Cortisol: nootropics and compounds | sci-wiki

DSIP

DSIP (delta sleep-inducing peptide) is a naturally occurring nonapeptide first isolated from the blood of sleeping rabbits, named for its ability to promote deep, slow-wave (delta) sleep [1]. Beyond sleep, decades of research describe it as a broad stress-protective and adaptogenic peptide that helps the body buffer against physical and psychological stressors and defends tissues from oxidative damage [1][4]. For those seeking better sleep quality and resilience to stress, DSIP is a well-studied endogenous peptide with a uniquely versatile profile.

6 outlets

Peptide

GB-115

GB-115 is a cleverly designed dipeptide anxiolytic that eases anxiety while keeping the mind clear, a combination almost nothing else in its category manages. Rather than sedating, it blocks the cholecystokinin CCK-1 receptor, a pathway tied specifically to chronic anxiety and panic, and in a clinical study of generalized anxiety disorder it actually sharpened attention and reaction time while it worked. For those seeking calm without the fog, weakness, or dependence of classic sedatives, GB-115 is a genuinely intriguing research anxiolytic.

2 outlets

Adaptogen

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb prepared from the root of Withania somnifera, a small evergreen shrub in the nightshade family (Solanaceae) native to parts of Africa, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent. It has been used for centuries in Ayurveda, India's traditional system of medicine, as a rejuvenating tonic. Its main active constituents are steroidal lactones known as withanolides, and it is among the better-studied herbal supplements, with clinical research centering on stress, anxiety, and sleep.

1 outlet

Nootropic

DHEA

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is an endogenous androstane neurosteroid and the most abundant circulating steroid hormone in humans, secreted chiefly by the adrenal cortex and also synthesized de novo within the central nervous system. It functions primarily as a precursor to androgens and estrogens, yet exerts direct actions on the brain by acting as an agonist at the sigma-1 receptor (an endoplasmic reticulum chaperone protein that shapes calcium and neurotrophic signaling), as a positive modulator of NMDA receptor (the principal excitatory glutamate ion channel involved in learning) signaling, and, chiefly as its sulfate ester DHEAS, as a negative allosteric modulator of the GABA-A receptor (the brain's main inhibitory ion channel). DHEA additionally behaves as a functional anti-glucocorticoid, buffering the neurotoxic effects of cortisol, and shows neuroprotective and mood-related activity in preclinical and clinical studies. Circulating concentrations peak in early adulthood and decline markedly with age, a phenomenon termed adrenopause that has driven its widespread use as an over-the-counter supplement.

2 outlets

Nootropic

Gotu Kola

Gotu kola is the common name for Centella asiatica, a small creeping herbaceous plant of the family Apiaceae that grows in wetlands across Asia and other warm regions. It has a long history in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine, where it has been used for wound healing, skin conditions, and as a tonic said to support memory and mental clarity. Its activity is attributed to a group of pentacyclic triterpenoid compounds, including asiaticoside, madecassoside, and their related acids.

1 outlet

Anxiolytic

Honokiol

Honokiol is a biphenolic neolignan found in the bark, seed cones, and leaves of magnolia trees. It is one of the main bioactive constituents of magnolia bark, a material long used in traditional Chinese and Japanese herbal medicine for anxiety and mood complaints. In laboratory and animal research honokiol has drawn interest for anxiolytic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroprotective, and anti-tumor activities, though it remains a subject of preliminary study rather than an approved drug.

1 outlet

Anxiolytic

Kava

Kava is a beverage and herbal medicine prepared from the root of Piper methysticum, a shrub in the pepper family native to the islands of the Pacific. For centuries it has been consumed ceremonially and socially across Oceania for its calming, mildly intoxicating effects, and it is used more widely as a remedy for anxiety and tension [1][2]. Its activity comes from a group of compounds called kavalactones, and its safety, particularly concerning the liver, has been the subject of regulatory debate [3][4].

