5 Herb Nootropic Formula to
Dispel Brain Fog, Enhance Concentration and Sharpen Your Mind
Now Instant Focus in Tincture Form!
Introducing the 5 Herbs in Mental Edge
Here are the five herbs in this formula by percentage included in the tincture.
- Bacopa 40%
- Schisandra 20%
- Spearmint 20%
- Lions Mane 10%
- Rhodiola 10%
Initially, I was striving to make a mental spagyric tincture that was all in one. But with so many great herbs, I finally decided I needed to split the functions.
This new mental Edge Tincture is the Yang formula to the Yin of our Mental Calm Tincture.
One for amping up, one for shifting down. (They can also be taken simultaneously for a calm focus, that is great!)
I love, love, love the instant-focus effect I get from our Bacopa powdered extract.* However, as a friend puts it, it tastes as a hamster cage smells! Plus, it is a powder it’s not the most convenient supplement to take when needed.
I’m personally much more of a “tincture person.” I was pleased to make a Bacopa Spagyric Tincture. But it just didn’t have the same kick. I experimented and made the next batch 66% stronger, which is the Bacopa used in this formula. Now we’re getting somewhere. Adding in the other herbs makes it pop even more.
I do feel the instant-focus effect with this new tincture.* Mission achieved!
Now, A deep dive into each herb used in Mental Edge.
Bacopa
Bacopa is considered the #1 herbal nootropic. For that reason, you’ll find it in almost all the nootropic formulas out there. Certain compounds inside have high blood brain barrier penetration and binding ability to receptor sites.
- Promote optimal mood*
- Increases memory, concentration, and reaction time*
- Decreased restlessness*
- Protects the brain and neurons*
- May regulate certain neurotransmitters*
- Increases cerebral blood flow*
- Neuroprotective against toxins*
- Aids recovery of the brain during sleep*
You can read much more about Bacopa on our powdered extract page.
Schisandra
Schisandra is one of the original adaptogens studied by the Russians that gave rise to that name. It has been shown to reduce physical and mental fatigue, while increasing physical and mental work capacity.*
This is just one area of many that Schisandra touches on. It is a formula unto itself. And for this formula, we’re most concerned with its abilities that various studies have shown in:
- Increasing mental working capacity.*
- Increasing alertness and concentration.*
- Improving memory and learning.*
- Protecting against neuronal cell death and inflammation.*
- Raising the levels of key neurotransmitters.*
For more about Schisandra, check out our 5:1 concentrate page.
Spearmint
Spearmint is not just to give this a minty flavor. This herb, specifically the polyphenols and essential oils found inside, have a wide range of effects from antioxidant, antimicrobial, immunity boosting, insulin-regulating effects and much more.*[1]
But here we’re looking at the herbs cognitive effects specifically. The nervous system effects have long been used traditionally in herbal systems for the mint family.
One double-blind placebo-controlled study tested a proprietary spearmint extract for healthy, active men and women. Their average reaction time using an audio-visual device. Some specific measures saw improvement in the Spearmint group compared to placebo.*[2]
Another trial assessed a spearmint extract on sleep, cognition, and mood. Spearmint was found to increase quality of working memory, the accuracy of spatial working memory, improvement in sleep, and more compared to placebo.*[3]
Spearmint is the only herb in this formula that we do not sell by itself in any form.
Lion’s Mane
Lion’s Mane is known as the Mushroom for the Brain because of its capabilities in supporting NGF (nerve growth factors).* For this reason, it has fast become a popular nootropic ingredient.
Research has been investigating its capabilities in slowing mental degradation and even repairing physical damage in the brain.*
Lion’s Mane is utilized in this formula to help support the rewiring of your brain and mind towards greater focus and concentration.* This is a bit hypothetical that formulating with Lion’s Mane in this way will more permanently wire your neurology in a specific direction, but that is the aim! Personal experimentation shows it has the ability to drive things taken with it deeper into neurology.
To discover even more about Lion’s Mane, take a look at our Lion’s Mane 8:1 Powdered Extract page.
Rhodiola
Rhodiola is considered one of the top adaptogens. Like Schisandra, this helps to build your body and mind’s ability to adapt to stress better.
- Lends a pronounced anti-fatigue effect*
- Increases ability for mental work (considered #1 for mental clarity)*
- Aids in recovery from physical and mental work*
- Reduces perceived effort in exercise*
Rhodiola has an extremely strong astringent taste (dries out your mouth). That is why it makes up the smallest part of the tincture, but that 10% amount is still enough to lend these powerful effects (and affect the taste too).
You can read much more about Rhodiola on our powdered extract page.
The Quality of the Ingredients and Processing
All ingredients are grown organic or wildcrafted.
Each one of the ingredients is spagyrically prepared individually then mixed together for the final blend. This lengthy and detailed process, which you can read more about here, makes this tincture stronger and more embodied than your average tincture.
- The Bacopa (Bacopa monnieri) is organically grown in India.
- The Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis) is our source from an organic farm in the Northeast USA that we sell standalone.
- The Spearmint (Menta spicata) is organically grown in the USA.
- The Lion’s Mane mushrooms (Hericium erinaceus) are wildcrafted in Oregon, USA. They are dual extracted with alcohol and water as is best for mushrooms. This is before the spagyric calcination begins.
- The Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea) is organically grown in China.
The water is fresh but filtered water from a spring. The alcohol used is organic cane alcohol. This tincture is roughly 40% ABV.
Taste and Dosage
Mental Edge Spagyric Tincture is predominately sour and astringent but has bitter undertones. The spearmint of course, lends a mintiness on top of all this to this. The total flavor is quite complex.
A starting dose is a half squirt (0.50 mL) twice daily. Each bottle being 30mL, this dose would last one month.
We encourage you to modify the dose as it best supports you throughout the day. Some people may find that just a few drops throughout the day are best to encourage a more consistent concentration regularly.
Some people like to do just a single dose before working, studying, or many other activities.
Play with it and find what works for you.
Because it stimulates the mind, most people will likely not want to take this in the evening or before bed. Stick to mornings or the afternoon.
Contraindications
Rhodiola may elevate high blood pressure so take caution if hypertensive or on blood pressure medication.
This formula is not tested in pregnant or nursing women and therefore is not recommended in either case.
There may be various medication interactions, including SSRIs, MAOI’s and more. Please proceed with caution. Talk to your doctor if on any prescription medication.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.