The first study investigating this topic was in 2003.
They took vegetarians in their mid 20s and gave them 5g of (or placebo) for 6 weeks, then no creatine for 6 weeks, and then switched groups for another 6 weeks.
The break was done to see if any benefit went away without creatine.
(2/7)
Subjects took two cognitive assessments.
Ravenβs Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM) = nonverbal test of abstract reasoning & pattern spotting.
Wechsler Backward Digit Span (BDS) = working memory test (recall numbers in reverse).
Both tap core cognitive abilities that strongly predict IQ scores.
(3/7)
During the creatine portions (weeks 0-6 & 12-18) - both intelligence metrics markedly improved.
Scores began to decline once creatine was stopped, but remained higher than starting levels for weeks after.
(4/7)
A more recent study showed similar effects.
Creatine (or placebo) was taken at 5g a day for 6 weeks.
They did the same 2 cognitive tests.
(5/7)
Once again, both intelligence metrics improved with creatine.
When trying to compare the results directly to IQ tests, the researchers stated:
"If these were IQ tests, the increase in raw scores would
mean 1 and 2.5 IQ points."
(6/7)
Creatine is incredibly important for the brain.
Like the muscles, creatine is stored in large amounts in the brain, and supports energy metabolism by acting as a way to replenish ATP.
This is vital for all functions of the brain, but in particular is needed for maintaining the charge of the neurons.
Without constant maintenance of this gradient, neurotransmitter signals and brain activity is not possible.
The brain is electric in nature. Creatine supports this.
(7/7)
I've written more about the importance of creatine to the brain here, along with additional context:
Bone broth can drastically lower inflammation in the gut, as shown by a recent study.
(π§΅1/7)
The broth in this study was prepared by:
β§ Bone source & prep β Bovine femur bones (100β130 g), cut crosswise, commercially obtained
β§ Cleaning β Washed 3Γ in distilled water at 50 Β°C for 15 min to remove meat/fat/blood
β§ Cooking setup β Slow cooker, bone-to-water ratio 1:4
β§ Acidified water β 20 mL white vinegar per 1 L distilled water, boiled before adding bones
β§ Cooking process β Simmered 8 h at 100Β°C, volume maintained with acidified water
β§ Post-cooking β Cooled 3 h at room temp, refrigerated 6 h at 4 Β°C
β§ Filtering β Bones and fat removed via funnel with cotton gauze
(2/7)
Bone broth preserved the structure of the gut.
The two pictures on the top are from the animals with gut inflammation without bone broth.
You can see how the intestines look like they got ripped apart. There's also more immune cells that have infiltrated the area (neutrophils).
The bone broth group on the bottom had nearly normal gut structure, and far less neutrophil infiltration.
Vitamin B1 (thiamine) megadosing can massively reduce fatigue, in many cases reversing it entirely.
(π§΅1/20)
This study was a small pilot study conducted about a decade ago.
Anywhere from 600-1500 mg of B1 was used, depending on the weight of the patient.
The results were stunning.
10/12 patients had a complete reversal of fatigue.
The other two saw reductions by 50% and 66%.
(2/20)
What was stunning about this study was that these people did not have thiamine (B1) deficiency,
yet they responded to thiamine megadoses as if they were.
This is likely because measuring the amount of B1 or its active metabolite, TPP, is not sufficient to tell if someone gets enough of it into their cells, where it exerts its effects.