Natural Ingredients for Energy Dietary Supplements

Schisandra
Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis) is a woody vine from northeastern Asia, and its bright red berries have had a place in Asian pharmacopeia for several decades. Although much of the available research on schisandra is old and/or requires translation, studies on humans and other animals suggest potential benefits of consuming the fruit, including increased stamina, reduced fatigue, and protection against environmental stress. Anti-inflammatory lignans, which are concentrated in schisandra berry seeds, are of particular interest to many scientists.
Schisandra is considered an adaptogen. Its Chinese name, wu wei zi, means “five tastes berry” and refers to the fruit’s sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and pungent qualities. In traditional Chinese medicine, these various flavors correlate with different energy paths in the body.
There’s quite a bit of schisandra available in the ingredient marketplace, and it’s usually sold as encapsulated powder or dried, chewable fruits.

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Cordyceps
Although it’s much more difficult to obtain per kilo than schisandra, cordyceps (Cordyceps sinensis) is another intriguing option for energy supplements. Born out of butterfly and moth larvae in Asia, this parasitic fungus is sold at a premium because of its very narrow distribution in nature. It grows wild and can only be harvested at elevations of 3000 meters and higher.
A limited number of studies suggest improvements in exercise capacity, exercise metabolism, and sexual vigor with cordyceps supplementation. Much of the ingredient’s reputation for increasing energy actually comes from hundreds of years of cultural use and traditional healing practices in parts of Asia.
While hundreds of cordyceps species exist throughout the world, Cordyceps sinensis is the most widely used and studied among them. Because it is expensive, there is potential for economically motivated adulteration in the ingredient marketplace.

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CoQ10
Unlike cordyceps and schisandra, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an ingredient that’s already endogenous to the human body. It’s found in all human tissues, especially the heart, where it’s required for the production of ATP.
When humans aren’t producing enough CoQ10, supplemental CoQ10 can improve cellular function and thereby reduce weakness or fatigue. Such benefits can be had for at least a few populations, including those with a rare inability to properly synthesize CoQ10 and patients with congestive heart failure. For normal populations, however, CoQ10 studies have, according to some researchers, yielded inconsistent results in the energy department.
Commercial CoQ10 ingredients are available as fermentation-based products.

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Theacrine
Like the somewhat related caffeine, theacrine is an alkaloid that can stimulate humans into action. But it might be able to do so without caffeine’s commonly reported side effects.
Early research on theacrine suggests that while theacrine can enhance locomotor activity in animals, it also has a sedative effect (what manufacturers may describe as “no jitters”). Add to that reports that theacrine is non-habituating, and the ingredient sounds like a suitable alternative to caffeine.
Theacrine is found in various plants, including cupuaçu (Theobroma grandiflorum) and a wild Chinese tea known as kucha (Camellia assamica var. kucha), the latter containing both theacrine and caffeine. Kucha is already popularly consumed as a healthy beverage in China. Natural sources of theacrine may be suitable for creating whole-food health products and extractions, but for manufacturers seeking an especially purified ingredient, a nature-identical form of theacrine is now available under the trade name Teacrine.

Photo of cupuaçu © iStockphoto.com/diogoppr

Beets
For manufacturers seeking non-stimulant approaches to energy-health products, a whole-food approach to energy may be possible with beets. These edible roots are naturally rich in nitrates that convert into nitrites in the body. These nitrites ultimately support healthy blood flow, and improvement in exercise may occur as a result.
Beets continue to be the focus of exercise studies and diet conversations. Some clinical outcomes with beet powder or juice consumption have been positive, although others have been inconclusive. Regardless, beets still offer a variety of other nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, and the availability of powders and juices can serve multiple product lines.

Photo of cupuaçu © iStockphoto.com/kostman