Medical Research Whitepaper for EarlyBirds Morning Cocktail

Nootropics, Antioxidants, and Hydration for Club EarlyBird
By Dr. Chris, PharmD

Introduction

The EarlyBird Morning Cocktail began as a passion project to produce supercharged hydration, clean energy, and increased motivation. The goal was to identify natural ingredients that could support the heavy workload and stress associated with modern society. They set out to identify compounds that could enhance the ability to maintain attention over extended periods of time and have a profound importance in the everyday life of individuals all over the world where lapses in attention are a common occurrence. That’s where modern science, the concept of nootropics, an understanding of the impact of hydration on cognitive function, and antioxidant support stepped in.

What are Nootropics?

It depends on who you ask. “Nootropic” is the term used to describe “smart drugs”, although most are not considered drugs and do not require a prescription.

There are two generally accepted definitions. The original definition, established by Dr. Corneliu E. Giurgea, a Romanian psychologist and chemist considered to be the founding father of nootropics, and the common definition.¹

Dr. Giurgea was the first to attempt a descriptive criterion for what qualifies as a nootropic, which includes:

• Enhancement of memory and learning
• Improved cognition under stress
• Protection of brain cells (e.g., the compound has neuroprotective properties)
• Facilitation of cell-to-cell communication
• Backed by human research demonstrating brain bioactivity
• Absence of usual pharmacological effects (to include side effects) of psychotropic drugs

Meanwhile, the common definition is any compound that boosts productivity, memory formation, and a host of other cognitive functions. That sounds about right for what we’re trying to accomplish with this nootropic stack.

What is a Nootropic Stack?

A “stack” is the term for the combination of two or more nootropics. Most times (but not always), the goal is synergy. For example, the combination of caffeine in any form and L-theanine is the most basic and common example.
Theanine acts as an anxiolytic (anti-stress compound) to balance out the jittery effects of caffeine, and they are generally dosed in a 2:1 ratio.

There are various categories that nootropic ingredients can fall into, and some are open for debate. The two that are important for our discussion are: stimulants and adaptogens.

Stimulants

Everyone understands what a stimulant does but maybe not how they do it. Stimulants increase activity in the sympathetic nervous system. The word “stimulant” usually refers to agents stimulating the central nervous system with an effect on alertness, locomotion, and mood. This can elicit the well-known fight-or-flight reaction to increase blood flow to skeletal muscles and mobilize energy. Stimulants can include compounds that increase alertness and reduce fatigue. This means an increase in adrenaline (epinephrine) and dopamine. This group includes ingredients such as Caffeine (and additional forms such as PurCaf®, Infinergy®, and CoffeeBerry®), Theobromine (a metabolite of caffeine), and even those that feed into the nervous system like L-Tyrosine (a building block for adrenaline).

Adaptogens

During World War II, the idea that a pill could improve mental and physical performance in healthy people was devised and various stimulants were given to pilots and members of submarine crews, prior to the formal definition of nootropics. Adaptogens were initially defined by Nikolay Lazarev as substances that enhance the “state of nonspecific resistance” in stress based on Hans Selye’s theory of stress and general adaptation syndrome. Studies on animals and humans support that adaptogens exhibit neuroprotective, anti-fatigue, anxiolytic, and central nervous system stimulating properties. In essence, they combine elements from several of the categories of nootropics. In addition, several clinical trials have demonstrated that adaptogens exert an anti-fatigue effect that increases mental work capacity against the background of stress and fatigue, particularly in tolerance to mental exhaustion and enhanced attention.² Ashwagandha is one of the most well-known adaptogens in the world today.

