looking for non-caffein energy boost

[gib65]

If I wanted to give up caffeine and get my energy boost from more natural sources (fruits, vegetables, vitamins, etc.), what would you suggest? I understand it would be extremely difficult to get the same kind of boost from natural non-caffinated substances, but I don't need the same kind of boost (quality and quantity), just something so that I'm not dragging my ass around all day. Any suggestions?

[Marat]

Caffeine actually is a natural energy boost, since it is found in many beans. There are many other natural energy boosts which are even more effective, such as erythropoietin and prednisone, but you can't get these without a prescription. It used to be possible to buy noradrenalin for injection over-the-counter at German pharmacies, but after the European integration that may no longer be the case. Some claim that ginseng or gotu kola are natural energy boosters, but the effect seems small.

 

Some vitamins and supplements you might try are vinopocetrine, gingko biloba, or solbutiamine, which essentially energize people by improving cerebral circulation.

[John Cuthber]

The traditional "natural" remedy for tiredness is sleep.

People say exercise works too, but I haven't checked it out; I prefer caffeine.

[gib65]

Caffeine actually is a natural energy boost, since it is found in many beans. There are many other natural energy boosts which are even more effective, such as erythropoietin and prednisone, but you can't get these without a prescription. It used to be possible to buy noradrenalin for injection over-the-counter at German pharmacies, but after the European integration that may no longer be the case. Some claim that ginseng or gotu kola are natural energy boosters, but the effect seems small.

 

Some vitamins and supplements you might try are vinopocetrine, gingko biloba, or solbutiamine, which essentially energize people by improving cerebral circulation.

 

I don't think I want to jump from caffeine to prescription pills. I'm looking for something to which I won't develop a tolerance.

 

Do you know of any products that contain the vitamins and supplements you mentioned (vinopocetrine, gingko biloba, etc.)?

[Marat]

You can buy gingko biloba at any health food store. Vinopocetrine can be purchased online, as can sulbutiamine.

[John Cuthber]

What definition of the word "natural" are we working with here?

The OP says "If I wanted to give up caffeine and get my energy boost from more natural sources"

 

Caffeine is formed by a number of plants and we use a fair few of them. It's pretty natural in my book.

On the other hand neither vinopocetrine nor sulbutiamine occur in nature. They are both semisynthetics.

[gib65]

What definition of the word "natural" are we working with here?

The OP says "If I wanted to give up caffeine and get my energy boost from more natural sources"

 

Caffeine is formed by a number of plants and we use a fair few of them. It's pretty natural in my book.

On the other hand neither vinopocetrine nor sulbutiamine occur in nature. They are both semisynthetics.

 

Yeah, maybe 'natural' was a bad choice of words. What I'm looking for can be summed up as follows:

 

I don't think I want to jump from caffeine to prescription pills. I'm looking for something to which I won't develop a tolerance.

 

So fruits, vegetables, vitamin pills, etc. I'm also looking for something that won't harm me in the long run if I take it on a daily basis.

[PhDwannabe]

I don't know your diet, but if you want to start simple, try altering your carbohydrate-to-fiber ratio. Cut out as many refined carbohydrates as you can; eat more whole grains. They'll burn a lot longer and slower, and a fair amount of people notice mood and energy changes--usually more in the domain of "stability" than a dramatic "increase" per se. Nonetheless, no tolerance, no side effects, and plenty of other known (and likely yet-unknown) health benefits across the board.

 

What a terrible "N of 1" example--I usually scoff at such a thing, but on account of this being fairly simple and noncontroversial I'll indulge for once--but I handle myself just fine through the rigors of graduate school, I think in substantial part due to a diet of a lot of whole grains, beans, healthy plant oils, and tons of fruits and vegetables. I watch the rest of my colleagues eating a lot of junk and sucking down a lot of coffee to stay in the game. I haven't had caffeine for a decade and a half. Again, every other guy you meet on the street's got his own personal claims about what certain diets can do for you. Half the people who say what I just said will go on to tell you how soy causes cancer, HFCS causes autism, and beet extract cured grandma's cancer. I sure won't go there. But I'm pretty sure this is a pretty mundane claim: treat your body closer to the way it was evolved to be used. I think you'll have more energy, and a lot of other benefits.