It’s become the buzz of the Silicon Valley.
Consumed mostly behind closed doors, exotic daily cocktails of over-the-counter medications and supplements, prescription “smart drugs” and unclassified research chemicals are fueling a culture that thrives on staying one step ahead.
“Nootropics” is the newest tool being used by some tech industry executives, workers and students to improve their brain function to help “solve” today’s problems.
However, this type of “wild west” experimentation aimed at gaining a cognitive edge is bringing with it unwanted – and unintended – consequences.
Some users are noticing mood changes and an increase in tension, fatigue and accidents. And some are waking up to personal relationships that are no longer the same…
I’m all for sharpening my mental edge to increase my learning capacity. And you can count me in for doing all I can to delay, avoid or even reverse cognitive decline.
But cognitive enhancement shouldn’t come at a cost that could potentially harm your mind, body or personal well-being.
And I certainly wouldn’t advise taking prescription “smart drugs” and unknown chemical concoctions flowing out of foreign labs – especially because you don’t have to resort to potentially hazardous drugs and chemicals to help your brain function more efficiently.
Nature provides us with some of the very finest nootropics. In fact, they’re even better than those coming from foreign labs and, they’re a whole lot less likely to cause unwanted side effects.
Over the next few minutes, I’d like to tell you about some of my favorite cognitive health boosters that could help you sharpen your own mental edge or to help turn back the signs of brain cellular aging.
What Nootropics Are and Aren’t
Nootropics get their name from “noos” – the Greek word for “mind.” They certainly aren’t new. Nootropics have been around for at least hundreds of years, but they just haven’t been recognized by that name.
By definition, nootropics are substances that enhance cognitive function. They help support and protect brain health, and some can help reduce signs of cellular aging and stress markers.
To be a true nootropic, the substance must be:
- Harmless.
- Non-addictive.
- Free from significant and potentially harmful side effects.
Some suggest caffeine and tobacco may be humankind’s original nootropics. However, both can have adverse effects – especially nicotine – so they don’t meet the three requirements for a true nootropic.
Other aspirant-nootropics are emerging, too, as the demand for cognitive-enhancing drugs rises. Mysterious white powders are flowing out of Russian and Chinese labs, leaving many to wonder if they’re even legal to purchase.
But that’s not the worst part – many of these overseas labs aren’t monitoring the powders for quality or the presence of heavy metals.
Does it really make sense to risk your well-being for a small boost in brainpower at best?
Because no one can promise these mysterious substances, including popular “smart drugs,” meet all three requirements, they can’t be considered true nootropics.
So if many of the chemical concoctions fueling the Silicon Valley and other technology hotspots aren’t true nootropics, then what are?
Nature’s Own Cognitive-Enhancing Substances and What They Can Do for You
True nootropics and other cognitive-enhancing substances can help support your memory, motivation, creativity, alertness and general cognitive function.
What else could a true nootropic compound potentially do for you?
- Feed your brain with essential nutrients it may be lacking
- Support normal circulation to your brain
- Provide important precursors to crucial neurotransmitters
- Improve your resilience to stress
- Help protect brain cells from damaging oxygen species and free radicals
- Boost the flow of nutrients and oxygen to your brain
- Help protect your brain from the accumulation of wastes
- Support an already healthy inflammatory response in your brain
- Support the formation of new healthy brain cells and the repair of damaged neurons
- Promote neuroplasticity, or your brain’s ability to change
Are nootropics for you? I believe these groups stand to potentially benefit the most from nature’s nootropics:
- Anyone who wants to enhance their cognitive function
- Professionals, artists and entrepreneurs who want to boost their productivity and creativity with calm, relaxed focus
- Athletes who need to perform optimally and decisively under pressure with focus and mental clarity
- Active adults over 55 who want to help maintain their overall brain health and peak mental performance well into their senior years
Let’s take a closer look at what may be Mother Nature’s most important true nootropic…
Nature’s Most Valuable Nootropic: Omega-3 Fats
Of all of nature’s nootropics, omega-3 fats may be the single most important substance you can take to support your brain health.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are essential omega-3 fats that your body can’t make on its own. DHA and EPA are actual components of your brain and DHA especially may be the most important fatty acid for your brain and central nervous system.
Your brain is almost 60% fat, and a quarter of that is DHA. Approximately 90% of the omega-3 fat in your brain cells is DHA.
DHA is so key to your cognitive health, researchers now believe it may have played a pivotal role in the evolution of human intelligence.
The discovery of high-quality, easily digestible nutrients from coastal seafood and inland freshwater sources marked an important turning point in human evolution.
