HANG-OVER and Focus

Memory and concentration issues the day after drinking are common and can be a real problem, especially for students or those with professional responsibilities.

Rhodiola

Rhodiola rosea L. (R. rosea L.) is also known as Rhodiola, Roseroot, Arctic Root, and Golden Root. [1]

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), R. rosea L. is used to restore qi (vital energy), by boosting blood circulation, unblocking blood vessels, and improving mental function. [2]

Rhodiola extracts are used as a food supplement by athletes to boost the body's natural resistance, acting as an "adaptogen" to improve physical and mental performance and fight stress and fatigue. [3]

Several clinical trials have shown that standardised rhodiola extract improved mental performance and attention within cognitive function in cases of fatigue, after both single and repeated administration, [4,5,6] and prevented physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion in patients with fatigue syndrome.[7]

Its composition includes: salidroside, p-tyrosol, rosavin, pyride, rhodiosin, and rhodionin, the active ingredients of the Rhodiola species, although their quantity varies. [8]

Modern pharmacological studies indicate that its extracts can raise neurotransmitter levels, central nervous system activity, and cardiovascular function. [9,10]

Ginseng

Ginseng has been shown to have beneficial effects on the central nervous system, particularly on cognitive functions, memory, and learning ability. [11,12]. Ginsenoside Rg1 or Rb1 have been shown to improve cognitive function performance.[13,14,15]

Ginseng offers a wide range of therapeutic properties.

L-Theanine

L-theanine has drawn particular attention from the scientific community, which sees it as a modulator of human brain function.

This is referred to as modulation of alpha activity, which applies to tasks requiring attention, with a beneficial effect on mental state. [16,17,18]

Combining rhodiola, L-theanine, and ginseng supports concentration and helps retain what you've learned.

[1] (Farhath et al., 2005)

[2] (Comité de la pharmacopée du ministère de la santé de la République populaire de Chine, 2005).

[3]. Panossian A, Wikman G, Sarris J. Rosenroot (Rhodiola rosea): traditional use, chemical composition, pharmacology and clinical efficacy. Phytomedicine. 2010

[4]. Shevtsov VA, Zholus BI, Shervarly VI, Vol'skij VB, Korovin YP, Khristich MP, Roslyakova NA, Wikman G. A randomized trial of two different doses of a SHR-5 Rhodiola rosea extract versus placebo and control of capacity for mental work. Phytomedicine. 2003

[5]. Darbinyan V, Kteyan A, Panossian A, Gabrielian E, Wikman G, Wagner H. Rhodiola rosea in stress induced fatigue--a double blind cross-over study of a standardized extract SHR-5 with a repeated low-dose regimen on the mental performance of healthy physicians during night duty. Phytomedicine. 2000.

[6]. Spasov AA, Wikman GK, Mandrikov VB, Mironova IA, Neumoin VV. A double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of the stimulating and adaptogenic effect of Rhodiola rosea SHR-5 extract on the fatigue of students caused by stress during an examination period with a repeated low-dose regimen. Phytomedicine. 2000.

[7] Olsson EM, von Schéele B, Panossian AG. A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of the standardised extract shr-5 of the roots of Rhodiola rosea in the treatment of subjects with stress-related fatigue. Planta Med. 2009

[8] Zhang et al., 2006.

[9] Spasov et al., 2000

[10] Shevtsov et al., 2003

[11] Attele AS, Wu JA, Yuan CS. Ginseng pharmacology: multiple constituents and multiple actions. Biochem Pharmacol. 1999;58:1685–93.

[12] Radad K, Gille G, Moldzio R, Saito H, Rausch WD. Ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg1 effects on mesencephalic dopaminergic cells stressed with glutamate. Brain Res. 2004;1021:41–53.

[13] Benishin CG, Lee R, Wang LC, Liu HJ. Effects of ginsenoside Rb1 on central cholinergic metabolism. Pharmacology. 1991;42:223–9.

[14] Yamaguchi Y, Haruta K, Kobayashi H. Effects of ginsenosides on impaired performance induced in the rat by scopolamine in a radial-arm maze. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 1995;20:645–53.

[15] Mook-Jung I, Hong HS, Boo JH, et al. Ginsenoside Rb1 and Rg1 improve spatial learning and increase hippocampal synaptophysin level in mice. J Neurosci Res. 2001;63:509–15. [95] Gomez-Ramirez M., Kelly S.P., Montesi J.L., Foxe J.J. The effects of l-theanine on alpha-band oscillatory brain activity during a visuo-spatial attention task. Brain Topogr. 2009;22:44–51.

[16] Nobre A.C., Rao A., Owen G.N. l-theanine, a natural constituent in tea, and its effect on mental state. Asia Pac. J. Clin. Nutr. 2008;17(Suppl. 1):167–168.

[17] Gomez-Ramirez M., Higgins B.A., Rycroft J.A., Owen G.N., Mahoney J., Shpaner M., Foxe J.J. The deployment of intersensory selective attention: A high-density electrical mapping study of the effects of theanine. Clin. Neuropharmacol. 2007;30:25–38.

[18] Turkozu D., Sanlier N. l-theanine, unique amino acid of tea, and its metabolism, health effects, and safety. Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr. 2017;57:1681–1687.[99] Rao T.P., Ozeki M., Juneja L.R. In search of a safe natural sleep aid. J. Am. Coll. Nutr. 2015;34:436–447.