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| Choline and Inositol |
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Review
Summary |
These days most people are more carefully considering how they spend their money, but there are certain areas people are not willing to skimp on, and health seems to be one of those areas. Enhancing cognitive health with smart drugs can make a real difference in one’s performance at work, at play and at home; doing so can often give people the edge they are looking for to out perform their competition on every level if they make the right choices.
The term smart drugs often brings to mind images of pharmaceutical drugs, but in reality this term was coined to refer to any element that is able to increase brain and cognitive health. Naturally occurring elements, like Alpha GPC and Phosphatidylserine, are often in this class of supplements, but more recently Choline and Inositol have also been referred to as being smart drugs, but are they? Let’s take a look and see.
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| Ingredients At A Glance |
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Choline and Inositol are often lumped together because they are both members of the B Vitamin family, and each one plays an important role in overall and cognitive health. Yet, there are also other B Vitamins that are equally as important in augmenting cognitive health, including Folic Acid and Vitamins B6 and B12.
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| Ingredients in Focus |
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Choline and Inositol are tied together in many individuals’ minds, but they have very different roles in the human body. Choline is an integral part of the structure and functionality of cells, and in many ways it is an element that is essential for human life. It is found in almost every cell, and it is also tied to cognitive health. This is because it is a precursor to acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter, which is integral in keeping all aspects of cognitive health at a high level. On the other hand, Inositol helps with the development of cell membranes, and plays a vital role in nerve cell transmissions. Inositol is found in many of the foods we eat, including beans, oranges, wheat and cantaloupe.
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| Lifestyle |
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Inositol and Choline are often found in cognitive enhancers to help the brain function better, and while they may be helpful in this arena, they do have some obstacles to over come. This is especially true with Choline, which is needed by the brain to produce more acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter. But when used in a synthetic form, Choline has a lot of trouble breeching the blood brain barriers, which means that it has a hard time getting to your brain cells.
Some developers seek to avoid this by using extracts like DMAE, which is converted in the liver to Choline, but it also has side effects. This is why many experts suggest that the best way to get the body to produce more Choline is to use Alpha GPC, a naturally occurring element that prompts the body to create more Choline on its own, which in turn generates more acetylcholine. According to over 20 studies, this element can increase everything from reasoning and learning to memory and focus.
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| Positives |
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• Needed for brain, nerve and cellular health
• Can both be found in a wide array of supplements
• Both elements seem to be categorized as smart drugs
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| Negatives |
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• Choline has a hard time breeching the blood brain barrier to augment cognitive health
• Foods rich in Choline tend to be high in fat
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| Final Thoughts |
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Choline and Inositol are B Vitamins that the body needs for a wide range of functions, including maintaining a high level of brain function, keeping memory on point and easing stress. However, people don’t always get enough of these elements from their diet, so some developers have started crafting products that ramp up the bioavailability of these essential vitamins.
But when it comes to augmenting cognitive health, these extracts need to make their way into brain tissue, and synthetic Choline seems to have trouble making the jump, This is why Alpha GPC is usually included in the more results driven formulas, as it works to help the body ramp up its own production of Choline, which in turn increases memory, learning and focus. Therefore, it may be best to look for products that contain Alpha GPC with Choline and Inositol.
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| Our
Editors Choice:
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Week
of: Tue Jul 27th, 2010 |
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Neurostin® -
Neurostin™ is a blend of non-prescription ingredients that were carefully formulated to reverse and prevent the depletion of the nutrients your brain needs to perform optimally. This is a very well received product that customers speak highly of. The unique formula of Neurostin™ provides your body with all the necessary building blocks to make choline which is the most vital component needed by the cells that comprise both short and long term memory. The formula has also been proven to produce both oxygen and blood flow to the brain which decrease and reverse the effects of deterioration. Neurostin is one of the few formulas that regulates the levels of homocysteine which is key in preventing both long term memory loss and Alzheimer’s. This is an awesome overall formula that enhances overall brain function, sharpness and clarity Click Here to read our full review. |
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