It's almost Christmas! Many of you may be excited for the holiday season, but the colder weather, darker mornings, and shorter days can have a negative impact on the mind and body for some. If you can relate, let's explore how our 7 nootropics can help you overcome the winter blues.

1. Bacopa Monnieri

 First, let's take a look at Bacopa Monnieri. During the darker winter months, it's common to feel mentally fatigued and have difficulty focusing on tasks. Bacopa Monnieri can help enhance concentration, memory retention, and learning abilities. By reducing anxiety and stress, this ingredient improves mental performance, making it easier to stay motivated and engaged even during the most mundane tasks. 

2. Zinc

 During the winter season, a deficiency in zinc can affect the hippocampus's ability to create and store new memories, leading to negative consequences in both personal and work life. However, incorporating this nootropic into your routine, along with regular exercise and sufficient sleep, can protect this essential part of the brain. Brain fog is a common problem during this season, and inflammation could be the culprit behind it. Zinc can prevent inflammation and alleviate symptoms of lack of focus and not feeling oneself.

3. Ginseng

Next up, ginseng. Ginseng is a plant that grows slowly in areas of Asia and North America. It is a popular herbal remedy that has been used for centuries in China, Korea and other countries in Asia. Our bars and drinks contain ginseng, and have proved to improve cognitive function, increase memory and suppress stress. It works by reducing the hormone cortisol (or the "stress-hormone"), which in turn boosts your cognitive well-being!

4. Choline

Choline, an organic and water-soluble compound, plays a vital role in brain development, making it one of the essential nutrients for maintaining optimal brain health. Research has demonstrated that choline has a direct impact on memory, mood, and intelligence. In fact, some studies suggest that a lack of choline may impede the development and treatment of mental health conditions, such as anxiety and mood disorders. Thus, it is crucial to ensure that you get enough of this nootropic during the winter months.

5. L-Carnitine

Carnitine is an amino acid that is a powerful antioxidant outside of the brain and readily crosses the blood brain barrier. It modulates the overall health of the brain, protects neurotransmitters and improves mitochondrial health throughout the body, not just the brain, by transporting fatty acids into those cells to get processed for energy.

6. L-Tyrosine

Our Xite energy drinks contain L-Tyrosine, an amino acid that promotes working memory, improves alertness, mood, and sharp mental clarity. It optimizes mental performance when your brain is foggy, making it a crucial ingredient in our drinks. L-Tyrosine works by preventing the decrease of catecholamine neurotransmitter, which usually occurs with environmental conditions such as cold weather. Studies show that L-Tyrosine promotes catecholamines, including dopamine, which is needed for focus, memory, and cognition.

7. Lion's Mane

Number 7 on our list is Lion's Mane, a large, shaggy mushroom that is used for both culinary and medicinal purposes. This nootropic is used in our bars and can help reduce anxiety and depression while boosting cognitive function and overall brain health. Lion's Mane is also known to improve focus by reducing inflammation and increasing blood flow, which in turn supplies your brain with more oxygen. The result is improved brain performance, as the antioxidants in this nootropic strengthen brain cells and stimulate the growth of new neurons, thus improving recall and learning.

These are the 7 nootropics that we use in our bars and drinks that can help you think, feel and perform at your best throughout these cold, wet and dark months.