Notes from R&D
Blog
Experimental and Off Label for Mood: NAC, Creatine, Curcumin, Probiotics, Ketamine and Psilocybin
NAC, creatine, curcumin, probiotics, ketamine, esketamine and psilocybin, explained from first principles. Mechanism is strong, human trials are small, and safety needs a clinician.
Foods and Supplements That Interact With Mood Medicine, and How to Spot Them
St John's wort, grapefruit, tyramine foods, alcohol, caffeine, leafy greens and lithium all interact with mood medicine. The mechanism is often one liver enzyme.
Anxiety: Calm Without Sedation, and Why Caffeine and Alcohol Make It Worse
L-theanine, magnesium, ashwagandha and chamomile have small trials for anxiety. The bigger win is often cutting caffeine and alcohol, and fixing sleep.
Depression: What Helps When Labs Are Low, and What Helps When They Are Not
EPA omega-3, saffron, SAMe, methylfolate, magnesium and zinc have the best trial data for depression, mostly as add ons, and mostly for mild to moderate symptoms.
Experimental and Off Label for Fatigue: PQQ, NMN, Spermidine, Urolithin A, GlyNAC and Taurine
PQQ, NMN, spermidine, urolithin A, GlyNAC and taurine, explained from first principles. Mechanism is strong, human fatigue trials are thin.
Stress, Sleep and Adaptogens: Rhodiola, Ashwagandha, Ginseng and Cordyceps for Fatigue
Rhodiola has the best fatigue data of the adaptogens, ashwagandha helps stress and sleep, ginseng is mixed, cordyceps is thin. None replaces sleep.
Mitochondria and ATP: CoQ10, NADH, Carnitine, Creatine and D-Ribose for Fatigue
Your cells make energy in mitochondria. CoQ10, NADH, acetyl-L-carnitine, creatine and D-ribose target that system, with small trials in chronic fatigue.
Why You Are Tired: Labs First, Before Any Supplement
Iron, B12, vitamin D, thyroid and sleep explain a lot of fatigue. Test first, fix what is low, then retest.
The Uncommon Ones: Choline, Membrane, and Mitochondria for Brain Fog
Citicoline, alpha-GPC, phosphatidylserine, uridine, lion's mane, NAC, PQQ and CoQ10, explained from first principles, with the human trials that actually exist.
Bacopa, Rhodiola, Ashwagandha and Omega-3 for Brain Fog: What Holds Up?
Bacopa has the best memory data, Rhodiola is a fatigue story, ashwagandha helps stressed people most, and omega-3 helps mainly if you start low.
L-Theanine, Creatine and Tyrosine for Brain Fog: What the Trials Actually Show
Caffeine plus L-theanine, creatine and tyrosine are the most studied acute focus ingredients. The effects are real, small to moderate, and very context dependent.
Brain Fog? Check These 4 Things Before You Buy a Stack
B12, iron, vitamin D and magnesium are the most correctable causes of brain fog. Test first, fix what is low, then retest in 6 to 12 weeks.