Best Nootropics For PTSD

• Qualia Mind's formula, which includes 28 high-potency ingredients, is the most advanced nootropic formula on the market.
• For anyone with PTSD, the nootropic compounds, neuro-vitamins, amino acids, choline donors, and herbal adaptogens found in this stack can be a powerful aid.
• These compounds' synergistic effects can boost and properly metabolize dopamine while calming the mind.
• There's also the added benefit of reducing stress hormone response, which lies at the heart of trauma. 
• This stack is great for anyone who needs a significant boost in brainpower and mood enhancement. 

Research suggests that magnesium has potential to prevent cognitive decline by minimizing the loss of synapses in the brain and also modulating stress responses.⁵G. Andrew Mickley, Nita Hoxha,a Joseph L. Luchsinger, Morgan M. Rogers,a and Nathanael R. Wiles, Chronic dietary magnesium-L-threonate speeds extinction and reduces spontaneous recovery of a conditioned taste aversion, Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2013

Magnesium therapy has also been proven to enhance your brain’s aptitude to mitigate conditioned fear and anxiety responses, especially to traumatic memories.⁶Ewa Poleszak , Bernadeta Szewczyk, Ewa Kedzierska, Piotr Wlaź, Andrzej Pilc, Gabriel Nowak, Antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like activity of magnesium in mice, Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2004

Hence, magnesium supplementation is recommended for a variety of anxiety disorders, including PTSD, various phobias, social anxiety and other panic disorders.⁷Nashat Abumaria , Bin Yin, Ling Zhang, Xiang-Yao Li, Tao Chen, Giannina Descalzi, Liangfang Zhao, Matae Ahn, Lin Luo, Chen Ran, Min Zhuo, Guosong Liu, Effects of elevation of brain magnesium on fear conditioning, fear extinction, and synaptic plasticity in the infralimbic prefrontal cortex and lateral amygdala, Neurosci. 2011

According to the scientific literature, dietary magnesium also has the potential to be used as an adjunct therapy for the effective management of PTSD.⁸Gisèle Pickering, André Mazur,2 Marion Trousselard, Przemyslaw Bienkowski, Natalia Yaltsewa, Mohamed Amessou, Lionel Noah, and Etienne Pouteau, Magnesium Status and Stress: The Vicious Circle Concept Revisited, Nutrients. 2020 Magnesium Breakthrough is made up of numerous forms of absorbable magnesium. One of the main ingredients of Magnesium Breakthrough is magnesium L-threonate. Magnesium L-threonate is known to help people recover from stress related to traumatic events (PTSD).⁹Wei Li, Jia Yu, Yong Liu, Xiaojie Huang, Nashat Abumaria, Ying Zhu, Xian Huang, Wenxiang Xiong, Chi Ren, Xian-Guo Liu, Dehua Chui, Guosong Liu Elevation of brain magnesium prevents synaptic loss and reverses cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's disease mouse model, Mol Brain. 2014¹⁰Nashat Abumaria , Bin Yin, Ling Zhang, Xiang-Yao Li, Tao Chen, Giannina Descalzi, Liangfang Zhao, Matae Ahn, Lin Luo, Chen Ran, Min Zhuo, Guosong Liu, Effects of elevation of brain magnesium on fear conditioning, fear extinction, and synaptic plasticity in the infralimbic prefrontal cortex and lateral amygdala, J Neurosci. 2011

Chaga mushroom (aka Inonotus obliquus) is found to support both mental physical health and wellness.

It's been shown to prevent the production of detrimental cytokines, and reduce chronic inflammation that's been tied to depression and PTSD.¹¹Yoo Kyoung Park , Hyang Burm Lee, Eun-Jae Jeon, Hack Sung Jung, Myung-Hee Kang, Chaga mushroom extract inhibits oxidative DNA damage in human lymphocytes as assessed by comet assay, Biofactors. 2004

Along with its cognitive enhancing properties, chaga can also alleviate PTSD symptoms by calming the central nervous system.¹²Antoine Géry , Christelle Dubreule , Véronique André , Jean-Philippe Rioult , Valérie Bouchart , Natacha Heutte , Philippe Eldin de Pécoulas , Tetyana Krivomaz , David Garon, Chaga ( Inonotus obliquus), a Future Potential Medicinal Fungus in Oncology? A Chemical Study and a Comparison of the Cytotoxicity Against Human Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells (A549) and Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells (BEAS-2B), Integr Cancer Ther. 2018

This medicinal mushroom is also considered an adaptogenic herb, meaning that it helps to improve your body's capability to resist the destructive effects of long-term stress such as that found in PTSD.¹³Vijayasree Vayalanellore Giridharan , Rajarajan Amirthalingam Thandavarayan, Tetsuya Konishi, Amelioration of scopolamine induced cognitive dysfunction and oxidative stress by Inonotus obliquus - a medicinal mushroom, Food Funct. 2011

Freshcap Mushrooms provide the highest percentage of beta glucans and fruiting body nutrients, making this mushroom product my preferred choice for Chaga.

