The primary points
- Alpha Lipoic acid by itself is a super nootropic, via it’s ability to engage in massive anti-oxidant activity.
- Combined with 2-4 glasses of red wine, it anecdotally gives me (Ryan Michael Ballow) an insane nootropic benefit.
- The reason this happens, may have to do with the combination of the antioxidant capacity of ALA, AND the antioxidant and resveratrol content of the red wine.
The nootropic brain function I get when consuming ALA + Red wine
- Improved verbal fluency
- Massive clearing of brain fog
- Attenuated decline of cognitive function while drinking alcohol
- Far less hangover response from the wine
- Increased mental endurance
The dose range and amounts
- 100-300MG ALA, 30 min/1 hour before drinking red wine
- 2-4 glasses of either Pinot Noir, Cabernet, Merlot, or Shiraz
Possible mechanisms
- Resveratrol combines with the anti-oxidant capacity of ALA and creates a super anti-oxidant function, working directly on brain cell oxidation, thereby improving brain performance.
- ALA increases acetylcholine concentrations (study), so there may be a combination of the anti-oxidant properties of ALA and red wine, WITH the increases in brain acetylcholine that induce a nootropic like state.
- ALA increases brain glutathione, a major detoxification chemical, and the massive detoxification of the brain, in conjunction with consuming alcohol, could slow the negative cognitive effects of alcohol, thereby improving brain performance. But, since alcohol binds to GABA receptors, inducing a positive mood state, the combination of these two mechanisms, with the addition of the increases in brain acetylcholine, could lead to improved brain performance.