Ingredient Research
Ashwagandha
"The treatment group that was given the high-concentration full-spectrum Ashwagandha root extract exhibited a significant reduction (P<0.0001) in scores on all the stress-assessment scales on Day 60, relative to the placebo group. The serum cortisol levels were substantially reduced (P=0.0006) in the Ashwagandha group, relative to the placebo group. [...] The findings of this study suggest that a high-concentration full-spectrum Ashwagandha root extract safely and effectively improves an individual's resistance towards stress and thereby improves self-assessed quality of life."
Bhattacharya SK, Bhattacharya A, Sairam K, Ghosal S.
Phytomedicine. 2000 Dec;7(6):463-9. PubMed PMID: 11194174.
Mishra LC, Singh BB, Dagenais S.
Altern Med Rev. 2000 Aug;5(4):334-46. Review. PubMed PMID: 10956379.
Cooley K, Szczurko O, Perri D, Mills EJ, Bernhardt B, Zhou Q, Seely D.
PLoS One. 2009 Aug 31;4(8):e6628. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0006628. PubMed PMID: 19718255; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2729375.
Jain S, Shukla SD, Sharma K, Bhatnagar M.
Phytother Res. 2001 Sep;15(6):544-8. PubMed PMID: 11536389.
Kuboyama T, Tohda C, Komatsu K.
Br J Pharmacol. 2005 Apr;144(7):961-71. PubMed PMID: 15711595; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC1576076.
L-Theanine
"The results showed that L-Theanine intake resulted in a reduction in the heart rate (HR) and salivary immunoglobulin A (s-IgA) responses to an acute stress task relative to the placebo control condition. Moreover, analyses of heart rate variability indicated that the reductions in HR and s-IgA were likely attributable to an attenuation of sympathetic nervous activation. Thus, it was suggested that the oral intake of L-Theanine could cause anti-stress effects via the inhibition of cortical neuron excitation."
Nathan PJ, Lu K, Gray M, Oliver C.
J Herb Pharmacother. 2006;6(2):21-30. Review. PubMed PMID: 17182482.
Sugiyama T, Sadzuka Y, Tanaka K, Sonobe T.
Toxicol Lett. 2001 Apr 30;121(2):89-96. PubMed PMID: 11325559.
Sugiyama T, Sadzuka Y.
Biochim Biophys Acta. 2003 Dec 5;1653(2):47-59. Review. PubMed PMID: 14643924.
Wakabayashi C, Numakawa T, Ninomiya M, Chiba S, Kunugi H.
Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2012 Feb;219(4):1099-109. doi: 10.1007/s00213-011-2440-z. Epub 2011 Aug 23. PubMed PMID: 21861094.
Yokogoshi H, Kobayashi M, Mochizuki M, Terashima T.
Neurochem Res. 1998 May;23(5):667-73. PubMed PMID: 9566605.
Passion Flower
"Whole Passiflora extract induced prominent, dose-dependent direct GABA(A) currents in hippocampal slices, but the expected modulation of synaptic GABA(A) currents was not seen. GABA was found to be a prominent ingredient of Passiflora extract, and GABA currents were absent when amino acids were removed from the extract."
Akhondzadeh S, Naghavi HR, Vazirian M, Shayeganpour A, Rashidi H, Khani M.
J Clin Pharm Ther. 2001 Oct;26(5):363-7. PubMed PMID: 11679026.
Barbosa PR, Valvassori SS, Bordignon CL Jr, Kappel VD, Martins MR, Gavioli EC, Quevedo J, Reginatto FH.
J Med Food. 2008 Jun;11(2):282-8. doi: 10.1089/jmf.2007.722. PubMed PMID: 18598170.
Grundmann O, Wang J, McGregor GP, Butterweck V.
Planta Med. 2008 Dec;74(15):1769-73. doi: 10.1055/s-0028-1088322. Epub 2008 Nov 12. PubMed PMID: 19006051.
Movafegh A, Alizadeh R, Hajimohamadi F, Esfehani F, Nejatfar M.
Anesth Analg. 2008 Jun;106(6):1728-32. doi: 10.1213/ane.0b013e318172c3f9. PubMed PMID: 18499602.
5-HTP
"Several studies have suggested that exogenous administration of the serotonin precursor 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) can result in the ectopic production of serotonin in dopaminergic neurons and a concomitant reduction in dopamine release. [...] 5-HTP significantly lengthened the average time needed to complete each of the 10 trials of the TOL. 5-HTP did not affect accuracy on this task. [...] Oral exogenous 5-HTP disrupts dopaminergic function in the human forebrain."
Angst J, Woggon B, Schoepf J.
Arch Psychiatr Nervenkr (1970). 1977 Oct 11;224(2):175-86. PubMed PMID: 336002.
Byerley WF, Judd LL, Reimherr FW, Grosser BI.
J Clin Psychopharmacol. 1987 Jun;7(3):127-37. Review. PubMed PMID: 3298325.
De Benedittis G, Massei R.
J Neurosurg Sci. 1985 Jul-Sep;29(3):239-48. PubMed PMID: 3913752.
Jangid P, Malik P, Singh P, Sharma M, Gulia AK.
Asian J Psychiatr. 2013 Feb;6(1):29-34. doi: 10.1016/j.ajp.2012.05.011. Epub 2012 Jul 12. PubMed PMID: 23380314.
Zmilacher K, Battegay R, Gastpar M.
Neuropsychobiology. 1988;20(1):28-35. PubMed PMID: 3265988.
Lemon Balm
"The results showed that the 600-mg dose of Melissa ameliorated the negative mood effects of the DISS [Defined Intensity Stressor Simulation], with significantly increased self-ratings of calmness and reduced self-ratings of alertness. In addition, a significant increase in the speed of mathematical processing, with no reduction in accuracy, was observed after ingestion of the 300-mg dose."
Awad R, Levac D, Cybulska P, Merali Z, Trudeau VL, Arnason JT.
Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 2007 Sep;85(9):933-42. PubMed PMID: 18066140.
Kennedy DO, Little W, Haskell CF, Scholey AB.
Phytother Res. 2006 Feb;20(2):96-102. PubMed PMID: 16444660.
Kennedy DO, Wake G, Savelev S, Tildesley NT, Perry EK, Wesnes KA, Scholey AB.
Neuropsychopharmacology. 2003 Oct;28(10):1871-81. PubMed PMID: 12888775.
Müller SF, Klement S.
Phytomedicine. 2006 Jun;13(6):383-7. Epub 2006 Feb 17. PubMed PMID: 16487692.
Taavoni S, Nazem Ekbatani N, Haghani H.
Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2013 Nov;19(4):193-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2013.07.002. Epub 2013 Sep 10. PubMed PMID: 24199972.