Over generations, shore-based dwellers consumed greater amounts of seafood. Fossil records show that early man’s brain gray matter in the cerebral cortex rapidly increased during the same period.
The cerebral cortex is the highly developed area of your brain responsible for memory, language, creativity, judgment, emotion and attention.
Today, we know that the DHA molecule has unique structural properties that support cell membrane functions, including the inner membrane of your mitochondria.
In fact, your mitochondria’s inner membrane contains a component called cardiolipin that needs to be saturated in DHA to function properly.
Think of cardiolipin as your cellular alarm system – one of its important tasks is to clear out dysfunctional brain cells.
So what does the research tell us about DHA’s importance for your brain health?
Why High Blood Levels of DHA May Help You Enjoy Sharper Cognitive Health*
There’s no shortage of evidence showing the value of DHA for your cognitive ability and brain health.
On a structural and functional level, research shows DHA performs many different functions in your brain and throughout your entire body:
- Modulates signal transduction pathways*
- Enables communication between neurons by enhancing nerve cells’ ability to rewire themselves*
- Supports the creation of new brain cells*
- Forms myelin sheaths around nerves to allow nerve impulses to move more quickly*
- Aids in the function of membrane receptors*
- Supports synaptic plasticity for learning and memory*
- Supports an already healthy inflammatory response in your brain*
- Helps maintain membrane integrity*
So how do all those important functions equate to cognitive health?
In a study at a major university involving a large group of healthy elderly Americans, those with the highest blood levels of DHA experienced better cognitive health over a nine-year period.*
And it’s not just older adults… healthy young adults benefit from DHA supplementation, too. In one double-blind study, 176 healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 45 took either a placebo or one gram of DHA per day.
Measuring cognitive performance after six months, researchers found improved memory and reaction times in those supplementing their DHA.*
These are just some of the many ways DHA can benefit your brain health and why getting enough healthy omega-3 fats may be one of the best decisions you can make toward supporting your overall well-being.
Switch on the ‘Miracle Grow’ for a Better Long-Term Memory*
We just saw how healthy DHA levels correlate to optimal brain health.
DHA also plays another key role in helping you maintain a healthy brain and your mental edge. It increases a crucial protein in your brain – brain-derived neurotropic factor, or BDNF.*
BDNF is like Miracle Grow for your brain. Its potent rejuvenating effects help the survival, maturation and differentiation of nerve cells.
Plus, it helps create new neurons or brain cells to support memory.
All courtesy of higher, healthy levels of DHA…
Researchers are convinced that maintaining adequate levels of DHA in those brain regions is critical for successful aging of the adult brain.* Getting DHA together with EPA, which has been shown to benefit mood, is ideal.
What’s the best way to get DHA and EPA for your brain?
The modern diet typically lacks sufficient amounts of these omega-3s, and even worse, contains too many omega-6s that can upset your healthy ratio of omega-3s to 6s.
To maintain optimal levels of DHA in your brain, specifically the areas that need it most – your brain’s frontal and prefrontal lobes – you must get it through dietary or supplemental sources.
How to Get the DHA Your Brain Needs
Many people know DHA is very important, and when they pick an omega-3 supplement, they assume that the more DHA, the better. But is that really so?
It’s actually not so simple, and let me tell you why.
The ideal way to get DHA is from wild caught fish low in heavy metals, where DHA is in a phospholipid and triglyceride form. Remember your early ancestors who added more fish to their diets? This is how you are designed to get your DHA.
My recent book, Superfuel, based on extensive research compiled by co-author James DiNicolantonio, Pharm.D. and myself guides you back to a diet reminiscent of Paleolithic times, with particular focus on animal-based omega-3 fats, specifically those bound to phospholipids.
Back then, much of the omega-3 came from animal brains. Today, you’re not likely to find brains on too many restaurant menus, but phospholipid-bound omega 3 can still be found in krill oil and fish roe.
Phospholipids make up your cell membranes, but they also play a major role in how your body metabolizes DHA.
Your blood-brain barrier is highly selective and difficult to penetrate. It helps protect your brain by letting good molecules in and keeping bad ones out.
When DHA is in its phospholipid form called phosphatidylcholine DHA, it is readily transported across your blood-brain barrier.
But much of the DHA you find in supplements is in the free form, and that enters your brain by a much less efficient method called passive diffusion.
To make things worse, many people have a gene that impedes the transport of free DHA across the blood barrier. Let’s take a closer look at the newest research and why that may matter to you.
Are Your Brain Cells Getting Enough DHA?
For healthy brain function, including learning and memory, several things must happen:
- Chemicals and nutrients must be broken down at the cellular level.
- Brain cells must receive energy in the form of oxygen and glucose from circulating blood.
