In modern medicine, we often look at cognitive issues caused by age, neurotransmitter issues, free radical damage, and even circulatory problems. Other underlying risks such as sleep and stress often get overlooked. When we look at stress, sleep, and cognition, we can see they are interconnected.
- Stress decreases cognitive function, learning, and memory.[i]
- Stress is a contributing factor to sleep disorders[ii]
- Lack of quality sleep leads to stress[iii]
- A person may have trouble with cognitive function, not realizing it is worry (stress) or sleep problems causing them not to remember something.
- When we have trouble focusing or concentrating, we often feel stressed.
As if this wasn’t bad enough, stress and poor sleep can impact most aspects of our lives, including cardiovascular health[iv], immune health[v], gastrointestinal problems[vi], hormone issues[vii], weight control[viii], elevated blood sugar[ix], pain[x], not to mention our relationships, difficulties at work, home, school, and many other areas.
Natural Ingredients for Stress
Affron®- If you have been paying attention to my blogs on mental wellness, affron® is one of my favorite ingredients for stress (and sleep). Affron® has eight clinical studies proving its effectiveness, absorption, and safety. Four of the studies completed (one in children 12-16 years old) showed improvements in mood, occasional stress, and tension.
CALMalumaTM– CALMalumaTM may be a new supplement for most of us, yet it has a significant impact on having people feel an overwhelming feeling of calm. One study showed that it helped with the reduction of stress and frustration and had an effect on the stress hormone cortisol.
Holixer®- A 100-member study with Holixer showed a significant reduction in perceived stress (perceived stress scale) (38%) and hair cortisol levels (66%) when compared to the placebo group. Hair cortisol levels are an indicator of stress over an extended period. Holixer also showed its effects (within 10 minutes) during acute stress.
Sensoril® or KSM-66®- Research shows that ashwagandha decreases daily stress and significantly decreases serum cortisol levels.
Zembrin®- This amazing botanical has a deep history of use by indigenous people from Southern Africa. Like the other botanicals listed here, Zembrin® also has clinical proof that it works great for stress. Studies have shown us that it works quickly in the brain’s stress center (within two hours), and it helps to improve stress, mood, sleep, and cognition.
Natural Ingredients for Sleep
Affron®- As mentioned above, affron® works excellent for stress, but three additional studies showed that affron® improved sleeplessness scores, restorative sleep, feeling more energized/awake after sleep, and overall sleep quality.
Holixer®—A recent study found that 8 weeks of supplementation with Holixer may reduce objective and subjective measures of stress and improve subjective measures of sleep quality.
Magnesium—Magnesium is critical in many bodily functions, including sleep regulation. It helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system, the part of the nervous system responsible for relaxation. Magnesium binds to GABA receptors, promoting relaxation and aiding the transition from wakefulness to sleep.
Levagen®+ – Levagen® was covered in a previous blog discussing its multiple proven health benefits. Today, it is included because research has shown that taking Levagen® decreases the time it takes to fall asleep, improves sleep quality, and improves the time it takes to get awake each morning. This benefit may also be attributed to its ability to help those with pain (an underlying cause of sleep problems).
Zylaria- Research with Zylaria has shown it impacts the natural production of GABA, also known as the calming and sleep neurotransmitter.
Natural Ingredients for Cognition
While this blog’s focus (pun intended) is on the underlying links between stress and sleep and cognition problems, it would be good to include a few suggestions for direct effects on cognition.
BacoMind®- Bacopa has multiple mechanisms of action that support neurotransmitters involved in cognition. Of these, dopamine, acetylcholine, GABA, and serotonin are on the list.[iii] Bacopa is often looked at for its neuroprotective benefits, too.[iv] Multiple clinical studies in children and adults taking BacoMind show its ability to support many facets of cognition.[v][vi][vii][viii]
Ceraboost®- Enhances acetylcholine levels while providing neuroprotective benefits.[i] A recent study confirmed the effects of Cereboost® on cognitive function and mood while suggesting a possible link to gut microbiome alterations and acetylcholine modulation.[ii]
Cognivia- Studies with sage show its impact on acetylcholine by inhibiting the enzyme that breaks this neurotransmitter down.[xiv] Studies also point to Sage for its high polyphenol content and neuroprotective benefits.[xv] A new study with Cognivia shows it is effective from a single dose and increases working memory and reaction times.[xvi]
Cognizin®- is a potent nootropic precursor to acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter essential for memory and learning. It also supports the integrity of brain cell membranes and boosts mitochondrial function, enhancing mental energy. Clinical studies have found that Cognizin® improves motor speed and attention while increasing brain energy. This is crucial for those needing sustained attention and mental clarity over extended periods.
nooLVL- nooLVL is a non-stimulant cognitive health ingredient that enhances performance, fights mental fatigue, and keeps your brain sharp. Multiple clinical studies show that the ingredient boosts focus, concentration, and memory.
PQQ (pyrroloquinoline quinone)- can increase energy and is considered a “brain booster.” PQQ is vitamin-like and supports your mitochondria, the energy factory of cells. Since PQQ helps the mitochondria work more efficiently and produce more energy, it enables you to have more energy without jitters or crashes. A recent study showed that higher doses (20mg daily) also enhance memory and cognitive health.
What’s Next?
If you are reading this and curious about what you should do next, consider combining several of the above ingredients for each of these three areas. An example would be combining affron® with Levagen®+ BacoMind®. Or, if stress is your primary issue, combine affron® with Holixer® and CALMalumaTM. In addition, if your main struggle is sleep, combining Levagen®+ with Zylaria and affron® would be awesome. Don’t get alarmed with taking these suggestions. Each of the ingredients selected above was prepared with the intent of allowing you to combine them. However, if you are seeking to focus (pun intended) on just your cognitive health, then the perfect mix would be to take nooLVL with Cognivia and BacoMind®. These ingredients will help you concentrate and focus, significantly benefiting your overall brain health.
References
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