L-Theanine
An amino acid found in tea leaves. It is studied for promoting a calm, settled kind of attention without sedation, which fits a stimulant-free focus direction.
Ingredient library
Every ingredient, held to the same standard.
Know what an ingredient is supported by, how it was studied, and where the uncertainties are. Evidence, doses, and cautions, all in one place.
- Grade A
- 00
- Grade B
- 07
- Grade C
- 36
- Emerging
- 06
- Graded out
- 05
Please note
Educational content, not medical advice. Evidence grades are our own conservative reading of the human research. They are not product claims.
Signal State Core
The researched candidate set for v1.
The stimulant-free cognitive actives and foundational nutrients we're researching as candidates for Signal State Core, held to the same standard as everything else in the library. A working direction, not a final formula: the shortlist, doses, and claims are all subject to manufacturing and regulatory review.
Citicoline
A choline-donating compound the body uses in cell-membrane and neurotransmitter pathways. It is studied as a focus and mental-energy ingredient.
Bacopa Monnieri
A traditional herb standardized for compounds called bacosides. It is studied mainly for memory and learning over sustained daily use, not for same-day effects.
Rhodiola Rosea
An adaptogenic herb standardized for rosavins and salidroside. Its studied benefit is narrow: reducing stress-related mental fatigue and helping sustain output during genuinely demanding stretches (night shifts, exam load), not lifting baseline performance in a rested, unstressed adult.
B-Complex (B6, B9, B12)
The nervous-system B vitamins (B6, folate, and B12) support normal neurological and psychological function and normal nutrient metabolism. Measurable cognitive benefit is strongest where baseline status is low or homocysteine is elevated (typically older adults); it is limited in young, well-nourished people.
Vitamin D3
A foundational fat-soluble nutrient, not a same-day nootropic. There is no reliable evidence it sharpens focus in people who already have adequate levels, but low vitamin D status is common at Canadian latitudes in winter and is associated with poorer cognition, so it fits as foundational "status insurance," not a cognitive active.
Also in the library
Researched, not on the v1 shortlist.
Ingredients we've researched to the same standard for education, comparison, and future formulas, not currently candidates for Signal State Core v1.
Holy Basil
An adaptogenic herb studied across multiple independent manufacturers for supporting a healthy stress response and cortisol balance. The multi-sponsor replication is what earns it a B rather than a C.
L-Tyrosine
An amino acid the body uses to make dopamine and norepinephrine. It is studied for protecting focus and working memory when the brain is taxed by stress, sleep loss, or cold, not as an everyday enhancer for well-rested people.
Lavender (oral)
An oral lavender-oil softgel studied in double-blind trials for easing occasional nervous tension and supporting calm, with no sedation or dependence signal in its trials. Not the same as aromatherapy lavender.
Lemon Balm
An herb studied in replicated, independent trials for supporting acute calm under cognitive load, a narrower and better-evidenced claim than a general anti-anxiety one.
Melatonin
The body's own sleep-timing hormone, taken as a low-dose evening supplement. Its best evidence is for shortening how long it takes to fall asleep and for re-aligning a shifted body clock (jet lag, shift work, delayed sleep phase), not as a general sedative or a cure for chronic insomnia. An evening, sleep-slot ingredient, not a daytime cognitive active.
5-HTP
The immediate serotonin precursor, extracted from Griffonia simplicifolia seed, that crosses into the brain more readily than tryptophan. Small trials suggest benefit for mood and sleep, but quality is low and it carries the same serious serotonin-syndrome interaction with antidepressants. An evening/mood-slot ingredient requiring conservative dosing.
See the other 42 researched ingredients
Grade C31
- Acetyl-L-CarnitineAmino acid
- Alpha-GPCCholine source
- American GinsengAdaptogen
- AnthocyaninsPolyphenol
- AshwagandhaAdaptogen
- ChamomileBotanical
- Cocoa FlavanolsPolyphenol
- Creatine MonohydrateAmino acid
- Curcumin (lipidated)Botanical
- Ginkgo BilobaPolyphenol
- Huperzine-ANootropic
- IronMineral
- L-TryptophanAmino acid
- Lutein + ZeaxanthinCarotenoid
- Magnesium GlycinateMineral
- Magnesium L-ThreonateMineral
- Maritime Pine BarkPolyphenol
- Multivitamin-MineralVitamin
- Omega-3 (EPA/DHA)Fatty acid
- Panax GinsengAdaptogen
- PassionflowerBotanical
- PhosphatidylserinePhospholipid
- ResveratrolPolyphenol
- SaffronAdaptogen
- SagePolyphenol
- Spearmint ExtractBotanical
- ValerianBotanical
- Vitamin CVitamin
- Vitamin K2 (MK-7)Vitamin
- ZincMineral
- ZynamiteBotanical
Emerging6
How we grade evidence
Four grades, conservatively applied.
Grades reflect our own reading of the human research for an ingredient's studied role, not product claims, and not a promise of effect.
- Grade A
- 00 of 54 ingredients
- Strong. Multiple human trials and consistent effects
- Grade B
- 07 of 54 ingredients
- Moderate. Several human trials, some mixed results
- Grade C
- 36 of 54 ingredients
- Limited. Early or small human trials
- Emerging
- 06 of 54 ingredients
- Mostly preclinical or preliminary human data
This is the short version. For the full rubric (study type, replication, population match, dose adequacy, and conflict-of-interest checks), see The Evidence Standard.