In April-May 2019, an unflavored and unsweetened 5-day sample of Qualia Nootropic Energy was sent to members of our beta tester community. Here's how the data stacked up.
In this article, we will take a look at the role of the gut microbiota and the gut-brain axis in metabolism and energy homeostasis. We will learn how food-derived chemical signals—nutrients and microbial metabolites—are translated in the gut into endocrine and neural signals that convey information about the caloric load and composition of a meal to the brain.
In September-October 2018, a 3-week sample of Qualia Life (formerly called Eternus) was sent to volunteers. Volunteers were selected to include a mix of people who were and were not currently taking Qualia Mind. No information was given on what product was intended to do, ingredients contained in the product, or expected responses. Instructions were to take 8 capsules with breakfast 5 days a week, with 2 off days, for 3 weeks. All participants were asked to complete a survey questionnaire after 5 days, 2 weeks, and 3 weeks. Seventy-one persons completed the 3 weeks of supplementation and provided responses to the survey.
The gut and brain are constantly communicating and influencing each other. This interaction is called the gut-brain axis. It means that what goes on in the gut can affect how the brain performs, influencing how we think, feel and behave. In this article, we explore the gut-brain connection and how the brain and the gut, our second brain, influence each other.
In 1958, Jack Preiss and Philip Handler published a scientific paper describing how NAD+ was made from niacin in three steps.(1) This pathway was later named the Preiss-Handler pathway after the co-discoverers. It describes the enzyme steps needed to convert niacin into the NAD+ molecule.
In this article, we’re going to learn about mitohormesis, the activity of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as signaling molecules, and how and why ROS can be both beneficial and harmful. We will also discuss what leads to excessive ROS production and accumulation, how this associates with aging, and where antioxidants fit into the equation. Lastly, we’ll discuss nutritional strategies that can support the antioxidant defenses cells and mitochondria use to protect themselves against excessive ROS.
Similar to many other cellular processes, the creation of new mitochondria (a process called mitochondrial biogenesis), and the interacting pathways that influence it, suffers with aging. This is the bad news. The good news is that there are things we can do to better support maintaining a fitter mitochondrial network.
Even with our staggering growth in technology and science, there’s a good chance we won’t make it to the year 2100. Change isn’t happening fast enough. The fate of humanity can no longer be left to politics or policy. Growth needs to start on a personal scale. We need, at a fundamental level, to become better humans.
In this article, we’re going to introduce an indirect way of supporting NAD+. Rather than making more, this article will be teaching you about using less. Using less requires downregulating a protein called cluster of differentiation 38 (CD38 for short). When CD38 is not as active, less NAD+ is used by it. The result is higher NAD+ levels and greater NAD+ availability for important healthy aging uses.
The NAD+ form of the molecule is required for certain cellular signaling reactions that change the way cells behave. Unlike redox, where the molecule is conserved, the NAD+ molecule is broken apart or “consumed” when used for signaling. It’s these NAD+ consumption uses that have been a main reason for the resurgence of scientific interest in strategies to boost NAD+.
Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Southern Ginseng) is an herb attributed with having ginseng status. Until fairly recently Gynostemma pentaphyllum was used primarily in mountainous regions of southern China and northern Vietnam. It’s been described as the "immortality herb,” because people within Guizhou Province, where herbal teas made from the plant are consumed regularly, are said to have a history of unusual longevity.
You have less than a hundred days until the end of the year. Or maybe less, depending on when you are reading this.
Of course it’s all arbitrary. The end of the year or the beginning of the next is just a day like any other. But as the time passes and we see and set dates for our goals and dreams, we are reminded of the work we want to do and the world we wish to create for ourselves.
What are your goals for the next 100 days?
ElevATP® is a proprietary, clinically researched combination of a water extract of “ancient peat” (fossilized plants) and apple extract. The ancient peat contains 70 elements and is especially rich in carbon, magnesium, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur. ElevATP® is a clinically tested product with human studies for sports performance, body composition, and elevating ATP.
Strawberries are a good source of polyphenols. The seeds are an even better source. We made sure to source an extract standardized for at least 2% polyphenols. Studies of this extract suggest it might support healthy skin, weight, metabolism, and other functions needed for healthy aging.* Strawberry polyphenols would also be expected to support antioxidant defenses and overall cellular health.* But the main reason we included the strawberry seed extract is because it is a source of a specific flavonoid called tiliroside.
Citrus × sinensis is the group of oranges that includes the commonly eaten navel orange and the blood orange. The peels and fruit are a rich source of citrus bioflavonoids. But our interest went beyond just including a generic citrus bioflavonoid mixture. What we were really interested in is a specific polymethoxylated flavone called nobiletin. Nobiletin has been identified as clock-enhancing small molecule, so is a key nutrient to support body clock functions.
Rutin is a type of polyphenol called a flavonoid glycoside. It’s composed of quercetin and the disaccharide rutinose. It’s also called rutoside, quercetin-3-O-rutinoside and sophorin. While it’s found in a wide variety of plants, including citrus, foods with the highest concentrations of rutin include capers, black olives, buckwheat, and asparagus. The most common use of rutin has been for supporting healthy veins. But it does much more.