17 replies to this topic

[goku]

I was thinking that b.c caffeine is a xanthine, and things like Yerba Mate and Cocoa don't actually contain caffeine (contrary to popular belief), but different xanthines (Maiteine and Theobromine respectively), perhaps cycling between the different stimulating xanthines every day in order to stave off desensitization to any one xanthine. perhaps the stimulating effects would be more pronounced and effective via this strategy. Any thoughts?

[goku]

nobody posted any thoughts on this. I've been trying to cycle these three stimulants to see if my theory might work. I dunno. I do seem to be getting more benefit by using different xanthines on different days and I've never felt this consistently alert and productive in my life, however I also have just begun using Modafinil regularly for a couple weeks.

I wonder though, seeing as all stimulants inevitably have the same effect or stimulating the adrenals to induce the liver to convert glycogen to glucose (from what I remember about the process) so really the best thing to do for maintaining the effectiveness of stimulants you take would be to take some drugs that support/recharge your stores of epinephrine and norepinephrine and to simply have eat enough glucose all the time.

[rfarris]

Ok. I've heard you say that about a hundred times. Now I'm interested. What does the cocoa do, and why is it particularly good for those taking nootropics?

[worldeater]

goku, sorry but i don't have much experience cycling these, but I can say that I've drank Yerba Mate every day for months and never felt any diminished effects. I've actually never tried Coca Mate, but it sounds interesting. Do you find one better than the other? And just to put it out there, Yerba Mate is a much cleaner stim than coffee for sustained alertness, at least for me anyway.

da_sense, what brand cocoa powder are you using?

[goku]

yerba mate is powerful stuff. But nonetheless, like any stimulant, I've found taking it alone for extended periods of time desensitizes me. I agree with da sense regarding cocoa however I in no way think it's a more powerful stimulant than coffee. Certainly healtier though. Cocoa's antiimflammatory properties are probably second to none. I take quite a bit of cocoa every day too.

[kenj]

cocoa is on my basic list

GET HIGH ON COCOA! [lol]

[rfarris]

What's the difference between cocoa and cacao?

[lemon]

Well... cocoa/chocolate are made from the cacao bean.

[worldeater]

No difference as far as I know.

cacao = latin
cocoa = english

[rfarris]

Interesting. I thought (in English) that cocoa was the beverage.

[goku]

I wanna know where we can get cocoa leaves to chew on.

[Pablo M]

Yerba Mate and Cocoa don't actually contain caffeine (contrary to popular belief), but different xanthines (Maiteine and Theobromine respectively)

I remember reading about this when I was into drinking maté a while back. "Mateine" is an urban health legend. There is no such chemical. Maté contains caffeine like plain ol' green tea and coffee. Given that maté has been linked to higher levels of throat cancer, it seemed prudent to stop. Green tea has more proven health benefits anyway.

[goku]

Really, r u sure? B.c I read that there are different xanthines, not just caffeine. And cocoa for one contains mostly theobromine, not caffeine. But if I was misinformed, and you're certain of that, then this post is dead.

And yes, I meant Coca leaves. "Cocaine" leaves -- they're very nutritious.

[Pablo M]

Really, r u sure?  B.c I read that there are different xanthines, not just caffeine.  And cocoa for one contains mostly theobromine, not caffeine.  But if I was misinformed, and you're certain of that, then this post is dead.

And yes, I meant Coca leaves.  "Cocaine" leaves -- they're very nutritious.

Different xanthines for sure, but not mateine.