• Functional mushrooms are ordinary fungi, cultivated and grown for health purposes. Functional mushrooms are not the same as ‘magic mushrooms’ - or psychobilin mushrooms - which are illegal in most countries, and contain compounds which effect the brain, and can cause hallucinations. As functional mushrooms contain no psychoactive ingredients, and are harmless, they are fully legal, and act as a trusted resource by wellness experts, herbalists and naturopaths.

  • Antioxidants are supplements that are used to support the cognitive abilities and brain functioning of individuals. Since there are many different ways that the brain functions, there is no way to accurately sum up what all antioxidants do, as some of them will impact learning, others will impact cognition, and others may impact memory. There are different types of antioxidants, ranging from natural substances that are sold over the counter to prescription antioxidants that can only be used for certain medical conditions. There are also synthetic antioxidants that are synthesised in labs. For the purposes of this article, we’ll be referring to natural nootropics that require no prescription. Natural antioxidants tend to be far safer than synthetic ones because they have less of a potential for abuse and they typically don’t have negative side effects unless they’re consumed in large amounts. Antioxidant research has increased dramatically in recent years because of the demand for “brain booster” supplements.

  • Caffeine is an antioxidant ingredient that’s usually found in tea and coffee. Its main benefit is that it can block receptors adenosine and prevent the user from getting into a state of drowsiness. Since it supports the nervous system and brain function, it will support you to become more productive and engaged during lengthy tasks. Coffee contains over 102-200 mg of caffeine per cup. A study proved that caffeinated products and beverages support working memory and sustained attention, making them a good antioxidant for busy people or need an extra kick to their productive juices. You can also use Rhodiola Rosea to support productivity and regulate your depression levels. This six-week study showed that two groups that received 680 mg of Rhodiola helped support their depression levels than the placebo group. Rhodiola Rosea supports the neurotransmitters of your brain. The study mentioned above showed that it could support in fixing your depression levels, insomnia, and emotional stability. That’s why Rhodiola and Caffeine are great tools to support productive workflow.

  • Many adaptogens are touted as being able to support you in managing your stress, and one of the most popular options is ashwagandha, which is a ground root that has been used in ayurvedic medicine for centuries. This study shows that ashwagandha can support its users reduce their cortisol levels when taking 300 mg of the supplement daily. Rhodiola rosea is another herb typically used to support managing stress in its users, which is backed up by science. For example, this study showed that rhodiola rosea was able to support managing the stress that its users experienced immediately and that it lasted for a period of about five hours. Schisandra chinensis has also been shown to help support stress, and this one is interesting because it can be used in tandem with rhodiola rosea to also help support the reduction of mental fatigue. This study shows that s. chinensis can help support the amount of stress-related depression that a study participant experiences.

  • One of the first things that you’ll need to consider is that every adaptogen is different, so it’s not easy to predict whether or not they’ll have an immediate effect. Many adaptogens have an effect that is sub-perceptible when you first start taking them, so you’ll have to be patient to see any changes. This is because most of the studies that are conducted on adaptogens take place over an extended period of time. In many cases, study participants will be given a certain amount of a specific adaptogen over the course of 30 to 90 days, and their reactions will be monitored using different scales. It’s likely that you’ll start to feel some effects of your adaptogen within the first month of taking it, and some adaptogens may even be felt within the first week. However, this also goes both ways, as some adaptogens can take you up to two or three months before you’ll start feeling them.

  • Adaptogens are plants that help support and regulate your hormone responses. Worry is caused due to an imbalance in your hormones, making it harder for you to think clearly or become happy. Research shows that Adaptogens can help support levels of mild to severe worry. And it can be used for supporting stress management. Ashwagandha is an ingredient used to support damage in your body caused by stress, allowing you to have a better mood overall and making you more responsive to daily issues in life. One study proved that Ashwagandha had been used to support the mental and physical damage induced by stress. Test subjects that were taken over 300 mg of Ashwagandha two times a day felt less worry than the placebo group. Cortisol is released when your brain is processing stress. This study showed that Ashwagandha would help support lower cortisol levels, blocking the hormone from making feelings of worry worse. Through adaptogens such as Ashwagandha, you can support balance in your worry and protect your body from stress.

  • Your brain cells can grow based on how well they can make new neurons. The brain cells begin to grow once the embryo starts to develop. Then it grows into adulthood, and this is where your brain can reach its peak. The use of adaptogens will help support the brain cells. Adaptogens support your brain's central nervous system. You can use Turmeric and Omega-3 fatty acids. Turmeric supports anti ageing and heart health. It is used as an antioxidant and research suggests, supports anti-inflammatory qualities. Using omega-3 fatty acids can play an important role in your brain cell growth and cognitive function. Diseases such as Alzheimer's are a common form of dementia that impairs your brains cell creation, slowing down your brain's speed and growth. With another study that lasted for 24 weeks, Adaptopens such as omega-3 can perform better on learning tests. It will support your brain health potentially reducing decline, which can occur more often in older adults. So using adaptogens is a great tool in supporting your brain cells growing.

  • ADHD can be difficult because it can affect your ability for self-control and attention. The main benefit of antioxidants is that it helps support people with ADHD stay focused and make less impulsive decisions. Antioxidants such as B-vitamin Complex can support people that have ADHD. One of their main benefits is the ability to support neuroprotection, synthesis release, and brain signalling. A person who has ADHD will be more attentive and engaged with these benefits.

