Energizers & Memory Boosters | Study Stimulants

Guarana

Guarana is a climbing plant in the maple family native to the Amazon basin and especially common in Brazil. Guarana features large leaves and clusters of flowers, and is best known for its fruit, which is about the size of a coffee berry. As a dietary supplement, guarana is an effective energy booster - it contains about twice the caffeine found in coffee beans (about 2-4.5% caffeine in guarana seeds compared to 1-2% for coffee beans).

As guarana is rich in caffeine, it is of interest for its potential effects on cognition. In tests, guarana increased memory retention and physical endurance when compared with a placebo.

A 2007 human pilot study assessed acute behavioral effects to four doses (37.5 mg, 75 mg, 150 mg and 300 mg) of guarana extract. Memory, alertness and mood were increased by the two lower doses, confirming previous results of cognitive improvement following 75 mg guarana.

Cautions:

Guarana should not be used by those that are sensitive to the effects of caffeine.

Dosage:

200-800mg guarana extract before meals, not to exceed 3 grams daily

Yerba Mate

Yerba mate is a species of holly native to subtropical South America in Argentina, southern Chile, eastern Paraguay, western Uruguay and southern Brazil and Syria in the middle east

In addition to its standing as a popular beverage, yerba mate is used as a tonic, diuretic and as a stimulant to reduce fatigue, fatigue related headaches and to suppress appetite and aid gastric function in herbal medicine systems throughout South America.

Cautions:

If you are pregnant or nursing, yerba mate is not recommended.

Dosage:

500mg up to three times a day

Gotu Kola

Gotu Kola is a small herbaceous plant of the family Mackinlayaceae and is native to Sri Lanka, northern Australia, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Melanesia, New Guinea, and other parts of Asia.

Gotu Kola is a rejuvenative nervine recommended for nervous disorders, epilepsy, senility and premature aging. As a brain tonic, it is said to aid intelligence and memory. It strengthens the adrenal glands and cleanses the blood to treat skin impurities. It is said to combat stress and depression, increase libido and improve reflexes. It has also been indicated for chronic venous insufficiency, minor burns, scars, scleroderma, skin ulcers, varicose veins, wound healing, rheumatism, blood diseases, congestive heart failure, urinary tract infections, venereal diseases, hepatitis and high blood pressure.

Cautions:

Gotu kola may cause miscarriage if it is taken or applied during pregnancy. Therefore, pregnant women should avoid using it in any form.

Gotu Kola may raise cholesterol and blood sugar levels so individuals with high cholesterol or diabetes should not take or apply it.

Very little information is available on how gotu kola might affect an infant or a small child. Therefore, its use is not recommended while breast-feeding or during early childhood.

Dosage:

30 - 60mg up to three times daily.

Bitter Orange

The name "Bitter Orange" refers to a citrus tree (Citrus aurantium) and its fruit. Bitter orange extract (synephrine) has been proven to stimulant metabolic rate and suppress appetite, and is used as an alternative to ephedra in many products. Other names for bitter orange include sour orange, bigarade orange and Seville orange.

How much should be taken?

Bitter orange is increasingly found in supplement formulas because synephrine, the active ingredient is similar to the ephedrine. The recommended daily amount of Synephrine is 60 mg devided into three 20 mg doses.

Interactions

Do not use Bitter Orange if pregnant or nursing. Do not exceed recommended dosage. Not recommended for people that have been treated for, or are diagnosed with high blood pressure, heart disease, thyroid disease, kidney disease, depression or other psychiatric conditions, renal disease, recurrent headaches, spasms, have asthma, or are taking asthma medication, or if you are using a Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor (MAOI).

Potential side effects if used incorrectly:

Headache, sweating, sleeplessness

Less common side effects include:

Dizziness; nausea; nervousness; restlessness; stomach irritation.

Rare side effects include:

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); difficulty urinating, heat stroke, heart attack, hypertension, stroke.

Ma Huang

Ma Huang (Ephedra sinica) is a cone-bearing shrub, 30 to 50 cm in height, which is native to China but now found also in the Mediterranean region, India, Persia, and the western portion of South America.

Ma huang stimulates the nervous system to enhance mood, reduce fatigue, and to make a person alert enough to smell their coffee in the morning. Ma huang also has the ability to increase energy and endurance; it does this through increase of blood flow to the muscles, resulting in an increase of oxygen and nutrient supply to the muscles.

The active ingredients, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, are less potent than adrenaline, yet more effective than caffeine.

Sida Cordifolia (Ephedra)

Sida Cordifolia, commonly known as bala, is a plant in the family Malvaceae. It contains Ephedra (natural Ephedrine) and is commonly used as a stimulant and concentration aid.

Its biological effects are due to its Ephedrine and pseudoEphedrine content. These compounds stimulate the brain, increase heart rate, constrict blood vessels (increasing blood pressure), and expand bronchial tubes (making breathing easier). Their thermogenic properties cause an increase in metabolism, evidenced by an increase in body heat.