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Nootropics

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Re: Nootropics

#241

Post by bfuller »

mettamage wrote: post #94
HalfwayToDice wrote: post #74

The best nootropic is getting a good nights sleep. It takes effort! Preparing for bed early and disciplining yourself to put the light out is not easy. Not nearly as easy as popping a pill. But it's so much more effective than any drug listed here. And for a safe and provable quick cognitive boost, take some caffeine, preferable green tea with theanine.

It's hard for me to fall asleep. I haven't cracked it yet how to do it perfectly. What helps: view the problem as improving your likelihood to sleep. Before I viewed the problem as falling asleep 100% of the time, which is a really defeating view to have when I can't fall asleep. Sleep tips that help me: 1. meditation: still experimenting with body-scan vs. breath meditation, they both help but have different effects…

Green tea + l theanine is a good combo

Also can attest through personal experience that the caffeine + power nap works wonders (I usually use my espresso machine)

Re: Nootropics

#242

Post by jgalvez »

forloop wrote: post #216
jgalvez wrote: post #31

No mention of methylene blue? :O It's the best one! Below is a post I wrote on a Ray Peat Facebook group that I think fellow coders and behind-a-desk workers might fight interesting. I've been a serious procrastinator and slacker, and it was a long journey of trial and error in getting diet and lifestyle right. I'm thankful to the amazing work of Dr. Ray Peat, which isn't mentioned enough around Hacker News. ⁂ Some c…

You sound like a follower of Ray Peat. He recommends MB, holds that position on fish oil, recommends K2 as a quinone, recommends aspirin, and recommends nicotinamide* (for the NAD+) From what I can tell—and having experience with MB & his diet)—he's full of shit. * You should look into that. Nicotinamide inhibits the sirtuins. You'd probably be better off with nicotinic acid or nicotinamide riboside (NR).

He's full of shit doesn't exactly convince me, when I look at his amazing coherence, all the wonderful books he's written, hundreds of articles, newsletters, and his general seriousness and disinterest in popularity. One or other thing he's recommended (always backing himself with references and studies) may not have worked for you, but dismissing him like that to me only shows short-sightedness. Would love to hear you elaborate on it. https://vimeo.com/135920003

"In the last couple of years there has been a lot of "noise" in the media about how the SIRT-family of genes can extend lifespan when activated by things like exercise or, preferably, by certain chemical compounds like resveratrol (which putatively acts on SIRT-1). Ray Peat has stated his opinion that activating those genes is not likely to lead to life extension and may even be implicated in some cancers. In one is his articles he talks about how niacinamice/nicotinamide (vitamin B3) acts in a way approximately opposite to resveratrol. Also, there are independent studies that found niacinamide silences SIRT-1 and SIRT-2 in high doses. An interesting study came out recently that seems to corroborate Ray's views. It looks like it's niacinamide that actually extends life while resveratrol so far has been a bust (several clinical trials halted due to resveratrol increasing mortality in patients)."

https://raypeatforum.com/forums/threads/sirtuins-and-life-ex...

Re: Nootropics

#243

Post by thrownblown »

rsync wrote: post #127
mettamage wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's hard for me to fall asleep. I haven't cracked it yet how to do it perfectly. What helps: view the problem as improving your likelihood to sleep. Before I viewed the problem as falling asleep 100% of the time, which is a really defeating view to have when I can't fall asleep. Sleep tips that help me: 1. meditation: still experimenting with body-scan vs. breath meditation, they both help but have different effects…

"It's hard for me to fall asleep. I haven't cracked it yet how to do it perfectly. What helps: view the problem as improving your likelihood to sleep. Before I viewed the problem as falling asleep 100% of the time, which is a really defeating view to have when I can't fall asleep." I did not respond to your sibling comment who speaks of anxiety. It sounds like a real pathology and something I have no business general…

Also on the weight lifting / sleep connection, in 4 hr Body, Time Ferris states:

TAX THE NERVOUS SYSTEM WITH ISO-LATERAL MOVEMENTS. Exercise is commonly recommended to improve sleep. The problem for me was that results were unpredictable. I might exercise for 20 minutes and fall asleep in 10 minutes, or I might exercise for two hours and fall asleep in two hours. There was no repeatable cause and effect. It seemed like a coin toss. This changed when I began to incorporate iso-lateral (one-arm or one-leg) resistance training. I logged faster to-sleep times after 8 out of 10 training sessions. The more complex the stabilization required, the shorter the to-sleep time.

Re: Nootropics

#244

Post by dagaci »

HalfwayToDice wrote: post #74

The best nootropic is getting a good nights sleep. It takes effort! Preparing for bed early and disciplining yourself to put the light out is not easy. Not nearly as easy as popping a pill. But it's so much more effective than any drug listed here. And for a safe and provable quick cognitive boost, take some caffeine, preferable green tea with theanine.

Yes! I concur good night's sleep has Amazing results. And that means discipline in regulating your sleeping habits.

Re: Nootropics

#245

Post by jgalvez »

forloop wrote: post #216
jgalvez wrote: post #31

No mention of methylene blue? :O It's the best one! Below is a post I wrote on a Ray Peat Facebook group that I think fellow coders and behind-a-desk workers might fight interesting. I've been a serious procrastinator and slacker, and it was a long journey of trial and error in getting diet and lifestyle right. I'm thankful to the amazing work of Dr. Ray Peat, which isn't mentioned enough around Hacker News. ⁂ Some c…

You sound like a follower of Ray Peat. He recommends MB, holds that position on fish oil, recommends K2 as a quinone, recommends aspirin, and recommends nicotinamide* (for the NAD+) From what I can tell—and having experience with MB & his diet)—he's full of shit. * You should look into that. Nicotinamide inhibits the sirtuins. You'd probably be better off with nicotinic acid or nicotinamide riboside (NR).

