The term 'Smart Drinks' was originally coined to describe drinks that improved cognition under typical conditions often found in our lives: mental and chemical stress, as caused by environmental toxins, sustained mental effort, as when involved in late-night computer hacking, and the physical stress that can frequently be caused by lots of work, or all night dancing to high BPM's. Over the years I've become interested in research on nutrition and the brain, and I've tried to apply these concepts to drinks to improve my mental clarity and quality of life.

I'll try to explain my approach..

Basically " smart drinks" are highly targeted micronutrient foods.. foods for the brain.

Nutrients can affect brain function, and the biological effect of consuming them at different times of the day is also highly significant. Your body has evolved mechanisms which we can take advantage of.

These days, drugs are popular in psychotherapy, etc. but these drugs are often too strong, and too broad in their effects.(they have unwanted side effects.)

Whenever you have a problem, it is best to approach the problem with the less intrusive and most natural methods (which I would say are nutrients) first. If those methods fail to completely address the problem, then you might want to bring in the power tools.. (drugs)

When I was approached by friends and asked to create my interpretation of what "smart drinks" should be for the first Bay Area cyberclub, ToonTown, I drew upon a host of papers I had read on nutrients that effect brain function, military research I had read about the use of amino acid supplements to protect soldiers under battlefield stress, material I had read about defective dopamine transport mechanisms in many people because of genetic abnormalities, and what I knew about the conditions and the drugs commonly consumed at raves.

What a combination of influences, you would say, but read on...

I ended up with several formulas that worked for me, but people should experiment with what is available to them. The most valid approach to making nootropic drinks would be to apply these principles to your daytime and evening diet 'with a gourmet flair'.

;)

With a little imagination, these recipies can be adapted into cybercafe drinks.. (this is what I did with Nutrient Cafe in the early 90's)

In the morning, or any time my neurons are firing more rapidly than usual... I supplement with catecholamine precursors..(tyrosine and/or phenylalanine) and maybye a bit of DMAE...

One drink that I find popular as a morning energizer is based on a heaping teaspoon of L-Tyrosine, DMAE and orange juice..
I have found tyrosine to be more effective than phenylalanine. One study I've seen suggests 'frequent feedings throughout the early part of the day', as the best way to use tyrosine.

In the evening I try to increase serotonergicity of dietary tryptophan. This is done by supplementation with niacin and B6, consumption of carbohydrates to stimulate insulin, and/or tryptophan-laden foods like turkey or soy...

Also: Don't consume tyrosine or phenylalanine in the evening.

In the midday (on a full stomach.. ;-) I might consume precursors of acetylcholine.... (choline or DMAE..) along with the cofactor vitamin B5.

It's also important to emphasize that everyone's neurochemistry is different, and so it is worthwile to experiment with different combinations of nutrients, and as importantly, different times of consumption. For example, consuming tyrosine or phenylalanine in the evening can be bad for your body's production of serotonin.. Low serotonin causes irratibility and agression, and prevents you from getting restful sleep..

(This is why L-Tryptophan, serotonin's precursor, was so good at helping people sleep well.)

Effective amounts of nutrients must be consumed, but if you are consuming atypical amounts of a substance, read up, so you can be aware of the risks. It's also wise to inform your doctor if you are taking large amounts of any substance.

I had this brought home to me several years ago when I was taking large amounts of choline and pyroglutamic acid. Over time it gave me stomach problems..Niacin can also give you liver problems if you overdo it, and high doses of B6 can cause nerve damage.

So, watch your step...I will make an attempt to simply descrbe some ingredients that can be used in smart drinks. Please send me your experiences. (my email address is chris@hyperreal.com) I am still doing research on food-based neuronutrition.

An interesting sidenote to the smart drink story is that a growing body of research seems to indicate that some of the nutrients (most specifically tyrosine and the now-banned amino acid tryptophan) that have been used in smart drinks may have value in helping people quit cocaine and amphetamines.(Tennant 1985,Geis,Smith and Smith 1986,Hixson 1983,Dackis,Gold 1985,Wyatt,Karoum and Suddath 1988,Sved 1983) This has sadly yet to be fully investigated, most investigators disregarding anecdotal reports and citing evidence that was gathered on healthy subjects. (strong evidence shows that a predisposition to abuse drugs/alcohol is inherited.)

One would take many small (1 gram or so) feedings of tyrosine from the beginning till the middle of the day. DLPA may also be useful.

In the evening you would eat a low-protein, (except maybye for poultry, which is high in tryptophan) high carbohydrate meal and supplement with the aforementioned niacin, B6, taurine, etc.

Some nutrients used in 'smart drinks' include:

• DL- or L-Phenylalanine - An amino acid that is the precursor of tyrosine and hence dopamine and norepinephrine, the main alerting neurotransmitters and those most depleted by stress,stimulant drugs etc. L-Phenylalanine is also the precursor of phenethylamine,a alerting amine thought to modulate libido and agressive behavior. DLPA may also have some use in treating depression.