Reishi mushroom helps overcome PTSD at the nervous system level by reducing nerve cell inflammation and edema; thus preventing neuronal and glial cells degeneration.¹⁴Chirlene Pinheiro Nascimento, Diandra Araújo Luz, Carla Cristiane Soares da Silva, Cláudia Marques Rosa Malcher, Luanna Melo Pereira Fernandes, Herta Stutz Dalla Santa, Antônio Rafael Quadros Gomes, Marta Chagas Monteiro, Carolina Heitmann Mares Azevedo Ribeiro, Enéas Andrade Fontes-Júnior, Cristiane Socorro Ferraz Maia, Ganoderma lucidum Ameliorates Neurobehavioral Changes and Oxidative Stress Induced by Ethanol Binge Drinking, Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. 2020

It can also help to manage PTSD related symptoms such as sleeplessness, fatigue and overthinking. It contains complex sugars and polysaccharides such as beta-glucans, which have been found to promote immune health and overall wellness.¹⁵Özevren Hüseyin, İrtegün Sevgi, Deveci Engin, Aşır Fırat,Pektanç Gülsüm, and Deveci Şenay, Ganoderma Lucidum Protects Rat Brain Tissue Against Trauma-Induced Oxidative Stress, Korean J Neurotrauma. 2017

This mushroom also contains triterpenes and sterols (hormone precursor) that may help people who have been through any traumatic event by promoting better sleep, supporting a healthy stress response, maintaining heart rhythm, keeping calm and stabilizing obsessive thoughts.¹⁶Author(s), Name of study, Mania Associated With Herbal Medicines, Other Than Cannabis: A Systematic Review and Quality Assessment of Case Reports

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Freshcap Mushrooms provide the highest percentage of beta glucans and fruiting body nutrients, making this mushroom product my preferred choice for Reishi.

L-theanine is a compound in green tea leaves. It is famous for promoting a sense of calm and relaxation. It can also ease symptoms of anxiety, which may be useful for people with PTSD.

While there are no human studies on PTSD and l-theanine, there is some evidence from animal trials that it may be useful.

Researchers induced PTSD in rats, then studied parts of their brain. The rats who took l-theanine showed significantly fewer signs of PTSD than their counterparts.¹⁷Ceremuga, Martinson. Effects of L-Theanine on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Induced Changes in Rat Brain Gene Expression, The Scientific World Journal 2014

L-theanine has yet to be tested clinically on people, but there are also anecdotal reports that it can ease some of the symptoms of PTSD in individuals.

Ashwagandha is an ancient herbal remedy with a ton of nootropic potential. This adaptogen can improve mood and cognition in many different ways, and could also help treat PTSD.

One trial looked at overstressed adults and ashwagandha. They concluded that “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.”¹⁸Chandrasekar, Kapoor. A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of safety and efficacy of a high-concentration full-spectrum extract of ashwagandha root in reducing stress and anxiety in adults, Indian J Psychol Med 2012

Ashwagandha keeps cortisol levels in balance. Cortisol is a primary stress hormone that often spikes in times of anxiety.

This function is part of the “fight-or-flight” response that can go haywire when people have PTSD.

So, ashwagandha could help smooth out the increases in anxiety associated with this disorder.

Like ashwagandha, Rhodiola rosea is an adaptogenic herb that can fight stress and stabilize mood. According to animal studies, it may also help treat PTSD.¹⁹Gou-ping Ma, et al. L. Improves Learning and Memory Function: Preclinical Evidence and Possible Mechanisms, Pharmacol. 2018

Rhodiola may achieve its antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects by helping balance the neurotransmitters in your brain.

It can prevent the breakdown of dopamine and serotonin in the brain, and also improve the sensitivity of these receptors.

This process could improve overall mental stability.²⁰Naseem Akhtar Qureshi, Abdullah Mohammed Al-Bedah. Mood disorders and complementary and alternative medicine: a literature review, Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2013 ²¹van Diermen D, et al. Monoamine oxidase inhibition by Rhodiola rosea L. roots, J Ethnopharmacol. 2009

Rhodiola rosea works on many of the systems, such as dopamine, serotonin, and cortisol, that are often out of balance in people with PTSD.²²Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – A Primer on Neuropsychiatry and Treatment, PsychSceneHub. 2019

NAC (N-Acetyl L-Cysteine) is a powerful antioxidant that can be used to treat PTSD.

It works by clearing and repairing the oxidative damage caused by stress. The symptoms of PTSD can be challenging and cause significant harm to neurons, which NAC can counteract.

It can also keep levels of glutamate, which is known to cause anxiety if it gets too high.

One trial looked at veterans with PTSD and substance abuse disorders. They saw that the group that took NAC for eight weeks saw significant improvement over the placebo group.

It reduced post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms by 46 percent, substance use cravings by 81 percent, and depression by 48 percent in the patients, according to the authors of the study.

Keep in mind that both groups were also doing cognitive-behavioral therapy as well; NAC was only supplemental. Still, this is an encouraging result.²³Sudie E. Back, et al. A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial of N-Acetylcysteine in Veterans with PTSD and Substance Use Disorders, Clin Psychiatry. 2016

This nootropic is a potent anxiety-busting supplement that could be useful for the acute symptoms of PTSD.

The Soviet space program developed phenibut as an anti-anxiety medication for cosmonauts that would not impair their motor function during spacewalks.

It remains a popular prescription for Russians suffering a variety of conditions, including PTSD.²⁴Lapin I. Phenibut (beta-phenyl-GABA): a tranquilizer and nootropic drug, CNS Drug Rev. 2001

Phenibut quickly crosses the blood-brain barrier and starts working on the GABA system.

This process causes a potent calming effect, similar to pharmaceuticals such as Xanax or Valium, but without the dangerous side-effects.

Many people say it can be more effective than these drugs.

However, keep in mind that phenibut is not without its downsides. It is very potent and should not be taken more than once or twice a week.

Otherwise, you may develop tolerance or addiction. Phenibut dependence can be extremely unpleasant, and the withdrawals can be nightmarish, so please use very cautiously.

Especially considering that people who have PTSD are more likely to develop substance use disorders anyways.