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science nutrition blog

science nutrition <strong>blog</strong>

By Robert Schinetsky

 

 Just over two years ago, Advanced Molecular Labs released the solution to an overworked, over stressed, and under rested CNS in DopaRush.

 Its goal?

 Obliterate the chronic state of fatigue millions of people live in every day.

How did the original DopaRush aim to combat fatigue?

By supplying a fast-acting mix of scientifically formulated ingredients all with a singular purpose -- enhancing dopamine production in the body.

Dopamine, as many of you may know, is one of the major neurotransmitters in the body that affects mood, motivation, movement control, and reward.

Basically, without dopamine, you wouldn’t have the drive to accomplish anything. You wouldn’t have the motor skills needed to accomplish what you wanted to, and you wouldn’t derive pleasure and satisfaction from your accomplishments (assuming you get them done in the first place).

To say that dopamine is important would be a gross understatement.

Dopamine is vital to not only your mental health and wellness, but also your ability to engage in even the most mundane of physical activities, like walking to the mailbox.

And, truth be told, the original DopaRush caps did a mighty fine job of boosting dopamine levels in the body, eliminating CNS fatigue, enhancing productivity and boosting both mental and physical performance.

But a lot can happen in two years, and we found a way to make the best dopamine supplement on the market even better.

How so?

You’re about to find out...

Inside the New DopaRush Cocktail

Tyrosine

Tyrosine is the foundation of DopaRush.

The reason for this is simple -- L-Tyrosine is the amino acid the body uses to produce dopamine. Supplementing with tyrosine ensures the body has enough “building blocks” to make its building.

Dopamine production occurs both within dopaminergic neurons as well as nerve terminals when tyrosine hydroxylase converts L-Tyrosine to L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA).

L-Dopa is the immediate precursor to dopamine, and it is subsequently converted into dopamine via DOPA decarboxylase (DDC) (a.k.a. aromatic-L-amino-acid decarboxylase -- AAAD) with the help of the active form of vitamin B6 (pyridoxal-5’-phosphate), which serves as the coenzyme for the reaction.[1]

DopaRush Cocktail contains a full 2 grams of L-Tyrosine, which has been shown in research to boost mental and physical performance as well as memory.[2,3] Tyrosine supplementation has also been shown to help reduce stress and improve cognitive flexibility.

Caffeine

Caffeine needs little explanation these days as it can be found just about everywhere you look from coffee and tea to pre workout supplements and it’s even found it’s way into things like protein powder and gum!

The reason for this is pretty simple -- caffeine stimulates the CNS.

It helps erase the fatigue we feel the day after a poor night’s sleep and makes us feel pretty “human” again.

Why is it in DopaRush?

Again, the answer is rather simple and straightforward -- caffeine is one of the strongest (legal) dopamine-stimulating compounds on the planet.

The magic behind caffeine’s energy and mood-boosting qualities comes via its antagonism of the adenosine receptors in the body. Adenosine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that dulls the firing of neurons, promoting feelings of fatigue, lethargy, and tiredness.

Caffeine’s structures closely resemble that of adenosine, which means it can bind to the adenosine receptor, thereby preventing the adenosine molecule from binding. This leads to increased feelings of alertness and arousal.

Furthermore, caffeine also stimulates the release of dopamine in the brain as well as upregulates dopamine receptor availability and affinity.[9]

Beyond that, caffeine also encourages the release of other important neurotransmitters including acetylcholine and adrenaline. The increase in these high-powered neuro chemicals turbocharges cognitive function, allowing for increased motivation, focus, attentiveness, and productivity in the office or at the gym.

While we as a species tend to that that if a little of something is good, a whole lot “must” be that much better.

But, that’s not really the case with caffeine.

To get the most of its energy and dopamine-boosting properties, all you need is a generous 200mg dose of caffeine.

This just so happens to be the exact amount included in AML Dopa Rush Cocktail.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that 200mg caffeine is an ideal dose to boost attention, elevate mood, and reduce fatigue. [4,5,6,7,8]

TeaCrine™

Caffeine is great for providing fast-acting energy, but its strong “pop” starts to wan about 3-4 hours post ingestion.

