for Alzheimer's Disease, diabetic neuropathy, or an additional one condition, I don't know. However, the clinical evidence for Ala is mounting. Where there's clinical evidence, there's time to come prescription drugs. Look at fish oil and the prescription medication Lovaza. I warrant it.
Alpha-lipoic acid as a new medicine choice for Alzheimer's disease--a 48 months follow-up analysis.
Hager K, Kenklies M, McAfoose J, Engel J, Munch G.
Department of medical resumption and Geriatrics, Henriettenstiftung, Hannover, Germany.
Oxidative stress and neuronal vigor depletion are characteristic biochemical hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (Ad). It is therefore conceivable that pro-energetic and antioxidant drugs such as alpha-lipoic acid might delay the onset or slow down the progression of the disease. In a old study, 600mg alpha-lipoic acid was given daily to nine patients with Ad (receiving a thorough medicine with choline-esterase inhibitors) in an open-label study over an notice duration of 12 months. The medicine led to a stabilization of cognitive functions in the study group, demonstrated by constant scores in two neuropsychological tests (the mini mental state exam, Mmse and the Alzheimer's disease estimate score cognitive subscale, Adascog). In this report, we have extended the determination to 43 patients over an notice duration of up to 48 months. In patients with mild dementia (Adascog The effects and mechanisms of mitochondrial nutrient alpha-lipoic acid on improving age-associated mitochondrial and cognitive dysfunction: an overview.
Liu J.
Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia, University of California, 1261 Gillespie Neuroscience explore Facility, Irvine, Ca 92697, Usa. J.liu@uci.edu
We have identified a group of nutrients that can directly or indirectly protect mitochondria from oxidative damage and heighten mitochondrial function and named them "mitochondrial nutrients". The direct security includes preventing the generation of oxidants, scavenging free radicals or inhibiting oxidant reactivity, and elevating cofactors of defective mitochondrial enzymes with increased Michaelis-Menten constant to stimulate enzyme activity, and also protect enzymes from supplementary oxidation, and the indirect security includes repairing oxidative damage by improving antioxidant defense systems whether straight through activation of phase 2 enzymes or straight through increase in mitochondrial biogenesis. In this review, we take alpha-lipoic acid (La) as an example of mitochondrial nutrients by summarizing the protective effects and inherent mechanisms of La and its derivatives on age-associated cognitive and mitochondrial dysfunction of the brain. La and its derivatives heighten the age-associated decline of memory, heighten mitochondrial buildings and function, inhibit the age-associated increase of oxidative damage, elevate the levels of antioxidants, and restore the operation of key enzymes. In addition, co-administration of La with other mitochondrial nutrients, such as acetyl-L: -carnitine and coenzyme Q10, appears more effective in improving cognitive dysfunction and reducing oxidative mitochondrial dysfunction. Therefore, administrating mitochondrial nutrients, such as La and its derivatives in blend with other mitochondrial nutrients to aged people and patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases, may be an effective strategy for improving mitochondrial and cognitive dysfunction.
Radiation-induced cognitive dysfunction and cerebellar oxidative stress in mice: protective effect of alpha-lipoic acid.
Manda K, Ueno M, Moritake T, Anzai K.
National fabricate of Radiological Sciences, Chiba-shi-263-8555, Japan. manda@nirs.go.jp
Reactive oxygen species are implicated in neurodegeneration and cognitive disorders due to higher vulnerability of neuronal tissues. The cerebellum is recently reported to be involved in cognitive function. Therefore, present study aimed at investigating the role alpha-lipoic acid against radiation-induced oxidative stress and antioxidant status in cerebellum and its correlation with cognitive dysfunction. We observed spontaneous motor activities and spatial memory task of mice using pyroelectric infrared sensor and programmed video tracking system, respectively. Whole body X-irradiation (6 Gy) of mice substantially impaired the reference memory and motor activities of mice. However, acute intraperitoneal medicine of mice with alpha-lipoic acid prior to irradiation significantly attenuated such cognitive dysfunction. Alpha-lipoic acid pretreatment exerted a very high magnitude of security against radiation-induced augmentation of protein carbonyls and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (Tbars) in mice cerebellum. Further, radiation-induced deficit of total, nonprotein and protein-bound sulfhydryl (T-Sh, Np-Sh, Pb-Sh) contents of cerebellum and plasma ferric reducing power (Frap) was also inhibited by alpha-lipoic acid pre-treatment. Moreover, alpha-lipoic acid treated mice showed an intact cytoarchitecture of cerebellum, higher counts of intact Purkinje cells and granular cells in comparison to untreated irradiated mice. Results clearly indicate that alpha-lipoic acid is potent neuroprotective antioxidant.
Lipoic acid as a novel medicine for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
Holmquist L, Stuchbury G, Berbaum K, Muscat S, Young S, Hager K, Engel J, Münch G.
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Comparative Genomics Centre, School of Pharmacy and Molecular Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.
