Opti-Tonin
OPTI-TONIN is an all-natural herbal formula designed to balance the brain neuro-transmitters that enhance mood and improve sleep. The ingredients in OPTI-TONIN have been shown to provide the following benefits:
- Increased Positive Mood
- Decrease in sad or negative thoughts
- Faster Sleep Onset
- Increased mental alertness
- Reduced mental fatigue
- Enhanced sense of satisfaction and fulfillment
Hypericum perforatum
Hypericum perforatum (St. John's Wort). This beautiful flowering plant extract has been shown in over 25 double-blind clinical trials to provide significant mood balancing benefits. Hypericum has been shown to inhibit the re-uptake of Serotonin, Dopamine, Norepinephrine (Noradrenaline), as well as GABA (Gama Amino Butyric Acid) in a naturally synergistic and balanced fashion. St John's Wort also has potent Immune enhancing and anti-inflammatory activity and has been shown to reduce interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels. IL-6 is believed to inflame and activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which leads to depression.
While antidepressant drugs often interfere with REM sleep (the critical neuroregenerative sleep) and reduce sleep quality, St. John's Wort actually improves sleep quality and sense of well being.
The St. John's Wort extract that I specify for Opti-Tonin, conforms to the European Standard, which is far superior in content of active ingredients and insures removal of toxic chemicals and heavy metals that are allowed in St. John's Wort manufactured in China. It is a highly standardized extract containing Hypericin, Hyperforin, and a full spectrum of other specialized flavonoids, including Quercetin, Rutin, Hyperoside, Isoquercetin, and Biapigenin. The Flavonoid content should be no less than 0.3% Hypericin and 4% Hyperforin and should be listed on the label. If it is not, the product is poor in quality and missing essential active ingredients. Compared to our extract, we find all Chinese and other Non-Europeans materials have significantly less of these other important compounds.
Our St. John’s Wort is the highest quality available in the industry. We standardize our raw material for 0.3% Hypericin and 4% Hyperforin and and add other critical Flavonoids. Hyperforin has been found to be the most active mood enhancing constituent in St. John Wort extract. Hyperforin is a plant biochemical that found in the tops of the Hypericum flowers. Its presence is an indicator of the freshness and proper extraction technique used in production of the finished extract. Typically, Hyperforin is destroyed in Asian extracts because their extracts are often exposed to excessive heat and oxidation during manufacturing in China. (Our St. John's Wort from Euromed, contains 4% Hyperforin and 4% other Flavonoids, in addition to 0.3% Hypericin).
The same St. John’s Wort raw material that we use in OPTI-TONIN is used in leading European formulations. This is the same material on which the vast majority of clinical studies have been conducted, including the comparison of St. John’s Wort by Steiner Pharmaceutical to the drug Imipramine. In that study, St. John’s Wort was found to be as effective and presented fewer side effects than this leading tricyclic antidepressant drug. The positive results of his research refutes other negative studies that claim that St. John's Wort is not effective in cases of severe depression published in JAMA and confirms the fact that high quality European St. John’s Wort is effective in the treatment of severe depression.
Many consumers only know to look for a supplement standardized for 0.3% Hypericin. If you want the best, most active and complete St. John's Wort extract, you need to make sure the label clearly states that the product contains a minimum of 450mg of St. John's Wort herb and flower, standardized for 0.3% Hypericin, 4% Hyperforin and 4% Flavonoids. The usual dose that my patients have found most effective to restore their mood is 2 capsules twice daily.
Ginkgo biloba
Ginkgo biloba is one of the most commonly used herbal supplements in the world. It is a commonly prescribed medicine in Europe. It is known for its ability to improve blood flow to the brain and extremities and has been shown to increase the number of Serotonin receptor binding sites in the brain. Long-term use of standardized extracts of Ginkgo appears to improve the short-term memory by reducing free radical production in the prefrontal cortex and it also protects against age-related changes in the brain.
Additionally, Ginkgo biloba extract protects neurons from oxidative damage and destruction, which has been observed prominently in cerebral ischemia and Alzheimer disease.
Ginkgo extends the duration of viable Serotonin, Dopamine and Acetylcholiine in the brain and is known to produce significant improvements in mental alertness and enhance mood, which is likely the direct result of improved quantity and duration of these critical neurotransmiters.
5-HTP (5-Hydroxy Tryptophan)
5HTP
(5-Hydroxy Tryptophan) is an amino acid extracted from the ripened brown seeds of Griffonia simplicifolia, a West African medicinal plant. 5-HTP is used by the human body to make Serotonin, a key neurohormone necessary for normal functioning of the nervous system and brain. Serotonin is known as the calming, joyful neurohormone. It plays critical roles in sleep, mood, pain control, inflammation and intestinal function.
The human body can manufacture small amounts of 5-HTP from the amino acid L-Tryptophan found mainly in whole-wheat products. However, most Americans do not eat sufficient amounts of whole-wheat products anymore due to genetic modifications of our wheat that has made it highly allergenic. Additionally, the transport of L-Tryptophan across the Blood Brain Barrier is frequently blocked by other more abundant amino acids in the American diet.
5-HTP, however, easily crosses the blood-brain barrier, not requiring the presence of a transport molecule as is the case with L-Tryptophan in order for it to gain access to the CNS.
5-HTP acts primarily by increasing levels of serotonin within the central nervous system, however, other neurotransmitters, including melatonin, dopamine, nor-epinephrine, and beta-endorphin have also been shown to increase following oral administration of 5-HTP. This ability to increase not only serotonin levels in the brain, but also dopamine and norepinephrine, allows 5-HTP to produce some significant and uniquely positive effects on brain biochemistry and specifically on serotonin-related conditions which other substances, including L-Tryptophan, cannot duplicate.
5-HTP in Depression:
In a study of 59 patients with eight different types of depression. 5-HTP was administered orally in dosages from 150 to 300 mg daily (50 or 100mg taken 3 times daily) for a period of three weeks. Thirteen patients (22%) were markedly improved, and another 27 patients (45.8%) showed moderate improvement. Of these 40 patients who improved, 20 (50%) began to show improvement within three days, and 32 patients (80%) improved within two weeks of beginning treatment with 5-HTP.15 In contrast to many conventional antidepressants which may take 4 weeks or longer to achieve therapeutic response in most patients, those taking 5-HTP appear to have a significantly more rapid response.
5-HTP for Insomnia:
5-HTP has been shown to be beneficial in treating insomnia, especially in reducing the time it takes to fall asleep and the quality of neuro-regenerative sleep, by increasing REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. A significant increase in the amount of REM sleep was observed while the subjects were taking 5-HTP.
Conclusion
In my experience, the powerful synergistic action of these three natural ingredients leads to improved sleep, a happier, more joyful mood, greater focus and a return of interests in and zest for life.