Good day, longtime lifter (25 yrs.) and chronic weed smoker (13 yrs.) here.
Although I am still lifting, I have happily quit the other thing.
At the risk of sounding absurd, can anyone recommend something OTC that might aid in the recovery of my cognitive function after thirteen years of smoking?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Glad to hear you're looking to improve your mental wellness
There are a ton of great nootropics and adaptogens out there that can help bring your brain back to a healthy state. I would recommend products that work on different receptors and neurotransmitters to help you repair your mind. Some cholinergic products are Huperzine A and Alpha-GPC. Huperzine A works as a reversible Acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter responsible for things like learning and memory. Because Huperzine A is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (inhibits the enzyme that degrades acetylcholine), it would work synergistically with a choline source like CDP Choline or Alpha GPC. This way you can optimize brain acetylcholine levels; you have a choline source like Alpha GPC (A-GPC breaks down into free choline and reacts with acetyl-coA via an enzymatic reaction to produce acetylcholine), whilst inhibiting the enzyme that breaks the neurotransmitter down.
You could also look into the dopaminergic side of your brain and supplement with a compound like L-tyrosine, which is a precursor to dopamine. There has been evidence suggesting that stacking tyrosine with ~200mg of caffeine can have a synergistic effect.
An excellent yin-yang combo is a caffeine/theanine stack. While the caffeine stimulates and blocks adenosine from binding to adenosine receptors to make you feel awake, theanine has the ability to "take the edge" off of the heavy caffeine buzz. Many users who use a 1:2 ratio of caffeine/theanine blend report a smooth, clean effect on energy levels and mental clarity.
Phosphatidlyserine (PS) is an excellent product for promoting memory, concentration, and learning. PS has been shown to reduce cortisol levels in the brain, and is a player in assisting proteins that manage membrane functions and that are responsible for transmitting molecular and biological messages to other cells. Multiple studies over the years have demonstrated PS to be a phenomenal compound in promoting the latter.
Bacopa Monnieri is another great one that effects memory and mood. The bioactives in bacopa, named bacopa glycosides, have been shown to be active at human serotonin receptors (5HT-1a receptors). An increase of activity in this receptor would promote things like decreased aggression, increased ability in social tasks, and facilitation of libido.
I would also heavily recommend an adaptogen like ashwagandha, that of which has been shown to have a myriad of health benefits including but not limited to: anti-anxiety, reduced cortisol levels, anti-depressant, increasing sperm quality, improving states of well being, anti-cancer, and has also been shown to be an extremely promising treatment in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.
Feel free to ask me for more questions my friend.
