NeuroFactor! Sounds flashy doesn’t it?
NeuroFactor is an ingredient that is starting to pop up in more and more supplements, in different categories – from fat burners like GHOST Burn and Dedicated Relentless, to preworkouts like Black Magic BZRK and GHOST Legend.
But what exactly is this ingredient by Futureceuticals, and why are brands using it in different products that cater to different goals?
NeuroFactor™ an all-natural extract from the fruit of the coffee arabica plant. The coffee Arabica, or Arabian coffee tree as it is also known, is believed to be the first plant where coffee was cultivated from, and to this day dominates 60-70% of global coffee production, depending on what source of information you use. Even though there are other beans containing higher caffeine content than Arabica (robusta for example contains 2.2%, compared to arabica’s 1.2%), it is regarded as the standard above all. One reason for this is because arabica is a self-pollinating plant, which means the plant will have fewer mutations and variations compared to most other sources of caffeine, keeping the quality controlled from season to season.
THE BENEFITS OF NEUROFACTOR
Yeah yeah, get to what it does! Ok ok, I’m getting to that bit. So, NeuroFactor has a unique profile of polyphenols that have been shown to significantly increase levels of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This is pretty much why you can’t just pop any coffee arabica extract and gain the same benefits. BDNF acts on certain neurons, helping the survival of existing neurons and promotes the growth of new neurons and synapses. This is vital to learning, memory, and raising intelligence, improving mood and alertness.
HOW ABOUT WEIGHT LOSS?
So, now we see why it can be beneficial in a preworkout and health products. But, a fat burner? Well, if you look up the beneficial effects further of BDNF, you will come across human studies that show a coloration between overweight or obese people, and low levels of BDNF.
BDNF has shown to activate the stress response, which then promotes UCP1 (uncoupling protein 1). UCP1, or the original name that gives a clue to its action, thermogenin, activates the thermogenic process of brown fat, making it easier to be burned off. Explains why GHOST Burn uses it.
Now, how do you dose NeuroFactor? The clinical research recommends 100mg a day. Cover that and you’ll get the benefits.
Will you drastically see changes? No, but this is an ingredient for long term benefits. Is it worth using? The research is good but larger clinical studies are needed to support it more. Until then, I can't give you a solid yes or no. Taking this into account however, the products that do use it that we stock don't solely rely on that one ingredient, so either way you will see other results.