Neuroactives. The Brain-First Compounds for Focus, Mood & Flow

When people think about Flow Brew, they often think about focus without the crash. That’s not magic, it’s the result of carefully layering neuroactive compounds that have been studied for their impact on brain health.

These include:

• Hericenones & erinacines from Lion’s Mane

• Cordycepin from Cordyceps

• Rhodiola rosavins & salidroside

• L-Theanine, the calming amino acid from tea

Lion’s Mane and NGF: supporting brain plasticity

Lion’s Mane may be the most famous “brain mushroom” for a reason. Lab and animal studies show that hericenones and erinacines can stimulate Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) – a protein that supports growth, maintenance and survival of neurons. 

Human trials, while still small, suggest Lion’s Mane may:

• Improve cognitive scores in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. 

• Support aspects of mood, memory and attention in healthy adults, although results are mixed and dose-dependent. 

For our purposes, the key is this, Lion’s Mane isn’t just stimulating; it appears to support the brain’s ability to rewire and repair.

Cordycepin, Rhodiola & L-Theanine: energy, resilience and calm

We combine Lion’s Mane with other neuroactives to shape how that brain support feels in real life:

• Cordycepin (Cordyceps) = a nucleoside analogue studied for its impact on ATP production, oxygen utilisation and anti-fatigue effects, particularly during exercise.

• Rhodiola = an adaptogenic herb linked with reduced fatigue and improved stress resilience in multiple trials.

• L-Theanine = known for promoting relaxed alertness and smoothing out the jittery edges of stimulants by increasing alpha-wave activity.

Together, they create a state we call calm energy, clear-headed, switched on, but grounded.

Neuroactives inside Flow Brew products

We’ve designed our formulas so that every “brain” ritual does more than one job:

Focus+ blend

• • Lion’s Mane (hericenones & erinacines) for NGF support.

  • Cordyceps (cordycepin) for cellular energy.

  • Rhodiola, L-Theanine, Bacopa and Ginkgo for memory, stress resilience and calm focus.

Clarity (Lion’s Mane tincture)

• • A targeted Lion’s Mane extract for people who want to dial up the neurotrophic side of their ritual, ideal for deep work blocks, studying or creative sessions.

By stacking these compounds around your daily coffee (or replacing it entirely), you build repeatable focus into your day without relying on massive caffeine hits.

Why we obsess over compounds, not just claims

Anyone can say “this helps with brain fog.”

We’d rather talk about NGF, mitochondrial function and stress signalling and then design products that reflect that science. Flow Brew’s neuroactive approach is:

1. Research-led, not trend-led = we follow emerging evidence, but we’re honest about its limits.

2. Ritual-based = a supplement only works if you actually take it. So we build these compounds into simple morning and evening rituals.

3. Nervous-system first = better focus starts with a regulated nervous system, not just a stimulated one.

When you bring neuroactives like Lion’s Mane, Cordyceps, Rhodiola and L-Theanine into a consistent ritual, you’re not chasing a productivity high.

You’re training your brain and nervous system to spend more time in flow. Present, clear and calmly switched on.