Cognitive Enhancement Protocol
Could you use a brain boost?
CLICK THE Button TO TRY MY COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT PROTOCOL.
I sure could. While never officially diagnosed (who has the time!), I have had many of the traits for ADHD over my life: hyperactivity, impulsivity, difficulty focusing, short attention span. Learning meditation was a game changer and helped me learn to flex the muscle of focus and get through college. It wasn’t until chiropractic school however, that I began to experiment with ways to boost my attention and focus with natural compounds. I’d like to share with you some of what I found.
It should go without saying, but we need to hear it again and again: optimal performance and health comes relatively easily with ample sleep, a balanced whole foods diet and regular exercise (around 150 minutes of medium intensity cardio and 2 resistance training sessions per week, to be precise). None of these interventions I’m going to share will compare to shoring up the basic pillars of health. For further support, read on…
There are powerful ways to boost mental performance without stimulants and without the negative side effects that come with them.
This generally involves 3 primary approaches:
-neurotransmitters
-blood flow
-neuron composition
The neurotransmitter Acetylcholine (Ach) is the learning and memory neurotransmitter. It is highly present in the frontal lobes (executive function, working memory) and the hippocampus (spatial awareness, consolidation of short-term memory to long term memory). Symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are the same symptoms seen with acetylcholine impairment. “Senior moments”, losing words, difficulty with math and reading comprehension, forgetting where you put objects and slowness of mental speed are all associated with diminished acetyl choline function.
Alpha GPC (L-alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine) is one of the best ways to raise acetylcholine.[i] This derivative of lecithin is well absorbed and easily crosses the blood-brain barrier where it is used as a precursor for the synthesis of acetylcholine. The compound improves cognitive capacity and may even prevent and delay Alzheimer’s disease.[ii]
L-Huperzine A, a compound derived from club moss, is a natural acetylcholine esterase inhibitor. It decreases the breakdown of acetylcholine in the synaptic cleft, which increases the rate of neuronal firing, making it an effective aid in memory, cognition, and Alzheimer’s. [iii]
L-Acetyl Carnitine is an amino acid with a similar structure to acetylcholine; it binds and activates the Ach receptor and is effective in treatment of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. [iv]
The nice thing about supplementing to support acetylcholine is there is no worry of building a tolerance. With dopamine, serotonin, and GABA there is always a risk of receptor site resistance. Most psychiatric medication become less effective over time and dosage needs to be increased. With acetylcholine receptors however, repeated stimulation over time increases the responsiveness and sensitivity of those receptors.[v] As you drive neuroplastic growth, your neurons become more efficient with Ach!
Getting more blood to the brain is also crucial for cognitive function.
It’s well known that brain damage and death occur in only a few minutes of oxygen deprivation. Vascular dementia is the second leading cause of dementia in Europe and North America and the more recent usage of the term “vascular cognitive impairment” implies that it is present on a spectrum from mild to severe.[vi] Cardiovascular health is also brain health.
The best way to optimize blood flow to the brain is to get regular cardiovascular exercise and to make sure you don’t have any kind of anemia. For additional support, I recommend a few herbs…
Gingko Biloba has been shown to improve blood flow to specific brain regions associated with working memory, specifically the frontal and temporal lobes. A systematic review of 29 random controlled trials with the herb found significant cognitive results in areas such as selective attention, executive processes and long-term memory for verbal and non-verbal material.[vii]
Vinpocetine induces cerebral artery dilation and improves blood flow in the cerebral vessels and has been widely used to support vascular disorders in the brain. [viii]
Butcher’s Broom helps maintain circulation, can strengthen blood vessels and reduce capillary fragility.[ix]
Feverfew is an herb used to treat migraines with traditional uses dating back to the ancient Greeks. It has beneficial effects including inhibiting inflammation in the brain’s vascular system.[x]
Essential Fatty Acids. Most brain tissue is made up of fat. The fat in your diet has a big impact on the composition of your brain itself. The fats used in the standard American diet are hydrogenated, and processed vegetable oils such as sunflower, cottonseed, canola and soybean. These oils tend to make the membranes of nerve cells rigid and unresponsive. This leads to suboptimal neural function, inflammation, and eventually degeneration and poor brain function. Essential fatty acids are “essential” because the body cannot produce them; they must be obtained from the diet. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in cold water fish like mackerel, sardines, and salmon, as well as walnuts and flax seed. The average American eats a ratio around 25:1 of Omega-3’s to Omega 6’s. Our ancestors ate a diet closer to a 1:1 ratio. We need to get closer to this ratio for optimal brain health.
