Thirty-nine healthy adults took either 400 mg of alpha-GPC or a placebo each night for two weeks and logged their feelings three times a day on a smartphone scale. The alpha-GPC group showed an upward trend in motivation over the dosing period, and their night-time motivation scores were higher than the placebo group. Anxiety scores did not differ between groups, and no serious side effects were reported.
Alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine, or alpha-GPC, is a precursor of acetylcholine and is sold as a dietary supplement. Animal work suggests it also increases dopamine and serotonin levels in rat brain tissue. Dopamine is tied to motivation and reward, and serotonin to anxiety and depression. The authors note there were no reports at all on the effects of alpha-GPC on human feelings and emotions. This pilot trial asked whether taking it changes self-reported motivation or anxiety in healthy people.
This was a single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study run at the RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research in Kobe, Japan. Single-blind means participants did not know which capsule they received, but the researchers did. Forty volunteers aged 22 to 59 were recruited in 2018, 31 women and 9 men. One placebo participant was dropped for entering less than 75% of the required data, leaving 19 in the placebo group (mean age 43.6 plus or minus 9.4 years) and 20 in the alpha-GPC group (43.1 plus or minus 8.2 years).
The alpha-GPC group took two 200 mg capsules at bedtime, 400 mg a day, for two weeks. Feelings were recorded using the KOKORO scale, a four-quadrant chart on a smartphone where one axis runs from anxiety to relief and the other from lethargy to motivation, giving values from minus 100 to 100. Participants entered their state three times daily for four weeks: two weeks before any capsules and two weeks while taking them.
The results are mixed and mostly fall short of statistical significance. On the anxiety to relief axis, both groups reported more relief during the capsule-taking period, but the comparison between groups showed no significant differences at any time of day.
On the lethargy to motivation axis, the placebo had no effect while the alpha-GPC group showed what the authors describe as an increasing trend. That trend across the whole period was not statistically significant. When the day was broken into three time blocks, one result reached significance: the change in motivation in the alpha-GPC group was significantly higher than placebo at night (p below 0.05). Morning and afternoon showed no significant difference. No serious side effects were observed during the two weeks.
The authors set out their own limits clearly, and they are substantial. This was a pilot trial on a small scale, with a short two-week intervention and a single-blind design, so researcher expectation could have influenced how the study was conducted. They say their results need validating by larger, longer studies, and could not determine whether alpha-GPC acted directly or indirectly on dopamine circuits in the human brain. The outcome measure is entirely self-reported. Funding came from a Japanese government program, the Cross-Ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program, rather than a supplement manufacturer. The authors declare no conflict of interest. The alpha-GPC itself was bought from a commercial supplier. The trial was registered with Japan's UMIN Clinical Registry.
This is a small pilot study with one positive finding, on one measure, at one time of day. Self-reported motivation was higher than placebo at night; the overall trend across the two-week period was not statistically significant, and anxiety was unaffected. The paper's own conclusion, that alpha-GPC increases motivation, rests on a narrower result than that sentence implies. The design is single-blind, the sample is 39 people, and the outcome is a subjective smartphone rating. It does not show an effect on cognition, since cognition was not measured, and it does not show an effect on anxiety. It applies to healthy adults averaging around 43 years old, mostly women, and the authors call for larger and longer trials before drawing conclusions.
That depends on the specific medication and formula. A few, like blood thinners with CurQLife or blood pressure medication with MaxiNOs, are worth a direct conversation with your doctor first. Check each formula's own FAQ section for specifics, or ask your health coach.
No, and we'd rather be upfront about it. Bacopa, the plant in BacoZest, has published human studies, though they used other bacopa extracts. OptiNOs and MaxiNOs each have human studies sponsored by their maker, Laila Nutraceuticals, which haven't been published in a journal. CurQLife's research is still early, from lab and animal studies, and we label it that way.
It depends on what you're building your routine around. BacoZest is built around bacopa, which is studied for memory.* OptiNOs supports strength and muscular endurance alongside resistance training.* MaxiNOs was studied for healthy blood vessel function.* CurQLife's research is still at the lab stage. Your health coach can help you pick a starting point.
All four are built around plant extracts. OptiNOs was reported as well tolerated in its human study, and published bacopa studies reported no serious side effects. CurQLife's safety data so far comes from lab and animal testing. Check with your doctor first if you're pregnant, nursing, on medication, or managing a health condition.
Because the patented ingredients behind our four formulas went through dedicated research, and research costs real money. A generic curcumin or bacopa supplement hasn't been tested in the form you get from us. You're paying for an ingredient with research behind it, not just a label.
Generic ingredients often haven't been studied in the specific form you're buying. Our four core formulas use patented ingredients, and we show you the research behind each one, including where it's still early.
It depends on the formula. In its study, MaxiNOs blood vessel response was higher than placebo 2 to 3 hours after the first dose.* OptiNOs and bacopa were studied over 6 and 12 weeks of daily use, so give them time. CurQLife is meant to be taken daily.
Yes. BacoZest, OptiNOs, MaxiNOs, and CurQLife are built for different goals, and none of them contain stimulants. They haven't been studied together, so ask your health coach how to fit them into your routine.