- Neurons must constantly maintain and repair themselves for their long-term survival.
Scientists now believe that memory issues may be, at least partly, due to an accumulation of protein clusters called beta-amyloid plaques and an abnormal buildup of a protein called tau inside your brain cells.
This is thought to occur because of reduced glucose in your brain.
If you have the APOE4 gene – and about one-quarter of the population is thought to have it – you’re more likely to have challenges with your memory and brain function, and at an earlier age.
Studies show that APOE4 disrupts your DHA transport system and can prevent your brain from getting enough DHA unless it is in phospholipid form.
If you’re one of the many who are a carrier of this gene, the good news is that there is no problem transporting the phospholipid form of DHA into your brain as it bypasses this defect.
If you are not eating plenty of clean fish, or fish eggs called roe, then you need to consider a phospholipid DHA omega-3 supplement.
But not necessarily an omega-3 supplement made from fish. Here’s why you could be making a big mistake if you try to get your DHA from most fish oil supplements…
The Fish Oil Catch-22: Why Fish Oil May Not Be Your Best Source for DHA
You won’t find it on the label, but fish oil can come in either triglyceride form or the altered ethyl ester form.
Producing oils in triglyceride form costs more, but the end result is a better product. Most of the fish oil softgels you see for sale are in the ethyl ester form.
Today, almost all fish oil is loaded with toxins. To make it safe for use and in some cases to concentrate the DHA and EPA to higher than normal levels, the fish oil is distilled. After distillation, it is synthetically recombined to form what is called an ethyl ester.
Ethyl ester is very similar to bio diesel, which is a methyl ester. None are found in nature – they’re only created through chemical synthesis. Your body isn’t designed to use any of these ester forms.
Plus, they can be harmful… These processed omega-3 fish oils can be as bad for your body as excess omega-6 fats.
However, not all fish oils have this problem. If the fish is clean and not laden with toxins, it doesn’t have to be distilled. Rather, it can be simply cold-pressed.
As I said earlier, fresh fish has its DHA in two forms: phospholipid and triglyceride, but much of the DHA in omega-3 supplements is in the free form, a form that doesn’t reach your brain as easily.
Our Salmon Oil (3000 mg) is like eating fresh fish in that its omega-3 fats are in the triglyceride form.
To get ideal levels of DHA, it’s best to get it in both triglyceride and phospholipid form – 50/50 if possible. That’s why I recommend taking both Salmon Oil and krill oil.
Hands down, krill oil is my preferred source for getting phospholipid DHA.Phospholipid DHA from krill is absorbed twice as well as from fish and transferred into your red blood cells.
Not Convinced You Need Extra Omega-3s? Find Out How You Compare to the World
The Omega-3 Index was developed to help individuals find out their levels of DHA and EPA.
This sensitive test, available through our online store, measures the amount of DHA and EPA in your red blood cell membranes, which correlates to the amount of these omega-3 fatty acids in your heart, brain and other tissues.
A measure of 8% or above is considered optimal for maintaining health while a level below 8% increases your risk of developing health issues. Levels 4% and below should serve as a wake-up call that you need more omega-3s now.
You can check your omega-3 index and the levels of other essential vitamins and minerals at home with our convenient kits that test your Omega-3 Index, Vitamin D & Omega-3, Vitamin D, Magnesium & Omega-3, and Vitamin D, Magnesium & Omega-3 PLUS Elements.
Researchers have discovered that omega-3 status tends to be regional. So depending upon where you live, you may be at greater risk for a deficiency in DHA and EPA. See the map below for general levels in your area. Ideally, test your levels regularly so you know exactly where you stand.
Discover our Super Krill Oil for Even More Nootropics
So far, we’ve only talked about the omega-3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA, which are plentiful in krill oil.
However, this unique version of krill oil has even more DHA and EPA and several other top nootropics or cognitive enhancing substances.
All krill oil has a high phospholipid level of around 40%, but we’ve been able to concentrate the phospholipids in this super krill oil – Biothin® Keto Krill® – to nearly 60%. Aside from containing the preferred phospholipid form of DHA, 50% of this super krill oil is phosphatidylcholine, which is essential for your cell membranes and for helping your body clean itself of the toxins you’re regularly exposed to.
Keep in mind, regular fish oil, with the exception of herring caviar oil, contains no phospholipids or phosphatidylcholine, so it can’t offer these valuable extra cell membrane and detox benefits. Only krill and herring caviar oils can do that.
You’ll find this in Biothin® Keto Krill®, named for its potent brain-boosting benefits.
