Head First Copyright © 2017 David Tomen This book is intended to supplement, not replace, the advice of a trained health professional. If you know or suspect that you have a health problem, you should consult a health professional. The author and publisher specifically disclaim any liability, loss, or risk, personal or otherwise, that is incurred as a consequence, direct or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of this book. All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights. NootropicsExpert.com 2001 Atlantic Shores Boulevard, Hallandale Beach, FL 33009 First Edition: January 2017 Table of Contents Introduction 1 Top 7 Brain Hacking Principles 6 There is No “Magic Pill” 6 Dosage and Synergy 7 Start Slow and Low 8 Avoid Tolerance 9 Choosing the Right Nootropic 11 Stay Safe 12 Evaluating your Nootropic Stack 13 Your Brain is Part of a System 13 How Your Brain Works 15 Brain Architecture 15 Cognitive Architecture 16 Cerebral Cortex 17 The Gatekeepers 17 Neurons & Synapses 18 Cell Membranes 18 Brain Cell Signaling 19 Neurotransmitters 20 Glutamate 21 GABA 21 Acetylcholine 22 Dopamine 22 Epinephrine & Norepinephrine 23 Serotonin 23 Improve Your Memory with Nootropics 25 Types of Memory 25 List of Nootropics 28 Acetyl-L-Carnitine 28 Alpha GPC 33 Alpha-Lipoic Acid 38 Aniracetam 44 Artichoke Extract (Luteolin) 49 Ashwagandha 54 Bacopa Monnieri 60 Cat’s Claw 65 Choline Bitartrate 70 Choline Citrate 75 CDP-Choline (Citicoline) 81 Centrophenoxine 86 Coluracetam 91 Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) 96 Creatine 102 DHEA 108 DMAE 114 5-HTP 120 Forskolin 127 GABA 133 Ginkgo Biloba 138 Ginseng 143 Gotu Kola 150 Huperzine-A 155 Iodine 161 Kava 169 L-Carnosine 175 L-DOPA 181 Lemon Balm 186 L-Glutamine 191 Lion’s Mane 197 L-Theanine 202 Magnesium 208 Melatonin 213 N-Acetyl L-Cysteine 219 N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine 226 NADH 233 Nefiracetam 239 Nicotine 246 Noopept 252 Oat Straw 259 Oxiracetam 264 Phenibut 270 Phenylalanine 277 Phenylpiracetam 284 Phosphatidylcholine (PC) 290 Phosphatidylserine (PS) 295 Picamilon 302 Piperine 308 Piracetam 313 PQQ 320 Pramiracetam 326 Pterostilbene 332 Resveratrol 339 Rhodiola Rosea 346 SAM-e 353 St. John’s wort 360 Sulbutiamine 369 Tryptophan 375 Turmeric 383 Uridine Monophosphate 391 Vinpocetine 398 Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 404 Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 411 Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) 420 Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) 427 Vitamin B8 (Inositol) 434 Vitamin B9 (Folate) 441 Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) 448 Nootropic Stack Recommendations 456 Best Nootropics for Cognition, Thinking and Decision-Making 457 Best Nootropics for Memory 458 Best Nootropics for Depression & Anxiety 460 Best Nootropics for Energy (physical & mental) & Motivation 461 Best Nootropics for Brain Repair and Maintenance 463 How to Create the Best Nootropic Stack 465 The Most Effective Nootropic Stack for You 466 Your First Nootropic Stack 466 Nootropics for Memory 467 Nootropics for Anxiety and Depression 468 Nootropics for Energy and Motivation 470 Nootropics for Brain Repair and Maintenance 471 Conclusion 472 My Nootropic Stack 473 Nootropics Glossary 474 References 493 Introduction bout 5 years ago, I came home to our 4th floor condo after taking my A dog for her noon walk. Oreo is an 8-pound black Chihuahua with one white paw. Thus her name. We walk 3-times a day. And had done for the last 3 years since she was a puppy. Except this time, I came home for lunch and a couple of minutes later heard a knock at the door. Our neighbor from the 2nd floor had Oreo in her arms. And asked, “Is this your dog”? Somehow, Oreo and I were separated on the elevator coming home. And I hadn’t noticed she was missing when I walked through our door. Can you Draw a Clock? Losing my dog between the 1st and 4th floor was not a one-time, chance occurrence. I was diagnosed Adult ADD about 10 years ago. Up to then I had no idea why I had a problem with focus all my adult life. I bought and read dozens of self-help books on how to focus. Depression because I couldn’t focus. And lost promotions from yearly management reviews showing I wasn’t “focused”. My doctor prescribed Ritalin and it was like someone turned on the light switch in my brain. Several years after the ADD diagnosis I ended up in the ER. What my wife feared was a heart attack turned out to be hypothyroidism. A