Many of us want more brain power.. (got exams coming up?)...to cut through mental fog, and increase our ability to focus and concentrate. Yet, when we use stimulants like coffee it can often make us more distracted, or even anxious.

This is not a surprise given the absolute barrage of attention-demanding technology such as cell phones and computers that we are now constantly exposed to in our waking hours. (Oops, I just got a text!...I actually did!)

The question is how do we increase our brain power without stimulants that can increase our distractibility? With supplements that keep us alert, yet focused.

In our ongoing attempts to find such solutions for our customers and ourselves, two supplements that we have been focused on lately are Opti-MicroPQQ®  and GSH+ Ultimate Glutathione.

Opti-MicroPQQ®: Better brain power and brain protection...even concussions

The increase in brain power from Opti-MicroPQQ® is quite literal in that it both stimulates energy production and increases the number of "batteries" or power-producing units in your brains cells, i.e. the mitochondria. [1] Customers, (including myself and staff members), report that it wakes you up and makes you alert, without making you jittery.

Further, PQQ has been studied for its many brain-protective and repairing effects. [2,3] It can actually help grow new neurons by increasing Nerve Growth Factor which can enhance learning, cognition and memory. [2,4] PQQ can even be helpful for healing traumatic brain injuries. [3]

This last point recently came to our attention from one of our long-time customers who had such a bad concussion she had to wear sunglasses and earplugs whenever she went out. Nothing was helping.

After reading one of our blogs on Opti-MicroPQQ® (which is the timed-release version of PQQ), she thought she would try it. She told me she could feel it working on the first day, and when I talked to her she was no longer wearing sunglasses or earplugs. She directly attributed the improvement to the Opti-MicroPQQ® because the effect was so immediate and unmistakable. [See: Get a Back-to-School Brain With Micro PQQ]

Opti-MicroPQQ® is available in a one-a-day dosing on its own, or in our Cell Fuel mitochondrial support formula, at half the dose per capsule. Whether you add a source of caffeine or not is up to you. It works either way. Since PQQ is water-soluble you don't need to take it with food, so when you first wake-up is fine.

GSH+ Ultimate Glutathione with NACET : Better Blood-Brain Barrier Penetration

The second supplement we have been focused on is GSH+ Ultimate Glutathione. We have written about this supplement in past blogs. Put simply, it is a very large collection of glutathione precursors and cofactors which address every aspect of glutathione production in your body.

Going into the incredibly long list of benefits from glutathione for energy, immunity, detoxification, antioxidant stress, etc, is beyond the scope of this blog. (It would be more of a book than a blog.) Put simply, the main thing that separates GSH+ from other glutathione boosters is the type of NAC it contains called NACET. It is like NAC on steroids.

NACET is the esterified form of NAC, which simply means long chains of NAC joined together. Since this arrangement puts the "Acetyl" in N-Acetyl-Cysteine into long chains as well, it amplifies how well it penetrates fat-soluble tissues like your brain. Hence, since we introduced it over a year ago, it has largely sold on its own, because people notice the increased energy, alertness, clarity, and feelings of well-being.

The dosage for GSH+ is three capsules per day, taken together. When this is first thing in the morning it is uplifting, without being stimulating.

We will go back into the plethora of health benefits it provides in near-future blogs, but for right now, know that it combines extremely well with Micro-PQQ for a brain boost.

Opti-Mental Energy: long-acting caffeine without the crash

In the past I have written about my decades of experience with "green caffeine" (i.e. herbal caffeine), and related compounds that are not roasted or fermented, like coffee and black tea. Among the sources available, Kola Nut is the most common, along with others like Yerba Mate, or Guarana.

I and others have found the benefit of these raw herbs, particularly when they are combined with other alerting and adaptogenic herbs like Ginkgo biloba and ginseng, is that they tend to give you a much longer effect, without the crash at the end.

Our Opti-Mental Energy is a good example of such a formula, and includes kola nut, along with Ginkgo, gotu kola, beetroot, Siberian Ginseng, and other brain and mood-supportive herbs.

For those who like the lift caffeine gives you, Opti-Mental Energy is a third option for a "Morning-Lift Cocktail"

Karen's Morning-Lift Cocktail

One of our most senior employees recently shared with me her affection for her Morning-Lift Cocktail. Perfect for students who have to get their "butts out of bed" and get going, or those who have a long day ahead of them. 

On an empty stomach after waking, she takes:

• 2 Cell Fuel
• 3 GSH +
• 2 Opti-Mental Energy

Wait at least 30 minutes after taking the cocktail before eating breakfast.... and enjoy the lasting energy and focus you'll have all day.

Hope this helps!

John

References

1. Pyrroloquinoline-Quinone Is More Than an Antioxidant: A Vitamin-like Accessory Factor Important in Health and Disease Prevention. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8533503/

2. https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2016/4/how-pqq-protects-the-brain

3. The neuroprotective effect of pyrroloquinoline quinone on traumatic brain injury https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22040225/

4. NGF IS Essential for Hippocampal Plasticity and Learning. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2765804/