It's VERY easy to make up your mind following a comment like "he's full of shit", but for anyone reading, I suggest you look at at these two articles by pranarupa:

https://pranarupa.wordpress.com/2012/12/25/pufa-because-this... https://pranarupa.wordpress.com/2013/01/31/serotonin-inflamm...

To me, Peat's notions on PUFAs and serotonin are the most important ones to grasp.

Re: Nootropics

#246

Post by forloop »

jgalvez wrote: post #245
forloop wrote: post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You sound like a follower of Ray Peat. He recommends MB, holds that position on fish oil, recommends K2 as a quinone, recommends aspirin, and recommends nicotinamide* (for the NAD+) From what I can tell—and having experience with MB & his diet)—he's full of shit. * You should look into that. Nicotinamide inhibits the sirtuins. You'd probably be better off with nicotinic acid or nicotinamide riboside (NR).

It's VERY easy to make up your mind following a comment like "he's full of shit", but for anyone reading, I suggest you look at at these two articles by pranarupa: https://pranarupa.wordpress.com/2012/12/25/pufa-because-this... https://pranarupa.wordpress.com/2013/01/31/serotonin-inflamm... To me, Peat's notions on PUFAs and serotonin are the most important ones to grasp.

I agree. People should make up their own minds.

When I see studies like the following (grabbed from Dr. Rhonda Patrick's Twitter feed) it makes me question his position on fish oil.

I also found fish oil beneficial to my recovery process, after I got cognitive problems following MB.

Studies:

* Study links omega-3s to reduced mortality[0]

* Consumption of omega-3s linked to lower risk of fatal heart disease[1]

* Lower risk of bowel cancer death linked to high omega 3 intake after diagnosis[2]

* Omega-3, omega-6 supplement improves reading for children[3]

* Stroke-like brain damage is reduced in mice injected with omega-3s

[0] https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-06/g-slo062216.... [1] https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-06/tuhs-dco0623... [2] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/07/160719214830.h... [3] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/09/160914085808.h... [4] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160822140534.h...

Re: Nootropics

#247

Post by zodiac »

hasbroslasher wrote: post #123

So you're telling me you alter your biochemistry to become more productive without a care for how it affects your overall (mostly mental) health? Hell, I started smoking cigarettes at 16, which I rank near the top of my worst decisions ever, despite the fact that it helped me hack my brain chemistry as I powered through numerous difficult math and CS classes with top scores. As a result, I spent years thrashing, kick…

> So you're telling me you alter your biochemistry to become more productive without a care for how it affects your overall (mostly mental) health?

This is quite disingenuous, he specifically searches for nootropics with few side effects

Re: Nootropics

#248

Post by kale »

elyase wrote: post #213
pedalpete wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You have to be careful with Melatonin, your body will produce less of it's own if you keep topping yourself up, which means diminished returns with continued use.

A study assessing 6 months (n=112) and 12 months (n=96) of melatonin treatment of 2mg in a controlled release capsule, taken 1-2 hours prior to sleep, people aged 20-80 with primary insomnia failed to show any tolerance to the treatment. The authors noted a slight sensitization to the effects of melatonin at the 3-4 month period, which was attributed to better entrainment of the circadian rhythm. These results have b…

Thanks for linking that. I researched melatonin previously and found these same studies.

It appears that there's not much of a tolerance effect when taking melatonin. This is unusual, our experience tells us that most drugs have a tolerance effect. Extended use of caffeine causes the body to make more adenosine receptors, meaning that it takes a higher dose to have the same effect.

This does not appear to happen with melatonin. Less science and more anecdote from a lot of users: melatonin also has an amount where it is less effective. You'll find several reports of people that see no effect at the higher doses (10mg), yet a lower dose (3mg) has a good effect.

This is all moot if you're in the UK or Australia, since melatonin is a prescription drug.

Re: Nootropics

#249

Post by naspinski »

rsync wrote: post #127
mettamage wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's hard for me to fall asleep. I haven't cracked it yet how to do it perfectly. What helps: view the problem as improving your likelihood to sleep. Before I viewed the problem as falling asleep 100% of the time, which is a really defeating view to have when I can't fall asleep. Sleep tips that help me: 1. meditation: still experimenting with body-scan vs. breath meditation, they both help but have different effects…

"It's hard for me to fall asleep. I haven't cracked it yet how to do it perfectly. What helps: view the problem as improving your likelihood to sleep. Before I viewed the problem as falling asleep 100% of the time, which is a really defeating view to have when I can't fall asleep." I did not respond to your sibling comment who speaks of anxiety. It sounds like a real pathology and something I have no business general…

You have 3.5-5 hours a day to work out? I want your job. Also, as a former competitive weightlifter, if you are lifting intense for 1.5-2 hours, you are doing it wrong.

Re: Nootropics

#250

Post by beachstartup »

dkns wrote: post #190
ctack wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been doing Stronglifts 5x5 for the last couple of weeks. You do 3 sessions of 30 minute duration a week.

30 minutes? How come? You take a at least 1.5 minute break between every set. So for 5 sets of first exercise that's 7.5 minutes assuming you don't take longer breaks and that you didn't do any warmup and just went straight for proper weights. Now add exercise itself and it's easily 9 minutes. Times three (again, assuming you don't take longer breaks which is really hard to do when you start hitting heavier weights)…

it's amazing there are fitness enthusiasts on the internet who still haven't heard of stronglifts.

also, i'm not sure if you're trolling us with your 11 sets of squats. are you serious? eleven sets?

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