Alzheimer's disease (Ad) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that destroys inpatient memory and cognition, communication potential with the public environment and the potential to carry out daily activities. Despite ample explore into the pathogenesis of Ad, a neuroprotective medicine - particularly for the early stages of disease - remains unavailable for clinical use. In this review, we improve the advice that lipoic acid (La) may fulfil this therapeutic need. A plainly occurring precursor of an important cofactor for mitochondrial enzymes, together with pyruvate dehydrogenase (Pdh) and alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (Kgdh), La has been shown to have a collection of properties which can interfere with pathogenic system of Ad. For example, La increases acetylcholine (Ach) output by activation of choline acetyltransferase and increases glucose uptake, thus supplying more acetyl-CoA for the output of Ach. La chelates redox-active transition metals, thus inhibiting the formation of hydroxyl radicals and also scavenges reactive oxygen species (Ros), thereby addition the levels of reduced glutathione. Via the same mechanisms, downregulation redox-sensitive inflammatory processes is also achieved. Furthermore, La can scavenge lipid peroxidation products such as hydroxynonenal and acrolein. The reduced form of La, dihydrolipoic acid (Dhla), is the active blend responsible for most of these beneficial effects. R-alpha-La can be applied instead of Dhla, as it is reduced by mitochondrial lipoamide dehydrogenase, a part of the Pdh complex. In this review, the properties of La are explored with single emphasis on how this agent, particularly the R-alpha-enantiomer, may be effective to treat Ad and related dementias.
My Opinion
Ok, Ok, I know what you're thinking. How in the hell are these studies going to convince me to start using alpha lipoic acid (R-Ala)? Stay with me for a minute. I promise I'll show you how you'll advantage from these studies.
Patents = Big money
First and foremost, looking clinical studies supporting nutraceuticals is roughly like looking a needle in a haystack. Rarely will you be able to find a study that fully supports your research. Why? There's no money in it. I think I used this example before, but it's so true, you need to hear it again. The majority of clinical studies are funded by drug companies. It's a love-hate connection between drug companies and the medical field. We hate the drug companies because they operate the majority of medical facts and tend to be biased as to what works and what doesn't. Even my pharmaceutics lab was fully funded by Pfizer, rightfully nicknamed Pfizerceutics. However, we love them because they dump a ton of money into research. Without their support, major medical advances would be far and few between. One study (and it doesn't even have to be well designed) showing a drug's superiority can make a Huge profit for a drug company, several hundreds of millions of dollars worth, because of this nifty idea called a drug patent.
Dietary supplements and snake oil
That's not the case when it comes to nutraceuticals and nutrition. There's no such thing as a patent when it comes to "natural" therapies. If a study shows that nutraceutical "x" can cure cancer, thousands of companies would flood the store with that nutraceutical thereby wiping out any profit you'd hope to have. On top of that, the dietary supplement business is largely unregulated. It's the Fda's accountability to prove that a dietary supplement is unsafe or ineffective, not the business selling the product. Thus, even if a study does prove the nutraceutical is effective, there are so many companies that will sell whether a diluted-down version of it or something slightly dissimilar to make a larger profit that it tarnishes that nutraceutical's reputation. That was exactly what happened with Hoodia. One version of Hoodia legitimately does suppress appetite quite well. However, it's costly and hard to get. So what did these dietary supplement companies do? Flood the store with bad versions of Hoodia.
Thus, what I'm trying to say, is you have to be very thorough when you read a clinical study, especially exciting nutraeuticals. It takes a trained eye to find inherent biases, fabricate flaws, and sometimes straight-up lies in a clinical study. On top of that, you'll never find the exquisite clinical study. Thus, you'll need to be able to extrapolate facts from one study into your current situation. You'll need a strong comprehension of anatomy and physiology along with a watchful eye.
My treasure chest
Case in point, those studies I listed yesterday. To the general person, if you don't have a neurological dysfunction or are a mouse, those studies are useless. However, I think they're gold mines. Why? First, they show that R-Ala contains neuroprotective properties and may even reverse or halt cognitive decline/dysfunction. Those studies show me exactly how R-Ala accomplishes this, thus allowing me to value whether it makes sense in a physiological way. Which it does. In fact, 6 years ago when I began looking at R-Ala, the mechanism of operation behind it made sense. Now I have studies supporting this.
Secondly, even though those studies involved people at the far end of the cognitive scale, I strongly believe that every person will touch cognitive decline, even more so now than 50 years ago. Today pollution, pesticides, our diet, medications, and our general lifestyles are killing our brain cells. Just take a look at the estimate of "new" neurodegenerative diseases people are being diagnosed with. Take a look at the estimate of psychological diseases that have been created in the last 10 years. The medical community, along with the general public, is fully overlooking brain health. We're so focused on cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar levels, etc that we don't even stop to think about our brains. Everyone, young and old, is experiencing cognitive decline Right Now.
Yes, these studies were done on a cohort of people and animals that I am not a part of. However, I find more similarities between myself and these studies, than I do differences. These studies tell me one thing: R-Ala, from a physiological standpoint, is neuroprotective. That, to me, speaks volumes. If numerous clinical studies are evaluating R-Ala's effectiveness for dissimilar medical conditions, then person somewhere more exciting than myself knows just how leading R-Ala is. Clinical studies cost way too much money to be conducted on guesses.
In addition, 3 of those 4 studies are relatively well done. The 4th study is legitimately a review. They're all manufacture the exact same conclusion: R-Ala reduces the estimate of oxidative stress related with free radicals thus resulting in its neuroprotective properties. One conclusion by all 4 studies. Impressive.
The ultimate Antioxidant Cocktail For Poker Players