  • Functional mushrooms are several types of fungi including the 6 present in Puresport’s Mind & Body mushroom Blend complex. These include: Lions Mane, Reishi, Chaga, Shiitake, Cordyceps & Maitake. Functional mushrooms have been used in Eastern Medicine for centuries back to support with a variety of health and wellbeing concerns. Modern Western medicine has mostly neglected the power of functional mushrooms, but the modern wellness world is re-discovering them, and their potential benefits Functional mushrooms are not the same as Psilocybin or “magic mushrooms”. They are completely legal, and are often consumed in a powder form in order to derive full benefits.

  • Puresport has crafted a range of Mushroom and Antioxidant supplements, designed to support health and wellbeing. All of our supplements are in capsule-from, designed to be taken 1-2 times daily with water. The time of day, when the capsule is to be taken, can vary depending on the desired outcome. Puresport products are created to be taken in conjunction with each other, aiming to compound the potential benefits of adaptogens and antioxidants, to have overall health and wellbeing benefits.

  • Adaptogens are a range of supplements that are typically derived from plants and are non-toxic and edible. In many cases, these supplements are extracted from plants in the form of an oil or a powder, but that isn’t always the case. It’s possible that an adaptogen is also the plant itself, being consumed directly. One of the main things that adaptogens are known for is being able to support the body to maintain a state of homeostasis, which is the state in which our body remains balanced. They support us to stay balanced in many ways, but the most common benefit of using adaptogens is that they support adapting to factors that stress us. An adaptogen helps support us to remain as healthy as possible by supporting our systems and our minds. By making our bodies stronger and less susceptible to stress, an adaptogen can support the negative effects that stress can have on our bodies, having a healthier overall effect.

  • There are many adaptogens that are able to support sleep, but once again, ashwagandha is a popular choice because of the large body of research on it compared to other adaptogens. While studies have yet to be conducted on humans, studies on mice have shown that reishi mushrooms are another adaptogen that is able to support quality sleep. This occurs due to a reaction in the gut bacteria of mice that supports serotonin production, which is a key neurotransmitter in regulating sleep cycles. Throughout history, valerian root has also been considered one of the best traditional medicines for supporting individuals to get to sleep and deal with insomnia. Studies have shown that valerian root has a significant impact on supporting an individual’s ability to get to sleep with relative ease and have quality rest.

  • There are a few key differences between antioxidants and adaptogens, and the main one is in what each of them intends to accomplish. An antioxidant seeks to support brain function like memory, cognition, concentration, alertness, creativity, and attention. On the other hand, adaptogens are designed to help support us deal with stressors. While antioxidants may indirectly help support us deal with stress and worry, they will only do so because we will perform better and won’t have to deal with external factors related to poor performance. On the other hand, an adaptogen will support the stress and worry that we feel directly. Another thing to consider is the way that antioxidants and adaptogens work on a biological level. Adaptogens interact with the HPA, but antioxidants have a wide range of different mechanisms that they work through. This is due to the sheer variety of antioxidants that are available compared to adaptogens.

  • L-theanine can be found in antioxidants, and it can help support your focus. This ingredient can also be consumed in tea form, as most people can have L-theanine benefits by drinking over 20mg-50mg of L-theanine or drinking green tea or black tea. Based on a 2012 study, it was reported that people tend to consume black tea during the morning. This was because the L-theanine supported their ability to focus and become more attentive at work. During this study, they found that people who consumed 20-30 (stat find) L-theanine was able to reduce the number of mistakes made on heavy attention tasks. Comparatively, the L-theanine test subjects performed better than the placebo subjects, meaning that L-theanine is great for supporting one’s focus throughout the day.

  • Creativity is accessed when the mind is able to make new solutions or outcomes. This is when your mind produces the least cortisol, which makes you become stressed. By using ingredients such as Bacopa Monnieri and Lion’s Mane, one can unlock new areas of creativity. Bacopa Monnieri is used to help support the “creative flow state.” This 12-week study had over 46 healthy adults take over 300 mg of Bacopa Monnieri a day. By the end of the suggested study, those who took the ingredient supported a faster visual processing speed than the placebo group, showing that it does aid in supporting your creative function. Lion's Mane ingredient also helps support creativity and can be consumed in mushroom powder form. When consumed, it helps support lower depression and worry levels, which helps keep a positive and happy mood. People who have low moods have had difficulty with creativity, so using both Bacopa Monnieri and Lion’s Mane can help support increasing intuition and creative skills.

  • antioxidants are commonly used to support the amount of energy that users have available, and the most common one is caffeine. While it’s used very commonly and not associated with most other antioxidants, caffeine is indeed an antioxidant because of how it impacts our mind and our perceived energy levels. As we mentioned earlier, L-theanine is another great antioxidant if you’re looking to support your energy levels. Studies have shown that combining L-theanine with caffeine will support you to improve the amount of energy that you have available while also supporting mood and cognitive abilities. Citicoline is yet another antioxidant that has been shown to support energy levels, making it a great choice for a long workday or an extended study session. This study was conducted using phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and it found that the substance is able to support bioenergetics in the frontal lobe.