18 replies to this topic

[GoodFellas]

What kind of supps would improve my skills in Economics and math?

So far I am taking this everyday:

Ginko Biloba 40mg
Now Foods, Omega 3-6-9

I need this for college coming up.

Thanks.

[outsider]

Lemon balm


http://www.lef.org/m..._anxiety_01.htm

"In another 2004 study, lemon balm was examined for its effect on laboratory-induced stress in humans.11 In this case, 18 healthy volunteers took a single dose of lemon balm extract (300 mg or 600 mg) or a placebo. Their mood was assessed before the dose and one hour after, via a standardized stress-simulation test. Subjects’ cognitive performance was also measured. The higher (600 mg) dose ameliorated the stress induced by the test, and produced significantly improved self-ratings of calmness and alertness. Even the lower (300 mg) dose produced a significant increase in the speed at which the subjects could do math problems, without any reduction in accuracy."

Some ancient herbalist said that it is sovereign for the mind and very valuable for students, a bit like bacopa in India.

[e Volution]

Fish Oil
Solid Basic Regimen (no nutritional deficiencies, etc, checkout Sillewater's)
Piracetam
Lithium
Choline
Then the stuff that really matters:
Exercise
Paleo Diet
Meditation
The Black Swan (book)

Edited by e Volution, 04 August 2010 - 07:11 AM.

[GoodFellas]

I will try lemon balm.

However, does lemon balm have to be liquid? I can only seem to find liquid forms of it available (iherb.com & supplementcentral.com)

Fish Oil
Solid Basic Regimen (no nutritional deficiencies, etc, checkout Sillewater's)
Piracetam
Lithium
Choline
Then the stuff that really matters:
Exercise
Paleo Diet
Meditation
The Black Swan (book)

Fish Oil-Already taking, but I can probably readjust my dosages a little to find the optimal dosage for studying.
Solid Basic Regimen - My diet is pretty good, but I am lacking B vitamins. What B vitamins would be best for the brain?
Piracetam & Choline - I've tried both before, but didn't notice much effect.

Lithium - Is this one safe?
Exercise- I try to do some sort of exercise every day, and I run intervals (4x4) once a week.
The Black Swan book- what is that?

[maxwatt]

There is nothing specific for math. The parts of the brain involved with math include the temporal lobe, and the region around the tempoporal-parietal fissure. The lateral occipital region can be involved too. Brain development does occur with mental exercise, meaning you will get better at it if yu keep doing it.

One of the biggest assets for math is good working memory. A typical person can remember a string of 6 or 7 digits in a lab setting. Your typical college math major will remember 18 or more. Aniracetam and some developmental drugs apparently can improve working memory to some degree. Much of the internet aniracetam that is sold is counterfeit (especially bulk powder and encapsulated powder, but the blister-acked stuff is sometimes counterfeit or past expiration date) and the legality is questionable. The other 'racetams do not seem to be as effective according to the company trying to develop such a drug around the aniracetam molecular structure.

Acetyl-l-carnitine may also improve memory. It is said to improve response-time (i.e., speed of thought.) My own experience with it was improved puzzle-solving ability. Probable dose 1000 to 1500 mg. It is expensive, and it does not have a good shelf-life, so much of what you can buy in a health food store likely has been exposed to too much heat, and has deteriorated.

Chinese folk-medicine holds that dates with walnuts are good for mental function, and this food combination has been recommended for students studying for exams. It would be nice if it works. Rosemary has a long fold-medicine tradition in the west as an aid to memory, and I believe some recent studies support this.

[NDM]

Maxwatt, where do you buy your aniracetam from?

[maxwatt]

Maxwatt, where do you buy your aniracetam from?

I've not used aniracetam for years; my sources would not be current. When I did, it was not FDA regulated as it was not a recognized drug in the US. I do not know its current status.

[kassem23]

Anecdotally, d-amphetamine increases my logical thinking abilities, which is -- naturally, a useful asset in mathematics. Beware though, that people say that d-amphetamine in higher doses inhibits creative thought. I think there's a reason that mathematics (i.e. Paul Erdos) choose amphetamines over say LSD and recreational substances. Experimentation would be my advice. Anyone with passion for mathematics can do awesome without any form of pharmaceutical and with lots of discipline and practice. Good luck.

[bacopa]

There is nothing specific for math. The parts of the brain involved with math include the temporal lobe, and the region around the tempoporal-parietal fissure. The lateral occipital region can be involved too. Brain development does occur with mental exercise, meaning you will get better at it if yu keep doing it.

