Neuroscience

Through the use of electroencephalogram technology (EEG) to measure brainwaves, we formulated Magi ancestral nootropic supplements to promote brain health and mental wellness. EEG measures the electrical activity generated by the synchronized activity of thousands of neurons in the brain using electrodes placed on the scalp surface. Applying principles of translational neuroscience with a standard protocol for the measurement of how brain electrical activity changes in response to supplementation with Magi’s ingredients under specific activities (e.g. meditation, cycles of sleep), we formulated each Magi Nootropic Supplement to enhance a specific brain state.

Brain Anatomy and Function

The brain is an enormously complex organ composed of 100 billion neurons with 100 trillion interspersed connections mapped between disparate regions, each of which controls a specific function. Consciousness, sensory perception, memory, mood, and emotion are all regulated through an intricate and interwoven coordination between regions such as the:
– Cortex: responsible for awareness, thought, perception, semantic memory (ideas and concepts)
– Thalamus: gateway that relays sensory information to the cortex
– Hippocampus: involved in learning and episodic memory (facts and history)
– Amygdala: emotions, fear conditioning
– Basal Ganglia: motor function, procedural memory (implicitly learned, e.g. muscle memory)
– Claustrum: consciousness and attention

Neuro transmitters

Each region of the brain and central nervous system communicates and coordinates with each other through neurotransmitters, chemical messengers that carry signals from one neuron (nerve cell) to another[1]. There are more than 100 neurotransmitters in the body, of which some of the most critical to mental and cognitive health are:
– Serotonin, also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT) – the “mood hormone”
– Adrenaline, also known as epinephrine (AD) – the “fight or flight hormone”
– Noradrenaline, also known as norepinephrine (NE) – the “energy / concentration hormone”
– Dopamine (DA) – the “pleasure / reward hormone”
– Acetylcholine (ACh) – the “learning hormone”
– Glutamate (GL) – the “activation/excitement hormone”
– Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) – the “inhibition/calming hormone”

Each of these neurotransmitters bind to a corresponding neuroreceptor, of which each receptor type is further comprised of numerous families and subtypes, all involved in numerous functions such as memory, imagination, motor control, and sleep [2]. The highly interconnected complexity of the brain makes it challenging to make reliable conclusions about which neurotransmitters lead to specific effects (not to mention that scientists are still continuing to discover new neuroreceptors in the body). In general, many of the compounds with psychedelic properties affect the serotonin system (e.g. psilocybin, LSD), although there are also many that do not (e.g. ibogaine affects glutamate NMDA receptors, muscimol from the amanita muscaria mushroom affects GABA receptors).

Brainwaves

When a neurotransmitter binds to a neuroreceptor, electrical activity is generated by the neuron that can be detected non-invasively by neuroimaging devices like an EEG [3]. To make things more complex, electrochemical activity works both ways, as exogenous electrical stimulation to the brain has also been shown to affect endogenous neurotransmitter levels [4]. Nevertheless, measuring brainwaves has proven useful in translational neuroscience to help understand cognitive activity and health [5].

While all brainwaves are involved in perceptual, motor, and cognitive activities (i.e. we think with all brainwaves), brainwaves can be generally categorized by frequency:
– Delta (1-4 Hz) are the slowest brainwaves that are associated with involuntary processing such as the synchronization of brain activity with autonomic functions (e.g. heartbeat, breathing). They are primarily generated by the frontal cortex and are strong during the stage of deep sleep as well as physical activity [6].
– Theta (4-8Hz) are slow brainwaves that are associated with memory and emotion processing, such as the synchronization of brain activity with sensory/memory functions (e.g. learning, intuition). They are primarily generated by the brain’s limbic system (thalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, basal ganglia) and are strong during the stage of light sleep as well as when awake but in a state of inward concentration (e.g. daydreaming, mind wandering) [7].
– Alpha (8-12 Hz) are mid-frequency brainwaves that are associated with attention and sensory perception such as focus and stimulus response. They are primarily generated by the brain’s thalamocortical system (which controls passage of sensory input to the brain) and are strong during meditation with eyes closed (particularly experienced meditators) [8].
– Beta (12-30 Hz) are fast brainwaves that are associated with thought and intellectual activity, such as external observation and interaction. They are generated throughout the brain’s cortex and are strong during engaged waking states and outward concentration, as well as the REM stage of sleep [9].
– Gamma (30-100Hz) are the fastest brainwaves that are associated with insight and integrative thought, such as learning, complex decision making, and problem solving. They are generated through the brain’s cortex and are strong during deep focused activity [10].

Ancestral Supplement for The Good Mind: MAGI

How do Magi nootropics affect the mind?

The active ingredient in Magi Ancestral Supplement nootropics are beta-Carbolines, a class of naturally occurring organic compounds with psychoactive and neuroprotective properties, that are extracted and purified from the sacred plant Espand. The beta-Carbolines that we formulated the Magi nootropics with, lightly interact with the brain’s serotonin receptors and inhibit Monoamine Oxidase (MAO), the enzyme that metabolizes many of the brain’s neurotransmitters. The inhibition of monoamine oxidase is a common mechanism of action for many antidepressants, as it prevents the breakdown of serotonin, noradrenaline, and dopamine, which in turn prolongs the mood, energy, and reward signaling effect of these neurotransmitters [11].

Most unique is that beta-Carbolines are some of the few naturally-occurring compounds that bind strongly to Imidazoline receptors. First discovered in the 1960’s and mistakenly thought to be a subtype of adrenergic receptor modulators, it wasn’t until 1984 that imidazoline was uniquely identified due to its anti-hypertensive properties (as compared to adrenaline that causes an increase in blood pressure) [12]. Even today, the structure and function of imidazoline receptors are not fully characterized. Imidazoline receptors have been shown to play a role in the regulation of the body’s cardiovascular, metabolic, and sensorial pain systems, and imidazoline compounds have been shown to exhibit neuroprotective effects [13].

Both directly and indirectly, by means of monoamine oxidase inhibition, beta-Carbolines engage with the brain’s imidazoline, serotonin, noradrenaline, and dopamine systems. We formulated the lightly perceptive Magi nootropics with a precision dose of select beta-Carbolines in order to affect mood, energy, sensation, perception, and pain. From the time that you consume magi nootropics, our all natural vegan capsules take 10-20 minutes to break down in the stomach before they begin to engage directly with your nervous system. The majority of imidazoline and serotonin receptors are located in the gut, not the brain… you think with your gut as much as your brain!