non-functioning thyroid came with chronic fatigue syndrome, severe brain fog, memory loss, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, and adrenal fatigue. We endured endless visits to specialists and renowned hospitals including the Cleveland Clinic. Along with episodes of not remembering dates and ap- pointments, a failing business, a crumbling marriage, doctors, endocrinologists, neuroscience specialists and therapists. Two unrelated neurologists tested me for dementia, and early-onset Al- zheimer’s disease. One of the tests was the “Mini-Mental State Exam”. The doctor asked a series of questions designed to test a range of everyday mental skills. The maximum MMSE score is 30 points. A score of 20 to 24 suggests mild 1 David Tomen dementia, 13 to 20 suggests moderate dementia, and less than 12 indicates severe dementia. I got 30 points on every test which meant I didn’t have dementia. Mini-cog During the mini-cog, a person is asked to complete two tasks: 1. Remember, and a few minutes later, repeat the names of three common objects. 2. Draw a face of a clock showing all 12 numbers in the right places and a time specified by the examiner. The results of this brief test can help a physician determine if further evalu- ation is needed.1 I’m a writer, and not an artist. But was able to draw a near perfect clock. So it was becoming increasingly clear that this was not not dementia, or Alzheimer’s. But clearly my brain was not working nearly as well as it should. The medical bills kept stacking up, and the doctors had all but given up. There was nothing wrong with me according to mainstream medicine. But my life was falling apart and I had to make a decision. Either figure this thing out. Or give up and die. I decided there must be a better way. Nootropics Saved My Life I’m a Virgo. And this means I’m very methodical in my approach to life. There had to be another answer to my cognitive problems. And thus began years of research and experimenting. I had to find out if there was an alternative way to beat severe brain fog, memory loss and depression. Ritalin helped me focus. But was not helping in the memory and thinking department. Years of searching websites, reading stacks of books, and combing through the forums. And little by little, I was able to get my brain working again. With determination and time, it was working better than ever before. With the right combination of supplements and lifestyle changes, I’ve been able to turn my life around. My business is more profitable than ever, my relation- ship is better than the day we got married, and my brain is firing on all cylinders. And I continue to tweak and refine every area of my brain and cognition. 2 HEAD FIRST Who This Book is For So if you’re dealing with ADHD. Or are not happy with your life because of brain fog, low energy, moodiness, difficulty sleeping, memory loss or just a general feeling of malaise… this book could be your way back. Nootropics and neuroscience are finally coming of age. Researchers and ordinary neurohackers like us are beginning to understand a lot about the brain. And we’ve found that several things follow from taking care of your head first. Your quality of life is tied to how well your brain functions. If you give your brain what it needs, and slow down brain aging, boost your memory and alertness so you can think faster on your feet, and your brain begins to function the way it was designed or better – everything changes. My life, and the lives of tens of thousands of neurohackers is certainly testa- ment to that! Think about this for a moment. You go to the dentist once a year to see how your teeth are doing. But you don’t think about going to your neurologist once a year to see how your brain is doing. Clearly your brain is more important than your teeth. You can get false teeth. But replacement brains are simply not yet available. One big lesson we have learned is your brain is not going to get better on its own. Researchers at Simon Fraser University in Canada studied 3,305 volunteers aged 16 to 44 years. They concluded that our brains start going south at age 24.2 This means that even if you’re living an optimal lifestyle, eating right, exercis- ing, getting enough sleep, and breathing clean air – your brain health on average starts to decline in your early 20’s. So this book is not just for neurohackers looking to tweak their brain for optimal performance. This book is for you if you want to do better in any area of your life.