One of the biggest assets for math is good working memory. A typical person can remember a string of 6 or 7 digits in a lab setting. Your typical college math major will remember 18 or more. Aniracetam and some developmental drugs apparently can improve working memory to some degree. Much of the internet aniracetam that is sold is counterfeit (especially bulk powder and encapsulated powder, but the blister-acked stuff is sometimes counterfeit or past expiration date) and the legality is questionable. The other 'racetams do not seem to be as effective according to the company trying to develop such a drug around the aniracetam molecular structure.

Acetyl-l-carnitine may also improve memory. It is said to improve response-time (i.e., speed of thought.) My own experience with it was improved puzzle-solving ability. Probable dose 1000 to 1500 mg. It is expensive, and it does not have a good shelf-life, so much of what you can buy in a health food store likely has been exposed to too much heat, and has deteriorated.

Chinese folk-medicine holds that dates with walnuts are good for mental function, and this food combination has been recommended for students studying for exams. It would be nice if it works. Rosemary has a long fold-medicine tradition in the west as an aid to memory, and I believe some recent studies support this.

I have ALCAR from a brand called Nutra bulk, and it's just that a hell of a lot of 500 mg ALCAR pills. Do you think this isn't good stuff? And should I refrigerate it?

[chrono]

Maxwatt is correct about the implausibility of selectively increasing these skills via supplementation. I would look more into general nootropics for focus and perhaps processing speed (pyritinol?); general help studying will also impact these abilities.

Aniracetam modulates the AMPA receptor, and so (theoretically) has a more direct effect on memory. Personally, I haven't found it yields a significant improvement in this area, though it's useful for other reasons and distinct in effect from piracetam. I think there are a few suppliers discussed on the board that can reasonably thought to not be counterfeit; or, at least, I've heard nothing to suggest that their products are less than satisfactory.

ALCAR is one of my favorite choices for the base of any nootropic stack, and certainly might help in this area (particularly combined with piracetam?). 1-1.5g once or twice a day is a good place to start. I'm not sure why people think it's expensive; small amounts can be had in bulk for 5-10¢/g, and if you're really paranoid about quality, you can get it straight from Sigma Tau for about 13.5¢/g. Maybe the pre-capped retail stuff is disproportionately pricey. In using bulk material, I haven't found shelf life to be a huge concern; I might worry about keeping it for years, but after about 4 months this kilogram is still fine.

@dfowler: I wouldn't worry about it. The biggest problem with ALCAR is that it's hygroscopic, so absorbs water out of the air and makes the pills soggy (especially if it's humid). Keep it cool and dry, well-sealed, and make sure there are some silica gel packets in there.

The study outsider mentioned involving lemon balm measured its effect on processing speed under laboratory-induced stress. It's generally considered an anxiolytic, and its effect on GABA can be quite sedative. I wouldn't base a nootropic stack on it, necessarily, but low amounts might help if you're stressed or anxious.

[outsider]

Lemon balm modulate muscarinic and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors so it's a real memory/mind herb. The sedating quality is just a testament to it's trophorestorative action on the nervous system. (Big sentence that just means it makes you stronger).

Most of the time memory herbs like lemon balm, bacopa, gotu kola, schizandra calm you down and wake you up at the same time unless you are sensitive to one of those and it just doesn't work for you. We could say the same thing for piracetam. It's just fascinating that some people feel drowsy and some others have trouble sleeping on piracetam.

[chrono]

This paper does suggest that it affects those receptors, but in the context of pain rather than cognition. There are many subtypes, not all of which are beneficial to cognition, and the indirect observation in that study doesn't tell us much about what's actually going on.

Anecdotally, MO is not a cognitive enhancer for me, unless it helps me reduce stress. More often when I take it, I get a fairly significant negative cognitive result. I use it mostly for relaxation and sleep. But as you observed, everyone reacts differently, and I seem to be more sensitive to sedative effects than most.

However, MO has a direct and pronounced effect on GABA breakdown. This is not generally considered cognitively beneficial.

[GoodFellas]

Except B12, what other B-vitamins are essential to good brain functioning?

[Lufega]

Except B12, what other B-vitamins are essential to good brain functioning?

B1 and B6.

[zm3thod]

I agree with the others that there is not a specific "math pill" you can take. Try researching general nootropics threads, such as this one:
http://www.imminst.o...__1#entry372978

I got my degree in Economics and Computer Science in May. This could give you a good starting point:
"The combination that worked was alternating Jarrow CDP Choline and Alpha GPC when studying or taking a test, occasional low dose 1fast400 piracetam when studying (too erratic for me to risk on tests), and 500mg Doctor's Best ALCAR on waking during the weekdays. "

[aLurker]

Garry gum!
(5:35)

[GoodFellas]

Anymore thoughts about this?

[GoodFellas]

Bumping this one a bit;D

[nito]

Maybe modafinil since it increases focus perhaps:p