Why Hydration Matters

Proper hydration is essential for homeostasis and peak performance, this includes cognition. In a relatively brief period, failure to consume the right amount of water will lead to deteriorating cognition. Adverse effects can present with levels of dehydration at 1.3% body weight loss and may be present when less dehydration is present.³ To be specific, visual sustained attention has shown sensitivity to water consumption. In addition, acute water intervention plays a role in short-term memory, reaction time, and mood.⁴

Electrolytes such as calcium, potassium, and sodium play vital roles in the body related to many processes and overall hydration levels. Too little calcium can result in confusion and behavior changes and muscle twitching. Too little potassium can result in muscle weakness and cramps, feeling unusually thirsty, and needing to pee frequently. When sodium levels drop, confusion, irritability, weakened reflexes, nausea, and vomiting may be seen.⁵

In short, proper hydration allows peak performance.

Antioxidants

Oxidative stress from everything from air pollution, cigarette smoke, and modern living, in general, can compromise central nervous system integrity, thereby affecting cognitive ability. Consumption of plant foods or supplements rich in antioxidants could thereby protect cognition. Some of the foods highest in antioxidants are cherries, broccoli, blueberries, turmeric, tea, and coffee. Acute effects are registered within hours of their consumption with chronic benefits appearing after a few weeks of regular intake. These benefits might be more relevant for older adults than younger subjects, but both populations will experience benefits.⁶

L-Tyrosine^7-21

Ingredient Background

L-Tyrosine has been shown to improve mental performance, increase the production of feel-good hormones, and enhance alertness and memory. It is an amino acid found in the diet that is metabolized to produce catecholamines such as dopamine and noradrenaline These are vital for “fight or flight activities”. The main benefits of L-tyrosine are related to its ability to replenish catecholamine levels in the brain, which can become depleted under stressful conditions. Studies have demonstrated that L-tyrosine can help prevent declined cognitive function under stressful, cognitively demanding conditions when supplemented appropriately.

Efficacy/Applications

Memory: L-Tyrosine can increase noradrenaline in the brain and prevent an acute stress-induced reduction of noradrenaline concentrations in rats subject to cold stress. This may also apply to the ability of L-Tyrosine administration to reverse losses of memory induced by cold stress in humans. One study showed that L-Tyrosine taken before cognitive testing in a room where the temperature was reduced from 22°C to 4°C was able to reduce the time taken to answer a delayed Matching-to-Sample test and increase the number of correct answers compared to cold placebo.

Attention: One study in children with diagnosed ADHD given a combination supplement of L-Tyrosine and 5-HTP noted that supplementation was associated with a greater reduction in symptoms as assessed by ADHD-RS.

Wakefulness: One study with supplemental L-Tyrosine was able to attenuate the decrease in cognitive performance that was associated with sleep deprivation.

Stress: Acute and uncontrollable stress can deplete noradrenaline concentrations in neural tissue rapidly. One study in humans subjected to high altitudes has noted protective effects against acute stress due to lessened symptoms of acute stress, where L-tyrosine was associated with less headaches, stress, fatigue, distress, sleepiness, muscular soreness, and coldness due to the acute stressor and noted improvements on global ratings of mood and happiness and cognitive function.

Safety

Overall L-tyrosine appears to be safe and well-tolerated at moderate doses, with one 2-week human trial using a dose of 2500 mg, provided three times per day for two weeks, and another trial using single doses of up to 150 mg/kg of body weight with no adverse effects.

L-Theanine^22-44

Ingredient Background

L-Theanine is an amino acid found in tea leaves that promotes smooth energy and intense focus, all day long. The main benefits of L-Theanine are associated with promoting a relaxed state without drowsiness. L-theanine may also have mild cognitive-enhancing effects, especially when taken with caffeine, typically in a 2:1 combination, which also helps with caffeine-induced jitters. L-Theanine has also been shown to suppress the blood pressure-increasing effects of caffeine (although, there are limits to this) and may also counteract blood pressure increases under stressful conditions.

Efficacy/Applications

L-Theanine supplementation has been repeatedly noted to increase α-waves during closed eye rest as well as during visuospatial tasks around 30-45 minutes after ingestion. α-waves are associated with a state of relaxation. Beyond relaxation, increased α-waves are associated with selective attention mechanisms and alertness. These altered wave functions are said the be evidence that theanine has to relax and attention-promoting properties.

