Three Amazing Caffeine Alternatives for Quick, Clean Energy – And the Science Behind Them



In a survey conducted in March 2022 by the International Food Information Council (IFIC), respondents over the age of 65 generally stated that they drank caffeinated beverages because they liked the flavor, whereas those under the age of 45 were more likely to report taking caffeine only for its well-known benefits as a stimulant. [1]

But if you don't truly like the flavor, or maybe even if you do, these advantages are part of a trade-off that might not be worthwhile.

Caffeine: Why to Avoid It

Although caffeine can boost your energy levels and enhance your physical and mental performance, it can also make you restless and, once the dreaded "caffeine crash" sets in, leave you feeling extremely exhausted.

The most typical side effects of caffeine use include insomnia, high blood pressure, heart palpitations, headaches, dizziness, gastrointestinal distress, and anxiety. Daily use also carries the risk of developing a tolerance (requiring increasing amounts of caffeine to achieve the same energizing effect) or addiction, which may result in withdrawal symptoms.

Fortunately, there are some excellent, all-natural alternatives to caffeine on the market today that may give you a similar energy and performance boost but in a far better way, so there are no jitters, no crash, and no chance of becoming addicted.

Zynamite is a patented extract of Mangifera indica (mango tree) leaf that was developed by Spanish nutraceutical company Nektium and commercially released in 2018. It impressed judges at the 2018 NutraIngredients Awards, where it won Ingredient of the Year in the Sports Nutrition category, with its scientifically proven "ability to replace caffeine without any of the typical side-effects."

Zynamite is standardized to contain at least 60% mangiferin, which is able to cross the blood-brain barrier and upregulate dopamine in a manner similar to caffeine but does so without blocking the adenosine receptors[3], the mechanism underlying both the advantages and disadvantages of caffeine. This makes it different from other mango leaf extracts.

Mangiferin, on the other hand, blocks the enzyme catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), which degrades dopamine in the prefrontal cortex,[4] so increasing dopamine levels without triggering the buildup of adenosine that often results in the coffee crash.

A single dose of Zynamite in healthy adults significantly improved a wide range of brain functions for up to 6 hours, according to a study conducted in 2020 under the direction of professor David Kennedy, director of the Brain, Performance & Nutrition Center at Northumbria University in the UK. These cognitive benefits were "broader and longer lasting than those that would be expected after caffeine," the study's authors noted.

Additionally, earlier clinical studies discovered that Zynamite in single doses combined with the common plant flavonoids quercetin or luteolin can improve athletic performance by enhancing brain and muscle oxygenation[7,8] and hastening muscle recovery after exercise.

EnXtra, a proprietary extract of Alpinia galanga (galangal, a herb from the ginger family) created by Mumbai-based ENovate Biolife, is another award-winning caffeine substitute. It won prizes for Ingredient of the Year in the categories of Sports Nutrition and Cognitive Function at the 2019 NutraIngredients Awards and the 2021 NutraIngredients-USA Awards, respectively.

EnXtra functions similarly to caffeine, blocking adenosine receptors and preventing dopamine reuptake, but with one important distinction: unlike caffeine, which is a vasoconstrictor that raises blood pressure and decreases cerebral blood flow and is the main contributor to caffeine's unpleasant cardiovascular side effects, or "jitters," EnXtra has no negative impact on blood flow or heart rate.

EnXtra actually outperforms its competitor, working in synergy with the Alpinia galanga extract's eight known dopaminergic bio compounds[12] to provide superior and longer-lasting neurostimulator benefits, even in the areas where caffeine excels as a stimulant (improving mental alertness, energy, focus, and attention).

Recent research shows that EnXtra continuously boosted alertness[13] and focused attention[14] for a period of five hours, while caffeine only momentarily improved these scores before triggering a crash at about the three-hour point.

In contrast to caffeine, which typically exhibits a "ceiling effect," whereby a tolerance is quickly built up and the substance ceases to provide further benefits after even a short period of consistent (i.e., daily) light-to-moderate use, EnXtra "displayed an acute and consistent improvement in alertness and did not decline throughout the 180 days of usage," according to a long-term safety and efficacy study conducted in 2019.

In contrast to caffeine, the findings of the safety research also demonstrated that there are no withdrawal symptoms linked to stopping EnXtra use over a prolonged period of twice-daily use.

A proprietary substance that "delivers energy, mental clarity, and increased motivation and mood"[15] is promoted. TeaCrine was created by the California-based nutraceutical company Compound Solutions and launched on the market in 2015.

TeaCrine is structurally similar to caffeine, so it acts through the same dopaminergic and adenosinergic pathways. However, TeaCrine has a half-life of about 20 hours, which is much longer than caffeine's roughly five-hour half-life[16] and keeps it active in the bloodstream for a much longer period of time.

TeaCrine is slightly less antagonistic to adenosine receptors than caffeine, which prevents a sudden crash. Caffeine totally inhibits adenosine receptors, which causes a build-up of chemical sleep signals that finally overwhelm the brain and cause the well-known caffeine crash effect.

An early pilot study indicated that TeaCrine greatly increased energy, motivation, libido, and focus six hours after a single dose, suggesting that the benefits are much longer-lasting than those of caffeine. The study also found that TeaCrine dramatically decreased exhaustion and anxiety.

In addition, a further safety investigation discovered that TeaCrine is completely non-habit forming, unlike caffeine, has no discernible effect on heart rate or blood pressure, and may even lower cholesterol levels.

The adverse effects of caffeine definitely aren't worth it if you're one of the increasing number of people who just consumes them for their benefits to health and performance.

Even if you prefer caffeinated drinks like coffee or energy drinks, you might be eager to find a less addictive substitute that won't endanger your long-term health.

Fortunately, the market for caffeine substitutes is currently booming, and nutraceuticals like Zynamite, EnXtra, and TeaCrine can support their claims of effectiveness with solid research.

Could the world's most popular stimulant soon be extinct given these compounds' empirically demonstrated capacity to increase energy and attention without jitters, crashes, tolerance, or addiction — just like caffeine, and in many cases even better than coffee?

By SCITECHDAILY.COM 

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