Before I tell you about the other nootropics in Biothin® Keto Krill® that make it so desirable for cognitive health, let’s take a closer look at the nootropics hiding inside the super krill oil included in the formula:*
- More omega-3 fats (DHA and EPA) – The patented technology up-concentrates beneficial components resulting in higher amounts of DHA and EPA for your brain, eyes, heart, joints, skin and liver.*
- Phosphatidylcholine (PC) – Unique to krill oil and herring caviar oil, this is a phospholipid attached to a choline particle. It’s a major structural lipid of your blood plasma membranes and an important source of signaling molecules.*
- More phospholipids – With a level of nearly 60%, more phospholipids mean better and faster delivery of the key fatty acids, DHA and EPA into blood cell membranes, resulting in higher levels of omega-3s in your organs.*
- Astaxanthin – A small amount of naturally occurring astaxanthin, one of nature’s most powerful antioxidants, helps keep the formula fresh and stable without the addition of preservatives. No other fish oil can make that claim.
Your body recognizes the omega-3s in our Biothin® Keto Krill® better because they are mostly attached to phospholipids. This helps them gain better and faster entry into your cell membranes and then to your tissues and organs.
9 in 10 Americans Don’t Get Enough Choline for Healthy Nerve and Brain Cells*
It’s estimated that 90% of Americans don’t get enough choline in their diets.
And that’s very concerning, considering how important optimal cognitive function is for a healthy, independent lifestyle.
Choline is key for brain health at any age, from infancy into one’s senior years.
It’s an essential nutrient for nerve signaling, lipid metabolism, cellular water balance, and liver and muscle functioning.*
Plus, your body needs choline to make the neurotransmitters and phospholipids that your nerve and brain cells require for proper communication and function.*
A recent study shows that when people get plenty of choline in their diets (which we now know is not happening), they may perform better on memory tests and be less likely to show brain changes associated with forgetfulness.*
It’s not a nutrient you dare run low on, so if you can’t get enough choline from healthy fish, eggs and liver, you might consider supplementation. Even if you do, know that choline from food can be challenging to absorb and utilize.
We’ve added choline to Biothin® Keto Krill® to help you get your brain running on all its cylinders.
Serine Phospholipids: Another “Smart” Nutrient for a Sharper Mind and Youthful Brain*
Phosphatidylserine, or PS, is another essential nutrient for brain health that may be in short supply in many people.
Derived from sunflower lecithin (instead of soy), these serine phospholipids are found in your brain and nerve cell membranes.
PS is required not only for healthy nerve cell membranes but myelin, those protective coverings around nerves. It supports short-term memory and the consolidation of long-term memory.*
Phosphatidylserine has been shown in studies to support many cognitive abilities, including:
- Learning and creating new memories.*
- Focusing attention and concentration.*
- Reasoning and solving problems.*
- Communication, along with developing language skills.*
Researchers have discovered that extra serine phospholipids (or PS) can cross the blood-brain barrier and safely aid to slow, halt or even reverse the breakdown of nerve cells that occurs with normal aging.*
In fact, studies show that taking 100 mg. of phosphatidylserine three times a day can potentially help reduce age-related decline in brain function.*
Studies on young, healthy individuals taking higher doses show promise, too, for improving memory, thinking skills and mood.*
Fuel for Your Brain: Caprylic Acid C8 MCT Oil
Most likely, you’ve heard about MCT oil, which stands for medium-chain triglycerides, or the special type of fat that gets its name from its chemical structure (the length or chain of carbon molecules).
But you’re less likely to have heard about C8 Caprylic Acid. This is the most ideal MCT as it converts to ketones within minutes, is odorless, flavorless and may be easier on your digestive tract than other types of MCTs.
If you use my MITOMIX® Ketone Energy, you already know about Caprylic Acid because 95% of its MCTs are C8.
Here are several reasons why I prefer C8 MCTs for brain health:
- Its shorter fatty acid chain allows it to stimulate ketone production in just minutes, which often results in almost instant mental clarity and alertness.*
- They bypass normal digestive processes and cross your intestinal membrane directly to your liver to be used as a clean-burning fuel for your entire body and brain.*
- Because of their water-solubility, C8s cross your blood-brain barrier to provide your brain tissue with fuel, unlike other types of fat.*
Recent research suggests exciting potential benefits with brain health and the use of C8 MCT oil. In one study, subjects scored higher on cognitive tests after taking C8 MCT oil.* In conditions where the brain cannot rely on glucose for fuel, MCT oil appears to be valuable.*
The type of MCT matters when it comes to cognitive health. Pure C8 MCT offers the best potential for mental functioning, mood and brain health.*
For all these reasons, we’ve included Caprylic C8 MCT oil in our Biothin® Keto Krill® formula.