That’s where TeaCrine comes in.

TeaCrine is a chemical cousin of caffeine that provides long-lasting energy, mood, and focus you need to keep going strong all day long.

TeaCrine is derived from kucha tea and stimulates dopamine release in the body similar to caffeine, but slightly differently.[10]

You see, caffeine is an orthosteric modulator of adenosine receptors in the brain, while TeaCrine is an allosteric modulator. Without getting too complicated, orthosteric modulation is like kicking in the front door of the house to get in, while allosteric is akin to slipping through an open window.

Caffeine takes an aggressive, forceful approach to blocking adenosine receptors, while TeaCrine goes about it more subtly.

This makes caffeine + TeaCrine highly synergistic [11] and gives the best of both worlds with fast-acting energy coupled with smooth long-lasting energy that avoids the crash and jitters.

Research has found that the combination of theacrine and caffeine led to improvements in energy, mood, and performance than supplementing with caffeine alone.

But that’s not even the best part.

TeaCrine does not come with habituation (tolerance build up), which means you get the same boost in mood, energy, and focus again and again without having to constantly up the dose.

L-Dopa

If you remember to the beginning of this article when we were discussing the synthesis of dopamine, we mentioned that the direct precursor to dopamine is a compound called L-Dopa.[12]

L-Dopa is naturally produced by the body, but it’s also readily found in nature in a plant known as Mucuna pruriens (velvet bean).

Mucuna has been used for centuries as an all-natural herbal medicine and aphrodisiac. Modern studies have found that supplementing with L-Dopa helps boost declining dopamine levels.[12,13]

Interestingly, L-Dopa has been documented to be such a powerful dopaminergic compound that Parkinson’s researchers have started investigating its potential to help in the treatment of the neurological disease.

In case you weren’t aware, declining dopamine production and death of dopamine-generating neurons is at the core of Parkinson's disease.

Dopa Rush Cocktail includes 100mg of Mucuna pruriens extract standardized for 40 % L-Dopa, which supplies 40mg of the powerful dopamine precursor in every serving.

Garcitrin™

Up to this point, you’ve noticed a great deal of similarity between the original DopaRush and the new Dopa Rush Cocktail, and there's a good reason for it. The original formula worked, and it worked incredibly well (in our opinion), but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t be improved, and that’s precisely why we’ve added Garcitrin in the latest edition of Dopa Rush Cocktail.

What is Garcitrin?

Garcitrin is our trademarked Garcinia Indica extract containing 5% Garcinol.

Garcinol is the active principal compound of Garcinia indica which has been used in traditional medicine for centuries for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties.[14,17]

The reason it is included in Dopa Rush Cocktail is that Garcinol functions as an effective monoamine oxidase-B inhibitor...so effective in fact that it’s being studied for the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease.[15]

Monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) is an enzyme that metabolizes certain neurotransmitters in the body, including nor norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine. Researchers have begun developing a class of medications based on MAO-B inhibition treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, as we just mentioned.

But, there are several naturally occurring MAO-B inhibitors, such as garcinol.

Typically, you’ll see hordenine (hordeum vulgare extract) used in supplements, as hordenine has been noted to also operate as a mild MAO-B inhibitor. However, the FDA has recently spotlighted hordenine as a persona non grata in dietary supplements.

And, as we’ve explained before in our article “Stim Hype! Show Me the Science”, hordenine may come with some undesired side effects and potential risks that you’d rather not deal with.

Garcitrin (garcinol) presents as an ideal option to use in lieu of hordenine to inhibit the actions of MAO-B, leading to longer-lasting dopamine levels in the body, for sustained energy, mood, and focus.

BioPerine®

BioPerine® is a well-known ingredient, frequently used in dietary supplements for its ability to enhance nutrient uptake via piperine’s inhibition of the major drug-metabolizing enzyme in the body CYP3A4 as well as the drug transporter P-glycoprotein.[18]

But that’s not the only reason BioPerine is included in AML Dopa Rush Cocktail -- piperine also helps increase dopamine release in the body. It does this by stimulating the TRPV receptor in the brain.[19]

And to top it off, piperine also acts as a mild MAO inhibitor[20], bolstering the effects of Garcitrin and further promoting stronger, longer-lasting energy, mood, and motivation!

