JUMPSTART  EXTREME ENERGY PILL INGREDIENTS
(Why does this stimulant & mood booster work so well?)

5-HTP is a mood enhancing chemical that raises serotonin levels which can increase pain tolerance, induce sleep, and strongly suppress appetite. Serotonin is found in the brain and central nervous system which has many implications on mood, behavior, and sleep patterns. Depression, insomnia, anxiety, suicide, migraines, PMS, obsessive/compulsive behavior, stress, obesity, and addiction are manifestations of low levels of serotonin, so 5-HTP is powerful in its ability to positively improve health in these areas.

As a natural and safe way to boost serotonin it has many implications on mood, behavior and sleep patterns. Researchers have clinically investigated 5-HTP in comparison to antidepressant drugs. The results of the studies were astounding. Using the standard depression scale, both the drug and 5-HTP groups displayed identical reduction in depression. Depressed patients who received 100mg of 5-HTP, three times daily, showed at least a 50% improvement in their symptoms, without any reported side effects. Similar studies with depressed children demonstrated equal benefit. Subsequent studies were performed using 5-HTP for anxiety, panic disorder, sleep difficulties and obesity. In his research R.S. Kahn observed an obvious decline in anxiety symptoms when supplementing with 5-HTP, and patients with panic disorder noticed a feeling of relief after receiving 5-HTP. Melatonin, which helps regulate our sleep-wake cycle, is a metabolite of serotonin. Early research studies show that supplementing with 5-HTP may have positive effects on sleep patterns. In a six week clinical study with obese patients, those supplemented with 5-HTP were able to reduce carbohydrate intake, and experienced a feeling of early satiety, which contributed to significant weight loss.

L-Theanine is an amino acid that is one of the main components of green tea. Research has shown that L-Theanine can increase levels of GABA, a brain chemical known for its calming effects, and dopamine, which can promote mood enhancement. L-Theanine is non-drowsy, and may even increase mental focus and concentration as it promotes a stress-free state of mind.

The L-Theanine Relaxation Effect

L-Theanine readily crosses the blood-brain barrier of humans and exerts subtle changes in biochemistry. An increase in alpha waves has been documented and the effect has been compared to getting a massage or taking a hot bath. L-theanine is different from kava-kava in that it doesn’t cause drowsiness. Research with human volunteers has demonstrated that L-theanine creates its relaxing effect in approximately 30 to 40 minutes after ingestion. The mechanism behind this effect is two-fold:

1) L-Theanine directly stimulates production of alpha brain waves, which creates a deep state of relaxation while maintaining mental alertness.

2) L-Theanine appears to play a role in the formation of gamma-aminobutyric acid, better known as GABA. GABA acts as a powerful manager of neurotransmitters and helps maintain relaxed levels of neuron activity.

Ongoing use of L-Theanine in test subjects resulted in a tenfold increase in gamma delta T cells, a main weapon for the immune system, producing high levels of disease-fighting chemicals and a stronger immune response. All test subjects reported a significant absence of feeling exhausted and a reduced need for sleep when administered with the L-Theanine. It also enhances the ability to learn and remember. One of the other benefits of this amino acid is that it helps to lower blood pressure naturally. It is also very effective in treating addiction withdrawals.

Rhodiola has well-documented qualities as a powerful adaptogen (an endurance enhancer). In this capacity it appears to help the body stay healthy and perform in top-notch condition despite physical exhaustion or environmental stresses, such as high heat or pollutants in the air and water.

In recent years, dozens of uses for Rhodiola rosea have been discovered, including treating depression and fatigue, enhancing memory and intellectual capacity, increasing work performance and endurance, and stimulating the nervous system. Many of these potential benefits relate to the herb's adaptogenic qualities.  Rhodiola Rosea is an excellent adaptogen which actually supports the adrenal glands, working with the body to reduce stress while boosting energy, balancing the stimulants so as to not overtax the system.

One particularly interesting aspect of rhodiola is that it appears to work differently within the body than other adaptogens -- the best known of which is the very popular herb Siberian ginseng. Rhodiola's unique mechanism of action excites researchers because it means this herb may be able to provide a therapeutic alternative to established adaptogens. Other studies on rhodiola have shown benefits in such varied areas as increased learning capacity and memory enhancement, regulation of menstrual periods and infertility, reduction of side effects from cancer chemotherapy, increased sexual libido and erectile dysfunction, enhancement of thyroid gland function, increased capacity for work and endurance, and protection from environmental toxins.

Rhodiola is a good example of the intelligent blend of remarkable ingredients in Jumpstart's formula. It epitomizes the core qualities of this product, including the ability to:

Improve performance capacity. A handful of studies have shown that rhodiola increases performance in individuals who are working under stressful conditions. For example, a small 2000 study published in the journal Phytomedicine examined the herb's effect on mental fatigue in a group of 56 healthy young Armenian doctors doing night duty. In this double-blind study, measures of mental fatigue (such as impaired short-term memory, associative thinking, audio-visual perception) were very much improved after supplementation with a rhodiola extract as opposed to a placebo.

Ease chronic fatigue syndrome. Rhodiola appears to have clinical benefits for chronic fatigue syndrome through a variety of mechanisms--including raising levels of neurotransmitters, improving metabolism of fatty acids, and enhancing energy molecules, such as ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and CP (creatine phosphate).

Fight fatigue and boost energy. Even for individuals who don't have chronic fatigue syndrome, rhodiola is becoming increasingly popular to counter the exhaustion that occurs from working the body too hard, either physically or mentally. With rhodiola, problems of fatigue- or exhaustion-related sleep, appetite, and headache may lift. Those struggling to recover from an intense work schedule may also benefit from the herb's apparent energy-boosting powers.