The Keto Connection: Why Nutritional Ketosis Is So Beneficial for Your Brain Function
When your body burns fat as its primary fuel during the state of nutritional ketosis, ketones are created.
Ketones are not only an efficient and superior fuel for your brain, but they also generate fewer reactive oxygen species (ROS) and less free radical damage, a real bonus for your mitochondria.
As we’ve just learned with C8 MCT oil, ketones provide almost instant alertness and mental acuity – exactly what you want when you take a nootropic or cognitive-boosting supplement.
But here’s something you may not know about when your body produces ketones… One ketone in particular, called beta-hydroxybutyrate, provides outstanding fuel for your brain cells and even stimulates positive changes in the expression of your DNA.*
When you’re in mild ketosis, this special ketone can help support an already healthy inflammatory response, boost antioxidant production and increase your body’s detoxification pathways.
We’ve designed our Biothin® Keto Krill® to enhance your brainpower and to help support cognitive health, whether you’re in ketosis and feast-famine cycling, aiming towards nutritional ketosis or just following a healthy diet.*
Finally, let’s examine what makes Biothin® Keto Krill® stand out when it comes to krill oil.
How Eco Harvesting™ Makes Our Krill Oil More Sustainable
So what makes our Biothin® Keto Krill® so exceptional besides its outstanding collection of nature’s nootropics?
It’s all about how the super krill oil is harvested.
Our supplier has spent many years perfecting and refining the production of our super krill oil. Traditional trawling isn’t appropriate with krill. Gentle harvesting, coupled with immediate processing is key for high-quality oil.
A new technology for krill harvesting and processing called Eco Harvesting™ ensures the preservation of the high-quality catch.
As you can see in the photo below, a continuous stream of water flows through the hose, bringing the live krill (and nothing else) directly into a state-of-the-art fishing vessel. Immediate processing prevents enzymatic degradation and preserves vital nutrients in the oil.
A 2015 report from the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) awarded our krill fishery with an “A” rating for sustainability and management – the only fishery to receive this stellar rating.
Plus, that same year, our krill supplier achieved Non-GMO Project Verification, and remains the only krill brand to obtain this prestigious approval. This is your assurance that no genetically engineered ingredients or GMOs are used to make our super krill oil.
Our Biothin® Keto Krill® is the Only Marine Omega-3 With 100% Product Traceability
When you receive your bottle of Biothin® Keto Krill®, you’ll be able to tell exactly where the krill came from.
On the bottom corner of the product label, you’ll find the actual coordinates of where the krill was harvested. That allows you to trace your product back to the exact position where each batch of krill oil was produced.
I don’t know of any other krill product that provides this exacting information.
Why does traceability matter?
- You know your krill oil comes from a sustainable and traceable source.
- You are protected from unscrupulous fisheries and fraudulently labeled goods.
- The krill are protected from illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing.
In case you ever wondered about krill sustainability, consider this fact:
Compared to other types of fisheries that have catch limits of about 10% of stock biomass, krill fisheries limit their catch to less than 1% of the enormous 600,000 tons of krill biomass.
So how can you be sure?
Look for the Blue MSC Label – It’s Your Guarantee for Sustainability and Quality
The blue MSC label is your assurance that the krill product is certified sustainable and meets all the standards for quality.
The Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) “boat to plate” mentality is your assurance that not only was the krill produced sustainably but also:
- Every company that has handled the product, from the fishery to the manufacturer, has been independently audited to ensure it only uses the MSC eco-label on certified sustainable products.
- Every point in the production chain stores MSC-certified items separately.
- All components must keep effective records of MSC-certified products.
Always insist on the blue MSC label when buying any krill product. It’s your only guarantee that the krill was harvested sustainably and that quality was maintained throughout the fishing and production process.
Are You Ready to Fire up Your Brainpower, Sharpen Your Mental Edge?
You care about your health and what you put into your body, so I know you care about this, too.
And I also know you might be concerned about your brain health as you’re growing older, or you might be longing for that boost in sharpness and brainpower for your work or hobbies that you know nootropics can provide.
Either way, Biothin® Keto Krill® can supplement your healthy diet and provide the right “smart” nutrients to help you take control of your cognitive function and brain health.
With Biothin® Keto Krill®, you don’t have to go out and hunt down all the individual nootropics that we’ve added to our formula. Even if you could find them, they might not be as high a quality as what you’ll find here, and it would certainly cost you way more.
We’ve done the research, and we know you’ll be pleased with what we’ve created, especially once you start feeling the difference in how you can focus, remember and think more clearly.*
Order Biothin® Keto Krill® today, and experience the many benefits.*