1 outlet

Nootropic

Lemon Balm

Lemon balm, known botanically as Melissa officinalis, is a lemon-scented perennial herb in the mint family, Lamiaceae. Native to the eastern Mediterranean and western Asia, it has been grown for over two thousand years and used traditionally to ease tension, lift mood, and aid digestion and sleep. Its leaves are rich in the polyphenol rosmarinic acid and in fragrant terpenes such as citronellal, geranial, and neral. Modern controlled studies have examined it for anxiety, mood, cognition, sleep, and palpitations, with its calming effect attributed largely to rosmarinic acid inhibiting GABA transaminase and to extract binding at cholinergic receptors.

1 outlet

Supplement

Magnesium Citrate

Magnesium citrate is a magnesium salt of citric acid used both as a nutritional source of the mineral magnesium and as a saline osmotic laxative. Among magnesium supplements it is comparatively water-soluble and is generally considered to have good oral bioavailability relative to inorganic salts such as magnesium oxide [1][2]. Taken by mouth, it is used to relieve occasional constipation and to clear the bowel before procedures such as colonoscopy, and it appears in dietary supplements intended to help meet magnesium requirements.

1 outlet

Supplement

Magnesium Glycinate

Magnesium glycinate, also called magnesium bisglycinate or magnesium diglycinate, is a chelated compound in which the mineral magnesium is bound to two molecules of the amino acid glycine. It is used as a dietary supplement to raise or maintain magnesium status and is often chosen for being gentle on the digestive tract relative to some other magnesium salts [1][3]. Because it is a chelate, part of the compound appears to be absorbed as an intact magnesium-amino acid complex rather than solely as free magnesium ions [1].

2 outlets

Supplement

Magnesium Taurate

Magnesium taurate is a compound pairing the mineral magnesium with the amino sulfonic acid taurine, promoted as a dietary supplement chiefly for cardiovascular and metabolic support. Interest in it originated largely from a 1996 hypothesis proposing that magnesium and taurine have complementary effects on blood vessels, blood pressure, and cellular calcium handling [1]. Direct human research on magnesium taurate itself is limited, and much of the supporting laboratory work has used the closely related salt magnesium acetyltaurate [2][3].

2 outlets

Anxiolytic

Magnolia Bark

Magnolia bark is a herbal material obtained from the bark of Magnolia officinalis and related magnolia species, long used in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine, where it is known as houpu or hou po. Its characteristic constituents are the polyphenolic lignans magnolol and honokiol, which are considered responsible for most of its biological activity [1][2]. Modern research has examined the bark and its isolated lignans for neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety, and antitumor properties, though most evidence comes from laboratory and animal studies rather than large human trials [1][2].

1 outlet

Anxiolytic

Passionflower

Passionflower usually refers to Passiflora incarnata, a climbing vine native to the southeastern United States and long used in herbal medicine. Its above-ground parts are taken, typically as teas, extracts, or tinctures, to ease anxiety and support sleep. It is thought to act on the brain's GABA system, and while some clinical studies suggest calming and sleep benefits, the overall evidence remains limited.

1 outlet

Nootropic

Phosphatidylserine

Phosphatidylserine is a phospholipid that is a normal building block of cell membranes, where it is concentrated on the inner surface and is especially abundant in the membranes of nerve cells. It takes part in cell signaling and blood clotting, and its externalization onto the cell surface serves as the principal signal that flags dying cells for removal, a signal that some tumors and pathogens exploit to evade immune clearance. As a dietary supplement, usually derived from soy or sunflower, it is marketed chiefly for memory and age-related cognitive decline and has been reported to blunt the cortisol response to stress, although the supporting evidence for cognitive benefit is regarded as limited.

2 outlets

Adaptogen

Reishi

Reishi, known in China as lingzhi and scientifically as Ganoderma lucidum and related species, is a woody polypore mushroom native to East Asia. It has been used in Chinese and other East Asian traditional medicine for more than two thousand years, where it was sometimes called the mushroom of immortality. Its most studied constituents are triterpenoids known as ganoderic acids and cell-wall polysaccharides such as beta-glucans.