Prevent stress-related illnesses. Because rhodiola is an adaptogen, it's likely that this herb can help boost resistance to physical stresses--and the illnesses that commonly follow, from immune-system suppression to high blood pressure and heart disease. Acute stress in particular tends to shift the body's levels of endorphins and monoamines, neurochemicals that rhodiola helps to rebalance. More clinical research is clearly needed to demonstrate this effect, but the hope is that rhodiola taken during times of acute stress may help to stabilize the body.

Tyrosine:

• A precursor for biosynthesis of neurotransmitters
• A precursor for adrenaline and thyroid hormones
• Used to treat depression, anxiety, and allergies
• Combined with tryptophan to treat drug abuse
• Suppresses appetite
• Tyrosine deficiency will result in depression and mood disorders
• As a dietary precursor, one of the major nutritional ingredients that affects neurotransmitter synthesis and brain functions

Tyrosine is a nonessential amino acid synthesized in the body from phenylalanine. It is an important nutritional ingredient and factor for biosynthesis of the brain neurotransmitters epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine. Tyrosine is also used to produce one of the major hormones, thyroxin, which plays an important role in controlling metabolic rate, skin health, mental health, and growth rate.

Tyrosine is specifically used to treat depression because it is a precursor for those neurotransmitters that are responsible for transmitting nerve impulses and essential for preventing depression. In fact, in a study of healthy women who underwent phenylalanine/tyrosine depletion, the results showed a lowering of mood (Leyton et al. 1999). Another study, this time with healthy male volunteers in a randomized, double blind study, reinforced the earlier research (Grevet et al. 2002). Results were similar in that the men, after being fed deficient phenylalanine/tyrosine mixtures, experienced depressed mood and alertness.

Tyrosine has been tested on humans for increasing their endurance to anxiety and stress under fatigue. It was proven in research studies that tyrosine supplementation results in increased performance over a control group (Avraham et al. 2001). Tyrosine was also used with the amino acid tryptophan for treatment of cocaine abuse (Tutton et al. 1993).

Tyrosine is a mild antioxidant, reacting with free radicals that can cause damage to cells and improving health and physical well-being. It is also thought that tyrosine promotes sexual drive. Tyrosine may also be used as a mild appetite suppressant.

Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid found in common protein foods. Like other nutrient amino acids, phenylalanine comes in L- (from the Latin levo for left) and D- (from dextro for right) forms. The directions refer to minor differences in the amino acids' molecular structure, as evidenced by light refraction. L-phenylalanine is predominantly a nervous system stimulant, mood enhancer, and appetite suppressant. While D-phenylalanine also apparently has antidepressant properties, it is taken primarily to control chronic pain. Synthetic DL-phenylalanine (DLPA), which is a primary effector of mood elevation in the Jumpstart mix, is half L-phenylalanine and half D-phenylalanine. DLPA has some of the effects of both forms of phenylalanine, although most people take it for the pain-relieving effects of D-phenylalanine.

With the help of essential cofactors (such as pyridoxine, a form of vitamin B6, which is used with B12 to activate many of the critical ingredients of Jumpstart), the body transforms phenylalanine in a series of steps into the amino acid tyrosine and then into the important neurotransmitters dopamine and noradrenaline. These neurotransmitters affect brain and nervous system function to elevate mood and increase alertness. D-phenylalanine has also been shown to promote the action in the brain of the small protein molecules known as endorphins and enkephalins. These are natural, morphine-like biochemicals that reduce pain and promote mild euphoria. D-phenylalanine is thought to work by inhibiting the enzymes that normally break down endorphins and enkephalins. This allows endorphins and enkephalins to stay active longer, thus enhancing mood and preventing the perception of pain. D-phenylalanine can also be converted in the body into the compound phenylethylamine, which is thought to have mood-boosting effects.

There is some evidence to suggest DLPA can help alcoholics or other drug addicts during withdrawal, and is well known to have as significant an antidepressant effect as many of the more common prescribed drugs. A 1985 study found that DLPA improved the mood and mood stability of subjects with attention deficit disorder. It is claimed that phenylalanine can promote sexual arousal, and there is evidence that phenylalanine can increase mental alertness (Grevet et al. 2002) and release hormones reducing appetite.

SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS: On occasion people report headaches or nausea from taking DLPA. Certain people should avoid all forms of phenylalanine supplements, such as anyone with high blood pressure and women who are pregnant or lactating. It should not be used by anyone taking MAO inhibitor antidepressants - combining phenylalanine and MAO inhibitors can lead to dangerously high blood pressure. Young children, anyone with psychosis, and those suffering from malignant melanoma or the condition known as phenylketonuria, a genetic disorder of phenylalanine metabolism, should also not take phenylalanine supplements.

Siberian Ginseng has been used for centuries to help boost the immune system, as well as to enhance sexual and athletic performance. This herb was hailed last century as an "adaptogenic" (stress-protective) marvel. In 1991 the German Commission E (the European authority on the use of plants in healing) made it official by declaring that it was highly effective in boosting the immune system.

Siberian Ginseng, or eleuthero, helps individuals cope with physical and emotional stress. It is also used widely in eastern Asia to increase the capability to do physical work. Chemicals in eleuthero appear to produce moderate reductions in blood sugar and blood cholesterol levels and modest improvements in memory and concentration. Eleuthero may also have mild estrogenic effects, and it appears to boost immune system function. In laboratory studies, various chemicals found in eleuthero have also shown antiviral and anticancer properties