Attention/ADHD: In persons with mild cognitive impairment, a combination supplement of green tea extract and theanine over 16 weeks was able to improve selective attention as assessed by a Stroop test.

Stress: Supplementation of L-Theanine prior to an arithmetic stress test has been noted to reduce perceived stress following the task and to attenuate the risk in salivary IgA concentrations, which is a biomarker of stress, by approximately half at the conclusion of the task.

With Caffeine: In comparison to 50mg caffeine in isolation, the addition of 100mg of L-Theanine to the caffeine was able to positively influence parameters of accuracy and attention when it came to cognitive testing.

Safety

L-Theanine is generally recognized as safe and has a long history of use. L-Theanine is metabolized in the kidneys via the phosphate-independent variant of the enzyme glutaminase and is not affected by the phosphate-dependent version, a similar metabolism as glutamine. It has been reported that that oral ingestion of 99% L-Theanine has failed to produce toxicity in rats at either 6,500mg/kg for 2 weeks or 2,000mg/kg over 28 days. 5% of the diet as L-theanine for 78 weeks has also failed to produce toxic effects. A 13-week toxicity test in rats has established a No Observable Adverse Effect Limit (NOAEL) of 4,000mg/kg body weight, which was the highest dose tested.

Turmeric^45-54

Ingredient Background

Curcumin is a yellow pigment found primarily in turmeric, which is a flowering plant of the ginger family best known as a spice. It is a polyphenol with anti-inflammatory properties and the ability to increase the number of antioxidants that the body produces. Curcumin and the curcuminoids found in turmeric can be extracted to produce supplements that have a much higher potency than turmeric alone. Curcumin is absorbed poorly during digestion. Different formulations have been created to improve its bioavailability, including pairing it with black pepper (BioPerine).

Efficacy/Applications

Depression: Curcumin has been shown to be a potent anti-depressant in animal models of depression. It exerts these effects via anti-oxidation in the brain and attenuation of neuroinflammation. A recent randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial investigated whether curcumin was more effective than placebo at reducing symptoms of depression. The study found that curcumin was more effective than placebo in reducing symptoms of depression and this difference was statistically significant.

Safety

Turmeric is generally recognized as safe and has a long history of traditional use. Curcumin inherently exhibits low bioactivity in part due to its low intestinal absorption rate and in part due to rapid metabolism, glucuronidation.

BioPerine (Piper nigrum)^55-57

Ingredient Background

Black Pepper is a spice commonly used in many areas of the world for flavor. Through its active component Piperine, Black Pepper can modify supplement and drug metabolism. It is an antioxidant-dense superfood shown to improve memory and make many ingredients more bioavailable (e.g., you absorb more turmeric when combined with black pepper). A process in the liver called glucuronidation, which attaches a molecule (glucuronide) to drugs to signal for their urinary excretion, is inhibited with Piperine.

Efficacy/Applications

Enterohepatic Effects: Piperine is known for changing the metabolism of various drugs and supplements, most notably increasing curcumin bioavailability by 2000%. It impacts metabolism by both intestinal absorption as well as downregulating or inhibiting phase II detoxification enzymes and the glucuronidation process in the liver. It may also contribute to increasing absorption by slowing the intestinal transit rate and prolonging the time each compound is exposed to the potential uptake.

Safety

Black pepper is considered safe and has a long history of use.

KSM-66 Ashwagandha^58-71

Ingredient Background

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), also known as Indian Ginseng, is an herb used in Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India, and has been called “the king of Ayurvedic herbs”. The most potent form of Ashwagandha available is KSM-66. Ashwagandha is best known for its anxiolytic and stress-relieving effects. It also reduces cortisol levels, a claim supported by many studies. In addition, a growing body of evidence supports the efficacy of ashwagandha for improving total sleep time and sleep quality in people with and without insomnia.

There is also increasing interest in ashwagandha among athletes. Ashwagandha has been reported to improve VO2max, and preliminary evidence suggests that it improves upper and lower body strength, lower body power, and recovery.

