4 replies to this topic

[snowbell]

I read on the forums that Schizandra can help with focus and energy. I am looking for something that doesn't have any sedative effect like Bacopa or even Gotu Kola....have tried Rhodiola as well and that is also slightly sedative for me. I was wondering if Schizandra has any side effects ? Is it ok to use for people with any thyroid problem ? Any input would be greatly appreciated !

[The Human Meteorite]

I've been using isolated schizandrol A for the past week or so, so far with no noticeable effect. Whether the actual berry differs in this respect I cannot comment on.

[X_Danny_X]

for focus and attention, i believe it is best to add some drug like Ritalin or Addrenal in the mix of your nootropics. just know how to use them.

[Neurotik]

I read on the forums that Schizandra can help with focus and energy. I am looking for something that doesn't have any sedative effect like Bacopa or even Gotu Kola....have tried Rhodiola as well and that is also slightly sedative for me. I was wondering if Schizandra has any side effects ? Is it ok to use for people with any thyroid problem ? Any input would be greatly appreciated !

Best to take it in conjunction with other Chinese Tonic herbs. A lot of them work synergistically.

For instance, I combine loose-leaf green tea with Reishi mushroom (amount depends on the extraction), Gotu Kola (900 mg), L-Tyrosine (3.5 grams), and L-Theanine (400 mg.)

Check this out:

http://www.youtube.c...h/1/8NxcDScWBSU

He knows his topic. He also sells some of the herbs he discusses, though not schizandra in particular. His newer videos about these herbs are particularly informative.

[sam7777]

ah, I have extensive experience with schizandra. I can vouch, it gives a great deal of energy, and possibly mental stimulation. Not depth or concentration, but mental speed and ability to sort through information (which means it would go well with something that adds depth and concentration). Schizandra is incredibly physically stimulating. I believe it is not recommendably with those who have weak nerves or adrenal fatigue or a hyperactive thyroid or sensitive thyroid.

If you respond well to tyrosine or the ginsings, you will do ok with schizandra. In fact even people who cannot tolerate other stimulants do ok with schizandra. I was ok with small doses of it at first. It is closely related to your body's stress hormones and diurnal rhythm. For me during the day, because I am a night owl and have like half my total IQ during the day (go figure), I only feel the phsyically stimulating effects, it increases my adrenalaine and anger quite a bit. It raises testosterone. However, when I would take it at dinner time, I would have intense kicks of mental energy and read and study well into 2 or 3 am. It will disrupt your sleep schedule if you take it too often. I recommend not doing it for more than a couple days at a time, and probably on the days off- take an anticholinergic like passion flower. The brain cannot handle nonstop stimulation.

Arch Pharm Res Vol 30, No 6, 685-690, 2007
Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitory Effect of Lignans Isolated from
Schizandra chinensis
Tran Manh Hung, MinKyun Na 1, Byung Sun Min 2, Tran Minh Ngoc, IkSoo Lee, XinFeng Zhang, and
KiHwan Bae

The hexane extract of the fruit of Schizandra chinensis (Schisandraceae) was found to show
significant inhibition of the activity of acetylcholinesterase enzyme (ACHE). In further studies,
fourteen lignans were isolated, and evaluated for their inhibitory effect on ACHE. The compounds
having both aromatic methylenedioxy and hydroxyl groups on their cyclooctadiene
ring, such as gomisin C (6), gomisin G (7), gomisin D (8), schisandrol B (11) and gomisin A
(13), entirely inhibited AChE in dose dependent manners, with IC~0 values of 6.71 + 0.53, 6.55
+ 0.31, 7.84 + 0.62, 12.57 • 1.07 and 13.28 + 1.68 p.M, respectively. These results indicate that
the lignans could potentially be a potent class of AChE inhibitors.

In our screening program in the search for AChE
inhibitors from plants, a hexane-soluble extract of the fruits
of Schizandra chinensis (fructus schisandrae) exhibited
AChE inhibitory activity (>70% at 50 ~g/mL). The fructus
schisandrae have traditionally been used in Korea, Japan
and China for the treatment of coughs, mouth dryness,
spontaneous sweating, dysentery and insomnia (Chen
and Li, 1993; Zhu, 1998; Bensky and Gamble, 1986). Recently,
the extract of fructus schisandrae was shown to
activate the estrogen-responsive luciferase gene in COS
cells transiently transfected with an estrogen receptor and
reporter plasmids (Lee et aL, 2004). In addition, the
beneficial effect of fructus schisandrae on cycloheximideinduced
amnesia was found to be enhanced by treatment
with serotonergic 5-HT2 receptor antagonists, but attenuated
by serotonergic 5-HT1A receptor agonists and cholinergic
receptor antagonists (Hsieh et aL, 2001). The biologically
active components of the fruit and other parts of S. chinensis
are lignans, compounds with a dibenzo[a,c]cyclooctadiene
skeleton (Tanaka et al., 1995; Yoshikawa et al., 2006;
Nomura et al., 1994). Despite a number of studies on this
plant, few have regarded the active principals and AChE
inhibitory activity. Thus; herein, the inhibitory effects of
fourteen lignans on the AChE activity are reported.

AChE is a substrate specific enzyme, which degrades
the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, in nerve synapses.
According to the cholinergic hypothesis, cholinesterase
inhibitors enhance the signal transmission in nerve
synapses by prolonging the effect of acetylcholine. As
active components, the lignan skeleton from other plants
has also shown inhibitory effects on the AChE activity in
previous studies (Suga et al., 1993; Ming et al., 2002; Haq
et al., 2004). Recently, schisandra was accepted as one
of the main herbal prescription for the treatment of
senescence accelerated (Nishiyama et al., 1995, 1996),
scopolamine-induced memory impairment (Kang et al.,
2005), as well as cycloheximide-induced amnesia (Hsieh
et al., 1999) in vivo. Interestingly, gomisin A, one of the
active lignans, has an ability to improve or ameliorate
spatial long-term and short-term memory via enhancement
of the cholinergic nervous system (Kim et al., 2006). As in
this study, some isolated lignans can manifest inhibitory
AChE activity, although they are less effective than tacrine.
However, those compounds were purified from a natural
medicinal plant used as a folk medicine for many years in
China, Korea and Japan. The low molecular mass material
can easily reach the site of action following oral administration,
since it crosses the blood-brain barrier, which is
the tight function controlling the transport of the material
into the brain (Broadwell et aL, 1993). In addition, the precise
compounds for the AChE inhibitory activity are still of
interest. It is likely that not only the major lignan, gomisin
A (13), but also the minor compounds, such as gomisin C
(6), G (7), D (8) and schisandrol B (11), as well as other
compounds, may be the active components in the plant
that is useful in the treatment of AD.