4 high-quality branded ingredients for cognitive health

When I was a fifth-grader, my parents finally relented and bought me something for Christmas they swore never to get — a Nintendo. And this wasn’t just any Nintendo, it was a Super Nintendo! I was so excited playing Super Mario World that I stayed up until 4 in the morning during my entire school break, trying to unlock every switch palace, discover every pathway to Star World and defeat Bowser, all to rescue Princess Peach. My predominantly male classmates who also played the game asked me for tips because I was always a step ahead. 

Fast-forward to my life now — constantly multitasking between things requiring my attention — and I find myself in need of the same things that made me successful as an amateur gamer in my youth: speed, focus, accuracy and memory. The adrenaline rush I used to get finishing levels as a tween is the same one I get now when I have a great meeting with a client or wrap up an exciting project. The nerves I had trying to meticulously navigate through tricky castles are the same nerves I get now giving a presentation or recording podcasts. It’s mind-bending to think of the commonalities between these two phases of my life, and it all boils down to just that … bending the mind and keeping cognition top-notch. 

Related:Mind. Blown. Nootropics – digital magazine

Cognition-enhancing nootropics have experienced increasing popularity over the last decade, especially as the nutraceutical industry has heavily focused on healthy aging and longevity. Personally, I don’t know a single person of any age (myself included) who isn’t concerned with maintaining memory, alleviating anxiety and/or improving other facets of cognitive health.

Because nootropics influence aspects of brain function that significantly alter gaming performance, it is no surprise that several new ingredients have been clinically studied for their impact on esports players. The following recent studies on nootropics show support for competitive gamers, as well as the keyboard jockeys stuck at the office (like me!). 

Inositol innovations 

Inositol-stabilized arginine silicate (ASI) is a nutraceutical ingredient that has been recently studied in esports players. Inositol is a cyclic polyol responsible in many cell-signaling processes, whereas arginine and silicon both have effects on vascular health. Arginine is utilized in the body to produce nitric oxide (NO), increasing blood flow. The combination of inositol and arginine silicate (marketed under the tradename nooLVL, from supplier Nutrition21) has been investigated in three studies to date evaluating its effects on gamers. 

Related:Formulator advice for creating cognitive supplements

The first randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial analyzed the effect of supplementation with 1,500 mg ASI plus 100 mg additional inositol (nooLVL) over one week in 60 subjects. Results showed nooLVL supplementation significantly improved accuracy (as measured by a decrease in Stroop test errors) and reaction time (as measured by a decrease in trail making test time). The second study, a crossover design, evaluated the impact of one dosage of nooLVL on cognitive function in 26 healthy individuals and showed significant improvements in reaction time. The third study was an open-label design and evaluated the effects of nooLVL supplementation over one week; improvements were shown in visual processing, spatial learning and concentration, some of which happened after just one dosage, corroborating findings from the prior study. 

The goodness behind guayusa 

Guayusa (Ilex guayusa) is an herbal tea popular in the Amazon, rich in caffeine and well known for its stimulant and antioxidant properties. Guayusa extract standardized to 20% caffeine and 30% chlorogenic acids (marked under the tradename AmaTea Max, from supplier Applied Food Sciences) was evaluated in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled human clinical trial with 59 subjects. 

Gamers played a four-hour Fortnite gaming session and were given either three AmaTea capsules containing 270 mg caffeine total, three capsules with 270 mg anhydrous caffeine total, or placebo capsules. While no statistical differences in cognitive measurements were observed, a trend emerged for AmaTea resulting in better performance over caffeine and placebo. Both caffeine and AmaTea also resulted in slightly higher cortisol and blood pressure levels compared with placebo. 

Guayusa extract also has been measured against lion’s mane mushrooms (Hericium erinaceus) for its impact on cognitive performance. A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover clinical trial evaluated the impact of one dosage of 650 mg AmaTea, 1 g lion’s mane, or placebo on mood, cognition and vital signs in 40 healthy subjects. AmaTea supplementation resulted in more significant cognitive improvements compared to the mushrooms. 

Additionally, AmaTea resulted in more reports of feeling productive and focused at one to two hours after supplementation. Both AmaTea and lion’s mane positively influenced happiness ratings, while AmaTea slightly elevated blood pressure. Brighter mood contributed to greater feelings of confidence and getting the most out of everything, as well. All of these results were statistically significant compared to the placebo. 