• L-Tyrosine - an amino acid and the most direct precursor of norepinephrine and dopamine. This is the nutrient most used in recovery. First used in a drink by Nutrient Cafe in 1990. Shows promise in many areas, particularly for people under stress or with abnormal brain function.

  An interesting note: Studies have shown that tyrosine only significantly passes the blood/brain barrier when people are stimulated or under numerous stress-like conditions. However, these conditions are turning out to be quite common, and in some recent research, tyrosine-dopamine metabolism looks like it is also effected by genetic factors. Tyrosine may also prevent some neuronal changes caused by stress.(The brain is plastic, and emotional stress can cause permanent brain damage!)

  Also, some people with ADD/ADHD who take stimulants legitimately have reported that tyrosine supplementation helps them better maintain mental clarity, when taken with their psychostimulants. Don't take tyrosine or phenylalanine in the evening, though, unless you are staying up.
  (taking tyrosine in the evening blocks the body's production of serotonin - tyrosine blocks the transport molecule..)

  (Other studies have shown positive effects on tyrosine's helping cure or reduce a host of addictions, because, significantly, many addictions involve changes in the dopamine/serotonin based reward system. It's interesting to note here - Many drugs that boost the neurotransmitter system, *frequently close relatives of some drugs of abuse themselves* have shown promise in helping reduce addictions and addictive behavior..)

  Interesting!

• Choline (trimethylaminoethanol) - A B-complex vitamin that your body uses to manufacture acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in the formation and recall of memories. Take this with vitamin B5. Available in many forms, choline chloride and bitartrate being the cheapest. Can increase acid stomach problems markedly. Synergizes (as does DMAE) with the pyrrilidones. (piracetam/pyroglutamate family) Good in alcohol recovery.

• Pyroglutamic acid, arginine pyroglutamate - Natural pyrrilidones, found naturally in high quantities in fruits and beer. Enhancing effect on some cognitive function, especially in people with brain disfunction. Some studies have indicated that pyroglutamate may help improve cognition in aging alcoholics. Many people with ADD have also found help from a close relative, piracetam (Glaxo 'Nootropil' is best, available cheaply in Mexico.) Effect may seem to diminish with daily use.

• DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol) - A B-complex nutrient that is used,like choline, to manufacture acetylcholine in the body.DMAE is found in large quantities in fish, and this is thought to be why people have always thought of fish as "brain food". Also somewhat useful in alcohol recovery.

Two herbs that also have been associated with smart nutrition are Ginkgo biloba (very useful, but quite expensive...Check the label of ginkgo products carefully.) and Siberian (eluthero) ginseng.

Other herbs and vitamins that may have cognitive-enhancement properties are St. John's wort (hypericin is a interesting site-specific MAO inhibitor, but it must be taken for a month before it's effects can be measured.)

Beta-carbolines -like the alkaloids in Syrian Rue and passionflower may also be nootropic in small doses. There are many others.

Many vitamins enhance or inhibit various metabolic pathways, sometimes with nootropic effect. Read up on toxicity before overdosing ones- self with vitamins, though.

For example, when taken in the evening, vitamin B6 (never more than 40 mg. / day) can help improve serotonin metabolism.A different, but synergistic effect can be derived from non-time-release niacin.

Although it's useful to promote sleep, I have not seen any evidence that melatonin has any nootropic properties.

Good sleep is highly nootropic, as well as a potent GH releaser. For this reason it is extremely regrettable that after the tryptophan debacle L-Tryptophan was never researched with the eye to discovering the real story. Despite many unanswered questions ut the series of incidents that caused it's removal, and very real evidence that it helped in many neurotransmitter -related medical conditions, L-Tryptophan was never returned to the US market.

Small amounts of gammahydroxybutyrate (GHB) when used to assist sleep are nootropic - mostly by dramatically improving the quality of sleep in some people. The improvement in mood can be measured. (I've seen it help friends with depression that wasn't helped by other drugs) Researchers in Illinois have published some amazing reports of older people actually feeling much younger due to the increased GH release during deep sleep, something many people rarely get. Research on nontoxic sleep aids should be promoted, but unfortunately the war on drugs has made GHB controversial.

Many people are now making their own, but soon that too will probably be banned.At the very least, it should be available by perscription, but again, since it is unpatentable, there is no route in the current medical system for research to be done.(funded) DHEA, a hormone, may also improve cognition in some, particularly aging people.

In response to many questions, in my (and many others) opinion, caffeine or Ephedra - i.e.: 'Ma Huang' are _not_ appropriate ingredients for smart drinks. Ephedra can be dangerous if combined with some drugs, and it isn't a clear-headed stimulant. It's primary use is as a decongestant. Caffeine is a lot better consumed as coffee.. These ephedra products are ludicrously expensive and sometimes dangerous.