Efficacy/Applications

Ashwagandha contains numerous bioactive compounds, namely alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, steroids, and steroidal lactones. Within the steroidal lactones are withanolides, which are responsible for most of the plant’s benefits. Most of ashwagandha’s benefits are at least partly due to its potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Ashwagandha can increase levels of antioxidant enzymes like glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase, while also inhibiting lipid peroxidation.

As part of its ability to reduce stress and anxiety, ashwagandha also appears to influence the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which plays a central role in the stress response. This is supported by its ability to decrease cortisol levels. Ashwagandha seems to alter the signaling of several neurotransmitters as well. In particular, ones that are dysfunctional in anxiety disorders. Its ability to enhance GABAA receptor signaling, specifically, is thought to underlie its benefits for sleep.

Ashwagandha may improve endurance performance by increasing levels of hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells responsible for transporting oxygen to the rest of the body. Studies are currently underway.

Safety

KSM-66 is the most studied form of ashwagandha and has multiple human trials on safety and efficacy.

Blueberry Powder^72-83

Ingredient Background

Blueberries have a potential nootropic effect. They have been found to improve cognition in people undergoing cognitive decline. In addition, there is also some rodent evidence that suggests blueberries can improve cognition in healthy young people as well. They may also have a role to play in promoting the growth of nervous tissue and reducing neurological inflammation.

Efficacy/Applications

Neuroinflammation: In vitro, blueberries have shown anti-inflammatory effects via reducing the release of inflammatory biomarkers which respond to inflammatory signals and contribute to some pathological conditions of cognitive decline.

Neurogenesis: Blueberry ingestion has been noted to augment a kainic acid induced increase in IGF-1 over several weeks. Dietary supplementation of blueberry has been observed to increase brain BDNF levels.

Memory and Learning: In twelve elderly humans with age-related memory decline, concord grape juice (containing anthocyanin from blueberries) daily for 12 weeks was associated with an improvement of verbal learning and benefits in spatial and verbal recall and a later study using similar dosing in a similar population found cognitive benefit with wild blueberry juice as assessed by verbal memory tests.

Safety

Blueberries are generally recognized as safe with a long history of use. Anthocyanins appear to undergo slightly degradation in saliva which appears to be mediated by salivary bacteria. The bioavailability of anthocyanins tends to be in the range of 1.7-3.3%. Anthocyanins have been confirmed to be absorbed from the intestines. Blueberry consumption has also been confirmed to be a bioavailable source of Quercetin.

Green Tea Extract^84-96

Ingredient Background

Green tea (Camellia Sinensis) is a plant frequently steeped in hot water and drunk as tea. It exerts most of its benefits through water-soluble polyphenols (frequently referred to as catechins) extracted from the leaves, into water, which is then consumed. It has been studied for benefits in almost every organ system in the body. It is cardioprotective, neuroprotective, anti-obesity, anti-carcinogenic, anti-diabetic, anti-atherogenic, liver protective and beneficial for blood vessel health.

About 30% of the leaves by weight are either favonols or flavanols, the latter of which is comprised mostly of compounds called catechins. These catechins are then broken down into four main classifications of: epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), epi-gallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG) and epicatechin (EC). Although all catechins share similar properties, EGCG appears to be most potent.

Most doses are standardized against EGCG. Although the amount of EGCG-equivalent varies from one cup of tea to another, depending on many factors such as the species of tea, length of steeping, and time spent oxidizing. One cup of Camellia sinensis green tea contains approximately 50mg of EGCG-equivalent.

Efficacy/Applications

Learning and Memory: Due to EGCG being able to easily cross the blood brain barrier and increasing brain activity up to 2 hours after ingestion, biological importance regarding cognition has been investigated. Mechanistically, EGCG has been shown to augment proliferation of adult neural progenitor cells in vitro. An additional mechanism may be acetylcholinesterase inhibition, as less activity was noted in the brains of aged rats fed green tea catechins.