DHA is the rarer (and most expensive fatty acid), but it is one of the major building blocks of the brain and essential for neural health. DHA has been shown to boost brain function, reduce the incidence of neurodegenerative conditions, and improve memory.[xi] It does this by improving cell membrane fluidity, supporting the growth of dendrites as well as neurotransmitter release and synaptic signaling. [xii]
I personally take cognitive support supplements daily. On days that I speak publicly, study or take a test, I will double or triple my regular dosage. I’ll take a day or two break once every week or so, just to notice the effects and give myself a rest day. I have experimented on myself with several different dosages, stacks (combinations) and brands. I find that the supplements made by Apex give me the greatest results and the company has the best reputation and standards out there.
I’m recommending 3 supplements today…
-Acetyl-Ch - designed to support acetyl choline production
-NeuroO2 - supports cerebral microvasculature and blood flow to the brain
-ProDHA 1000 - necessary daily dose of essential DHA
Taken as directed, one will notice cognitive improvement rather quickly, within one to a few days. Taken regularly, there is a long-term, cumulative effect which will benefit anyone seeking a cognitive boost, memory enhancement, or protection from age-related neural degeneration.
Click the link to try my cognitive enhancement protocol!
[i] Lopez, C. M., et al. "Effect of a new cognition enhancer, alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine, on scopolamine-induced amnesia and brain acetylcholine." Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior 39.4 (1991): 835-840.
[ii] Moreno, Maria De Jesus Moreno. "Cognitive improvement in mild to moderate Alzheimer's dementia after treatment with the acetylcholine precursor choline alfoscerate: a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial." Clinical therapeutics 25.1 (2003): 178-193.
[iii] Wang, Rui, Han Yan, and Xi‐can TANG. "Progress in studies of huperzine A, a natural cholinesterase inhibitor from Chinese herbal medicine 1." Acta Pharmacologica Sinica 27.1 (2006): 1-26.
[iv] Montgomery, Stuart A., L. J. Thal, and R. Amrein. "Meta-analysis of double blind randomized controlled clinical trials of acetyl-L-carnitine versus placebo in the treatment of mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer's disease." International clinical psychopharmacology 18.2 (2003): 61-71.
[v] Kharrazian, Datis. “Why isn’t my brain working: a revolutionaryunderstanding of brain decline and effective strategies to recover your brain’s health”. Elephant Press, Carlsbad, CA. 2013. (274)
[vi] Wolters, Frank J., and M. Arfan Ikram. "Epidemiology of vascular dementia: nosology in a time of epiomics." Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology 39.8 (2019): 1542-1549.
[vii] Kaschel, Reiner. "Ginkgo biloba: specificity of neuropsychological improvement—a selective review in search of differential effects." Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental 24.5 (2009): 345-370.
[viii] Patyar, Sazal, et al. "Role of vinpocetine in cerebrovascular diseases." Pharmacological Reports 63.3 (2011): 618-628.
[ix] Bouskela, Eliete, F. Z. Cyrino, and Gilbert Marcelon. "Effects of Ruscus extract on the internal diameter of arterioles and venules of the hamster cheek pouch microcirculation." Journal of cardiovascular pharmacology 22.2 (1993): 221-224.
[x] Ernst, E., and M. H. Pittler. "The efficacy and safety of feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium L.): an update of a systematic review." Public health nutrition 3.4a (2000): 509-514.
[xi] Devore, Elizabeth E., et al. "Dietary intake of fish and omega-3 fatty acids in relation to long-term dementia risk." The American journal of clinical nutrition 90.1 (2009): 170-176.
[xii] Cao, Dehua, et al. "Effects of docosahexaenoic acid on the survival and neurite outgrowth of rat cortical neurons in primary cultures." The Journal of nutritional biochemistry 16.9 (2005): 538-546.