Folic Acid

Leading off the highly underrated, yet vitally essential, “supporting cast” of Dopa Rush Cocktail is folic acid.

Folic acid is a highly bioavailable form of Vitamin B9 that plays a key role in the biosynthesis of dopamine as it is required for the production of cofactor BH4.

Researchers have found a link between low dopamine levels (which are linked to depression) and low intakes of folic acid.

By supplementing with folic acid, we’re “greasing the treads” of the dopamine production line by providing the body with extra substrate needed to create the enzyme which is the “rate-limiting” step in the synthesis of dopamine.[21]

This allows for uninterrupted dopamine production in the body, ensuring it has enough of the main building block (tyrosine) along with the nuts and bolts that hold the whole thing together.

But we’re not done yet with the important supporting players in dopamine production.

Vitamin B-12

Vitamin B12 is a well-known member of the family of essential B vitamins that plays a role in energy production. As it just so happens, B12 also serves as an important cofactor in the production of dopamine too.

But, there’s more to B12 than meets the eye...

Mutations in a protein called Leucine-Rich Repeat Kinase 2 (LRRK2) has been spotlighted by researchers as cause of both hereditary and non-hereditary forms of Parkinson’s disease. [22]

Researchers have identified a number of promising LRRK2 inhibitors; however, most of them come with a rather unwanted side effect -- they also inhibit ATP (the “cellular currency” of energy production).

Recently, researchers from the University of Basque Country identified a form of vitamin B12 called 5′-deoxyadenosylcobalamin as a mixed-type allosteric inhibitor of LRRK2 kinase activity. The team also noted that treatment with B12 also prevents neurotoxicity in neurons.[22]

AML Dopa Rush Cocktail supplies 1000mcg of vitamin B12 per serving to support dopamine production.

Vitamin C

The final ingredient in Dopa Rush Cocktail is everyone’s favorite vitamin to mega-dose when they feel a cold coming on -- Vitamin C.

We all know that Vitamin C serves as a powerful antioxidant in the body, but what you might not realize is that it also impacts the dopamine production process too.[26]

Vitamin C is required for activating Tyrosine hydroxylase and it also serves as a cofactor in the conversion of dopamine to norepinephrine (noradrenaline) by the enzyme dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH).

Tyrosine hydroxylase is the limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of dopamine as well as norepinephrine and epinephrine. [24,25]

Dopa Rush Cocktail supplies 1,000mg of Vitamin C in every serving to support dopamine synthesis.

Dopa Rush Cocktail -- The Best Dopamine Supplement

Dopamine is a critical neurotransmitter involved in a vast array of cognitive and physical abilities as well as emotional states. It’s also necessary for you to reach your full potential.

Dopa Rush Cocktail takes a multi-tiered approach to supporting and encouraging dopamine production for greater energy, mood, focus, and productivity.

 Gone are the days of feeling fatigued, lethargic, or foggy headed.

Dopa Rush Cocktail supplies everything needed to maximize production, safely and naturally.

 

References

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  2. Steenbergen, L., Sellaro, R., Hommel, B., & Colzato, L. S. (2015). Tyrosine promotes cognitive flexibility: evidence from proactive vs. reactive control during task switching performance. Neuropsychologia, 69, 50–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.01.022
  3. Jongkees, B. J., Hommel, B., Kuhn, S., & Colzato, L. S. (2015). Effect of tyrosine supplementation on clinical and healthy populations under stress or cognitive demands--A review. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 70, 50–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.08.014
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  16. Lee, P.-S., Teng, C.-Y., Kalyanam, N., Ho, C.-T., & Pan, M.-H. (2019). Garcinol Reduces Obesity in High-Fat-Diet-Fed Mice by Modulating Gut Microbiota Composition. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 63(2), e1800390. https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.201800390
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