Shifting test parameters was the focus of another study looking at mood. Researchers in this study assessed scores after several hours of rigorous testing to determine the sum of negative mood stores — i.e., feelings of anger, confusion, depression, fatigue, anxiety — against a handful of positive mood scores such as vigor, energy, effort and enthusiasm. Participants taking AmaTea Max had significantly improved total mood disturbances compared to the placebo, providing even more evidence of this concept of “feel-good energy.” 

Citicoline is a critical hit 

Citicoline, also known as cytidine 5’-diphosphocholine or CDP-choline, is a compound utilized in the body to synthesize phospholipids critical for brain health. Citicoline has been widely studied in clinical trials over the last few decades and shown many times over to support increased brain metabolism and exhibit therapeutic benefits in the segment of the elderly population affected by cognitive decline. 

Citicoline’s influence on brain health has been demonstrated via MRI. A study of 16 healthy subjects evaluated the effect of either 500 mg or 2,000 mg citicoline (marketed under the tradename Cognizin, from supplier Kyowa Hakko USA) on phosphate metabolites in the frontal lobe of the brain. Study participants took citicoline daily for six weeks. Significant increases in frontal lobe bioenergetics were observed, although the changes were surprisingly more prominent in subjects receiving the lower dose. These results are highly intriguing considering the role the frontal lobe plays in cognitive function. 

Cognizin also was studied in 75 adolescent males, who received either 250 mg, 500 mg or placebo daily for four weeks. Those receiving citicoline exhibited significantly improved attention and psychomotor speed. Additionally, the higher dose, when adjusted for weight, significantly predicted higher accuracy on attention-focused tasks. 

A study published earlier this year looked at how a citicoline-containing energy drink could affect cognition, mood and cardiovascular parameters. Either C4S (energy drink formulated with Cognizin as well as InnovaTea green tea leaf extract, a natural caffeine source, from supplier NutriScience USA) or a placebo beverage were administered to 45 healthy individuals who then underwent neurocognitive testing, completed mood state surveys and played five different video games. C4S supplementation significantly improved executive function, motor and psychomotor speeds, attention and memory versus the placebo. Good news for me and all Tetris fans out there — C4S also improved performance in Tetris play! 

The miracle of microalgae 

Microalgae ingredients are all the rage in functional food and nutraceuticals these days, especially fucoxanthin, a color compound in brown algae with a wide range of potential health benefits.  One such species, Phaeodactylum tricornutum, has been utilized to produce an extract with standardized fucoxanthin content, which was shown to inhibit D-galactose-induced cognitive dysfunction in mice. 

A P. tricornutum extract combined with guarana as a caffeine source (marketed under the trade name GamePhyt, from supplier MicroPhyt) was recently studied for its impact on gaming performance in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial. A total of 61 subjects supplemented for 30 days with either a placebo, 440 mg microalgae extract (containing 8.8 mg fucoxanthin) and 500 mg guarana extract (containing 40-55 mg caffeine), or 880 mg microalgae extract and 500 mg guarana extract. Each participant underwent assessments of cognitive function and gaming performance and completed mood state questionnaires. Results showed some improvement in cognitive flexibility and reasoning, among other measurements, after acute ingestion of microalgae and guarana extracts, though this was more pronounced after 30 days of supplementation. The authors also noted support of mood status at both dosages of the microalgae extract. 

The branded ingredient value prop 

While some of the nootropics discussed in this article are available in generic forms, all are available as branded ingredients. Insights from the Industry Transparency Center show consumers are willing to pay a premium for supplements containing branded ingredients that deliver on quality, trust and clinical substantiation. In addition to branded versus generic ingredient status, formulators should consider preferred supplement formats when designing new products, as younger consumers tend to prefer gummies and liquids, while the older population prefers tablets and softgels. 

Studies of nootropics in esports consumers are relatively new, but scientific evidence published in the literature up to this point suggests these ingredients provide a great deal of benefit not just for elite gamers, but also for those of us flexing our minds in other ways at the office and home. That’s great news for my younger Nintendo-loving self, as well as the wacky hardworking scientist I’ve grown up to be. 

Want to learn more about nootropics? Download the free SupplySide Supplement Journal digital magazine, "Mind. Blown. Nootropics." Seven magnificent features cover the state of the market, business strategies, nutrition science, formulations, and even a supplier directory so you can easily contact 18 ingredient suppliers featured in the digital magazine. The SupplySide Supplement Journal digital magazines — your toolbox for better business.