Anxiety and Mood: Regarding anxiety, the primary catechin (EGCG) has been shown in vitro to negate negative modulation of GABA receptors, and in vivo has reduced anxiety in rats.

Skin/Acne: Green tea is thought to help with acne due to not only its anti-inflammatory effects but also by being implicated in reducing sebum production and overgrowth of a bacteria known as Propionibacterium acnes; both of which are heavily involved in the production of acne. The inhibition of P. acnes by EGCG appears to increase in a concentration-dependent and appears to reduce P. acnes-induced inflammation as assessed by IL-8 production and TLR2 expression in monocytes. When Green Tea Catechins are taken orally by adult women with acne for four weeks supplementation appears to be associated with reduced acne overall when the subjects were compared to themselves four weeks prior.

Safety

Green tea extract is generally recognized as safe. Green tea catechins Epicatechin and Epigallocatechin are excreted in the urine, as their serum conjugates are water soluble. EGCG does not appear to be excreted in the urine.

Coffee / Caffeine / Theobromine^97-123

Ingredient Background

PurCaf

Non-GMO, sustainably grown, and ethically farmed form of caffeine extracted from green coffee beans gives you a quick mental jumpstart that lasts.

Infinergy (Dicaffeine malate)

Non-GMO, sustainably grown, and ethically farmed form of caffeine extracted from green coffee beans gives you a quick mental jumpstart that lasts. This form is for a smoother release resulting in less jitters.

CoffeeBerry (Coffea arabica extract)

This patented coffee-berry provides 307% better focus and enhanced mood than coffee alone.

Theobromine

Alkaloid found in chocolate! Giving a longer-lasting energy boost than caffeine and a fuzzy feel-good feeling without any sugar or caffeine crash. Theobromine is a metabolite of caffeine and is also made naturally in the body following the ingestion of caffeine.

Caffeine

Caffeine is the most prolifically utilized psychoactive agent worldwide. At least 80% of adults in westernized nations rely on caffeine to keep up with the demands of modern life. That percentage increases to 85% in the United States, where median use in adults aged 50-64 was 226mg/day as reported in a 2014 study by Food and Chemical Toxicology.

Caffeine is a naturally occurring methylxanthine compound found in the leaves, seeds, or fruits of various plants, including coffee (Coffea arabica) beans, cacao (Theobroma cacao) beans, guarana (Paullinia cupana) berries, tea (Camellia sinensis) leaves—in total, over 60 plant species.

Caffeine is a powerful stimulant, and it can be used to improve physical strength and endurance. It is classified as a nootropic because it sensitizes neurons and provides mental stimulation. Habitual caffeine use is also associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease, cirrhosis, and liver cancer.

Efficacy/Applications

The primary mechanism of action of caffeine is adenosine antagonism. By blocking adenosine receptors, caffeine can reverse the depressive effects of adenosine on the nervous system. Adenosine receptors are upregulated by 20% in response to chronic caffeine intake. Caffeine can also increase the amount of adrenaline and noradrenaline in your system as well as increase dopamine levels. Increases in these neurotransmitters, referred to as catecholamines, have multiple effects throughout the body and affect several performance variables, such as accuracy, reaction time, and global vigilance. Increases in adrenaline appear to be independent of the adenosine receptors and instead are mediated by adrenergic receptors. Acutely, caffeine ingestion increases adrenaline and noradrenaline levels in the body of persons who consume it. This increase seems to be fairly dose dependent. Chronic caffeine ingestion can downregulate (reduce) the number of beta-adrenergic receptors in the brain by up to 25% in some areas.

Trials on non-human mammals have implied a neuroprotective effect from caffeine when experimenters attempted to induce neurotoxicity. A pro-cholinergic pathway has been suggested as well to improve cognition after caffeine was able to stave off both short-term and long-term memory loss in the presence of the anticholinergic drug scopolamine in mice. While these applications in animals help to characterize caffeine as a nootropic, note that trials intentionally inflicting harm on subjects would be unethical, and thus impossible if posed on human subjects. This is the case for many of the trials conducted in rats or mice throughout this paper.
Caffeine promotes wakefulness and strengthens mental alertness. It may be particularly efficacious in non-users and improve reaction time after sleep deprivation. The stimulant has been found to reduce omission and commission errors; these findings were observed in conjunction with reduced tonic alpha-band activity, suggesting improved attentional processing.

