Timeout™ is a proprietary blend of full spectrum extracts of rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea) and motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) in syrup water with stevia and natural fructose as sweeteners. Rhodiola and motherwort were selected for their unique, well-documented beneficial effect on the Central Nervous system as well as for having very safe profiles.
Rhodiola has been used in Tibetan and Chinese traditional medicines for close to two millennia and it has been used in Scandinavian and Russian traditional medicines for hundreds of years. Rhodiola belongs to a category of plants called adaptogens.
Adaptogenic plants are different from stimulant plants or from chemical stimulants in their physiological effect. When stimulants work by making cells to consume higher amount of energy, adaptogenic plants, including rhodiola and their extracts allow cells utilize energy with higher efficiency by building energy carrying chemicals. In a sense, rhodiola improves nourishment of the cells, especially of the brain cells.
Pharmacological studies have demonstrated that rhodiola stimulates neurotransmitter activity in the Central Nervous system and may affect norepinephrine, serotonin, acetylcholine and dopamine availability in brain cells. The use of rhodiola for ADHD has a substantial support by clinical and laboratory research. When taken even at a single dose, rhodiola has measurable performance enhancing, antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects. In addition, rhodiola improves memorization and aids in learning performance and helps to better adjust to stressful environments. Incidentally, unlike stimulants, rhodiola has a protective effect on a heart, preventing abnormal heart beats and improving heart function, which is also attributed to better energy utilization by the heart cells.
Motherwort is a plant with documented sedative (calming) and anti-anxiety properties; being calm is an important factor in the ability to focus. The calming effect of motherwort is as strong as the effect of valerian root, but without possible side effects seen with repeat use of valerian root, caused by benzodiazepines-like (benzodiazepine drugs are Valium, Alprazolam, etc) chemicals found in valerian root.