1 outlet

Nootropic

Rhodiola Rosea

Rhodiola rosea, commonly called golden root or roseroot, is a perennial flowering plant of the family Crassulaceae that grows in cold, high-altitude and Arctic regions. Its root has a long history of use in the traditional medicine of northern Europe and Asia, and it is popularly classed as an adaptogen, an herb said to help the body resist stress and fatigue. Its most characteristic studied constituents are the phenolic compounds rosavin and salidroside, though high-quality clinical evidence for its benefits is limited.

2 outlets

Adaptogen

Tongkat Ali

Tongkat ali is the common name for Eurycoma longifolia, a flowering shrub of the family Simaroubaceae native to Southeast Asia, whose roots are used in traditional medicine and sold as a dietary supplement [1]. It is widely marketed for claims about testosterone, male fertility, libido, and physical performance, though the supporting clinical evidence is mixed and largely preliminary [1][3]. The plant contains a range of bioactive compounds known as quassinoids, including eurycomanone.

1 outlet

Supplement

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)

Pantothenic acid, better known as vitamin B5, is a water-soluble vitamin whose central role is to serve as the building block of coenzyme A, the cofactor that carries acyl groups through energy production and the synthesis and breakdown of fats. Its name derives from the Greek pantothen, meaning "from everywhere," reflecting how widely it is distributed across foods, which makes true dietary deficiency very rare. The vitamin is present in meat, eggs, dairy, legumes, whole grains, avocados, and mushrooms, and gut bacteria contribute some as well. Its stable alcohol derivative, panthenol (dexpanthenol), is widely used in topical skincare and wound-care products as a humectant and barrier-repair agent.

1 outlet

Adaptogen

Agaricus Blazei

Agaricus blazei is an edible mushroom, more correctly known by the scientific name Agaricus subrufescens, that is used both as food and as a traditional health supplement. Native to the Americas and widely cultivated in Brazil and Japan, it is prized for its almond-like aroma and marketed under names such as almond mushroom and royal sun agaricus. It contains polysaccharides including beta-glucans that are the focus of research into immune and liver effects, though strong clinical evidence for medicinal benefit remains limited.

Cortisol

DSIP

GB-115

Ashwagandha

DHEA

Gotu Kola

Honokiol

Kava

Lemon Balm

Magnesium Citrate

Magnesium Glycinate

Magnesium Taurate

Magnolia Bark

Passionflower

Phosphatidylserine

Reishi

Rhodiola Rosea

Tongkat Ali

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)

Agaricus Blazei

Agarikon Mushroom

Androstadienone

Androstenol

Astragaloside IV

Astragalus

Black Cohosh

Celastrus Paniculatus

Chaste Tree (Vitex)

Clitoria Ternatea

Convolvulus Pluricaulis

Demoxytocin

Eleuthero

Ginseng

Ginsenosides

He Shou Wu

Jiaogulan

Jujube

Lavender

Limonene

Linalool

N-Acetyl Epitalon

Ornithine

Rehmannia

Schisandra

Suma

Cortisol

DSIP

GB-115

Ashwagandha

DHEA

Gotu Kola

Honokiol

Kava

Lemon Balm

Magnesium Citrate

Magnesium Glycinate

Magnesium Taurate

Magnolia Bark

Passionflower

Phosphatidylserine

Reishi

Rhodiola Rosea

Tongkat Ali

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)

Agaricus Blazei

Agarikon Mushroom

Androstadienone

Androstenol

Astragaloside IV

Astragalus

Black Cohosh

Celastrus Paniculatus

Chaste Tree (Vitex)

Clitoria Ternatea

Convolvulus Pluricaulis

Demoxytocin

Eleuthero

Ginseng

Ginsenosides

He Shou Wu