The following are the safest and most widely appreciated substances for improving your mental function. "Smart Drugs & Nutrients" was the term coined in the book by the same name authored by Ward Dean, MD and John Morgenthaler.
Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALC) is a naturally occurring amino acid and found in small quantities in milk. Because it is a common factor in many areas of the body it has a wide diversity of effects. These include benefits for depression, stroke, neuronal protection and the enhancement of the action of the mitochondria. Many of the theories of aging center on the reduction in efficiency of the mitochondria; ALC's ability to support their function and prevent their decline is an obvious "anti-aging" benefit. ALC also increases brain cell metabolism and has been shown to improve memory, reaction time, and other cognitive functions. Dosage: 500 - 2000 mg daily.
Dehydroepiandrosterone (pronounced dee-hi-dro-ep-i-an-dro-stair-own) or abbreviated to DHEA, is a steroid hormone produced naturally by the adrenal gland, and is the most abundant steroid found in the human blood stream. Research indicates that DHEA has significant anti obesity, anti cancer, cognitive enhancement and anti aging effects. DHEA levels naturally decline as we get older, and there is strong reason to think that DHEA supplements may extend life span and make us more youthful. Dosage: Women 10 - 25 mg daily, Men 25 - 50 mg daily.
A great deal has been said about ginkgo since we introduced it in Smart Drugs & Nutrients. This supplement improves many brain functions including memory, attention, and concentration. It is also particularly good for ringing in the ears, dizziness, and general balance especially in the elderly. Dosage: 60 - 240 mg daily.
PS is food for your brain cell membranes. Much of your brain's cell membranes are made up of PS and, with supplementation, you may see improvements in a wide variety of cognitive functions that tend to decline with age such as: memory, learning, concentration, general mood, and alertness. PS is also particularly effective at reducing the ill effects of stress and helps keep cortisol levels down (important for long term anti-aging purposes.) Dosage: start at 200 - 300 mg for one month, then taper down to 100 mg per day.
Pregnenolone may be one of the most effective, broad ranged and yet one of the safest anti-aging therapies at our disposal today. With its decades of safe and efficacious clinical use, the scope of treatments have included, alleviating stress, improving and extending energy levels, reducing arthritic inflammations, enhancing memory and acting as an antidepressant. The reason that pregnenolone can have such different uses is because it is the first sterone derived from cholesterol. In fact it is the grandmother of all the steroids and neuro-steroids, it forms their basic material (it is a precursor). Without plentiful pregnenolone availability there is likely to be an "imbalance" of other steroids. For example estrogen, testosterone, progesterone and DHEA are all "sourced" from pregnenolone. Dosage: 10 - 100 mg daily.
Vinpocetine is a new addition to the latest class of "smart nutrients," a class which has a specific effects on the chemical reactions that go on inside cells, to invigorate the brain and make it work normally. Vinpocetine, when taken regularly allows the brain to make better use of oxygen and energy. The brain accounts for only 2% of total body weight, however it receives between 15% to 20% of the blood, in order to enable it to receive energy from the sugar glucose. The brain only has small reserves of energy, and they can be expended within 2 to 3 minutes, if they have to be used. This means that proper brain function depends upon good blood flow, oxygen and glucose supply. Dosage: 5mg 2-3x daily.
Deprenyl is currently the most promising therapy in the struggle against aging. Deprenyl is sold in the United States under the trade name of Eldepryl. Recent studies have shown that Deprenyl has a variety of beneficial effects on brain aging, without producing any toxic side effects. There is much evidence to suggest that Deprenyl is an antidepressant, a sexual stimulant, an effective treatment for Parkinson's disease and a useful treatment for Alzheimer's disease, as well as an anti-aging therapy.Hydergine (Ergoloid Mesylates)
Hydergine is considered to be one of the most important "smart drugs" available today. This is because it acts in a number of different ways to enhance mental capabilities and slows or regresses the aging processes in the brain. Hydergine is the brand name of the group of drugs known as Ergoloid Mesylates, and is widely regarded, as the best form available. Dosage: 3 - 9 mg daily.
Modafinil is an eugeroic drug, (which simply means "good arousal"). This unique class contains only two at present, adrafinil and modafinil, both of which have been developed by Lafon Laboratories of France. Currently, their use and effectiveness is little known outside of Europe. The basis of their uniqueness lies in their ability to only "stimulate when stimulation is required." As a result the "highs and lows" associated with other stimulants such as amphetamine are absent with eugeroics. Their initial use often produces comments such as "I can't tell any difference." But it is only several hours later when one realizes that attention and awakeness are the same as earlier, that one is aware of their benefit. Dosage: 100 - 200 mg daily.
Piracetam is an intelligence booster, and CNS (central nervous system) stimulant with no known toxicity or addictive properties. Piracetam has been described by many people as a drug that "wakes up your brain". Piracetam's effect and safety have been so impressive, that it created a new classification of drugs called Nootropics. The term Nootropic is Greek and means "acting on the mind." Since the creation of Piracetam, many pharmaceutical companies have been very busy developing further Nootropic drugs, such as Oxiracetam. Currently there are no FDA approved Nootropic drugs in the United States. If approval is gained the market for Nootropic drugs in the US alone is expected to be in excess of $1 billion a year (22). In the meantime, Piracetam can be ordered from European and Offshore pharmacies. Dosage: 2400 - 4800 mg daily.
Centrophenoxine is an anti-aging drug widely used in Europe to increase brain energy. Centrophenoxine stimulates chemical activity of the brain, in particular the uptake of the sugar glucose is increased. Glucose is essential for energy production; oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production also increase significantly when Centrophenoxine is taken regularly. Centrophenoxine has also been found to be very effective in the treatment of various human disorders, such as brain damage due to old age, stroke, brain injury caused by chemicals or drugs including excessive alcohol consumption. Centrophenoxine has the ability to protect against the damage caused by modern toxic environmental chemicals. Dosage: 250 1 or 2x daily.
Human Growth Hormone (HGH)
Human growth hormone (abbreviated to hGH) is a natural hormone, and levels have been shown to decrease as we age. hGH supplements have been described as the ultimate anti-aging therapy, with one scientific report concluding that hGH supplements were "equivalent in magnitude to (reversing) changes incurred during a 10 to 20 year period of aging." Dosage: blood monitoring required - check with your physician.
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