Safety

Caffeine is generally recognized as safe with a long history of use. The widely used methylxanthine is rapidly absorbed, oral bioavailability is essentially 100%, it crosses the blood brain barrier, and it reaches peak concentration 15-120 minutes after oral ingestion depending on age and fed/unfed state. Per the US Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, daily intake of caffeine should not exceed 400mg/day in healthy adults and is proven not to contribute to major chronic diseases at such doses. Due to the potential for caffeine to increase catecholamines such as epinephrine, doses exceeding 400mg/day can lead to insomnia, tachyarrhythmias, and increased blood pressure via vasoconstriction. Caffeine can be metabolized into dimethylxanthine derivatives such as theobromine. The half-life of caffeine varies widely with one study noted a range of 2.7-9.9 hours.

Broccoli^124-134

Ingredient Background

The sprouting broccoli is thought to originally come from the eastern Mediterranean area and to be introduced to Europe in the medieval times. Prominent components of broccoli are glucosinolates (b-thioglucoside N-hydroxy-sulfates) which are present in all members of the Brassicaceae family.

Efficacy/Applications

Broccoli is a potent antioxidant and contains sulforaphane, a sulfur-rich compound with many health benefits. Hydrogen sulfide is one of three major gasotransmitters in the human body, transmitting molecules which happen to be gasses, alongside nitric oxide, and carbon monoxide, and is the major underlying factor in garlic supplementation. Cruciferous vegetables are known to confer a smell of hydrogen sulfide when cooked.

Antioxidant Effects: Determination of antioxidant capacity of extracts deriving from various broccoli cultivars revealed that hydrophilic extracts (the ones prevalent in water) are much more active against reactive oxygen species than lipophilic extracts. The defense mechanisms of cells against reactive oxygen species consist of various enzymatic activities like those of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. Oxidized glutathione is reduced by the enzyme glutathione reductase. After feeding rats with broccoli less oxidative stress was observed compared to controls.

Nerve Cells: Incubation of nerve cells with sulforaphane appears to be able to offer oxidative protection from high glucose concentrations.

Anti-Aging: Mechanisms of Sulforaphane related to anti-aging appear to be centralized around inducing the Proteasome activity and reducing cellular build-up of modified proteins; a reduction in the activity of this system induces cellular aging (senescence).

Safety

Broccoli and its components are generally recognized as safe with a long history of use. Sulforaphane appears to be well absorbed, as numerous studies in humans following the consumption of broccoli have noted increased urinary metabolites of Sulforaphane. In humans, bioavailability of sulforaphane appears to be 74% and primarily absorbed in the jejunum.

Tart Cherry^135-141

Ingredient Background

Tart cherries have become increasingly popular over the last couple of years. Tart cherry juice is made from the fruit of the Prunus cerasus tree, native to southwest Asia and Europe, and is linked to several interesting health benefits.

Efficacy/Applications

Tart cherry contains active compounds, including polyphenols that may contribute to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Inflammatory signaling pathways regulate the recruitment of inflammatory cells important for the pathogenesis of disease.

Pain: A study was conducted to determine the effects of tart cherry on neuropathic pain in non-diabetic peripheral polyneuropathies. This is a common condition that typically affects individuals aged 50 years and over and can develop from injury to nerve tissue, nerve compression, or autoimmune attacks. The study included 12 patients with painful lower extremity peripheral neuropathy. The participants described their pain as 9–10 out of 10 more than half of the time. The results showed that more than half of the participants had a 50% or greater reduction in maximum pain.

Cognition: Researchers measured the effect of TC concentrate on memory and cognitive performance in older adults aged 65–80 years. This study demonstrated that the daily intake of tart cherry by older adults may help to improve subjective memory and cognitive abilities in older adults, as evidenced by increased contentment with memory, improved visual sustained attention and spatial working memory, and reduced movement time and total errors made on learning new tasks.

Safety

Tart cherry is generally recognized as safe and is widely used in beverages and supplements alike.

Electrolytes (Sodium Chloride / Calcium Citrate /
Potassium Chloride)^3-4

Ingredient Background

Sodium, potassium, and calcium are vital to several processes that keep us alive, and they play an incredible role in hydration. It has been suggested that decrements in cognitive performance are present in the range of a 2 to 3% reduction in body weight, several dose-response studies indicate dehydration levels of 1% may adversely affect cognitive performance. When a 2% or more reduction in body weight is induced by heat and exercise exposure, decrements in visual-motor tracking, short-term memory and attention are reported.

Efficacy/Applications

Fluid balance within the body is maintained via homeostatic mechanisms; water conservation occurs via the renal system, modifying urine production. Water intake is encouraged by thirst sensation. Although these mechanisms are intrinsic in homeostatic maintenance, they are also fallible, particularly in vulnerable groups such as older adults who maintain their hydration state inadequately. Older adults are also more likely to have reduced kidney filtration function, resulting in less efficient water conservation when dehydrated, further exacerbating difficulties in recognizing a dehydrated state. This doesn’t only apply to the elderly though.

Investigations into dehydration and mental performance were first systematically carried out in a military population. Soldiers were exposed to extreme heat, inducing varying severities of dehydration. Cognitive abilities such as short-term memory, numerical ability, psychomotor function, and sustained attention were assessed to establish any deficits because of changes in hydration status. Cognitive deficits were dependent on the severity of dehydration, which affected performance in all cognitive tasks when soldiers were in a severe state of dehydration (0.2 % body mass loss). This study was the first to emphasize that cognitive abilities were sensitive to a suboptimal hydration state. Subsequent studies both in a military population and in the general population supported this initial evidence of detriments in cognitive abilities with induced dehydration.

Studies measuring self-reported changes in mental state have consistently found associations between dehydration and mood, in conjunction with changes in performance or with limited to no performance changes. Despite variability in rating methods used, similar mood states were reported such as less alertness, difficulty in concentrating, and fatigue. Some studies also reported that participants found completing the experimental tasks more difficult when in a dehydrated state. These findings highlight that self-reported mood states are sensitive to changes in hydration state and can occur independently from any cognitive performance changes.

The homeostatic responses to dehydration can impact several systems. Key hormones such as angiotensin II involved in the homeostatic response of fluid imbalance come into play. One possible mechanism, proposed by researchers is that cognitive deficits during dehydration could be increased levels of cortisol, often released during a stress response. It has been shown that higher levels of cortisol can lower memory function and processing speed and consequently cause memory-related cognitive deficits. Other neurotransmitter systems have been shown to act differently because of dehydration, potentially mediating the cognitive deficits reported. Serotonergic and dopaminergic systems modify blood–brain barrier permeability, which, if sustained, causes central nervous system dysfunction. Findings also indicate that d-aminobutyric acid and glutamate levels increase during chronic dehydration, influencing both inhibitory and excitatory activities of the brain.

With all of that said, the ingestion of an appropriate amount of electrolytes daily can help to minimize the cognitive impact of dehydration.

Safety

Sodium, potassium, and calcium are safe at appropriate levels.

Conclusion:

Targeting hydration in cognition enhancing supplements is a novel method of achieving the desired end state and a major differentiator in the EarlyBird product. What could have been three separate products (hydration therapy, cognitive enhancement, mood stabilizer) has been combined into a single product that will truly benefit the end user. All ingredients have a functional role in the product and no avoidable fillers have been utilized.

*Disclaimer:

The information contained in this document is a review of publicly available data and does not constitute claims made regarding any commercially available product nor qualified health benefits with the FDA.

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