Soylent getting into Nootropics

Well this is something different; Soylent are releasing what they call “the ultimate energy drink” under the label ‘Stacked’ – an all new product that adds nootropics to a tried and tested Soylent formula.

Nootropics are a new trend in nutrition and according to examine.com are supplements that are ingested primarily for their effects on the brain. Many are touted to increase cognition, focus, alertness, well-being or are grouped under similarly vague blanket statements.

Some certainly do have credible effects whilst others, well, don’t. The science is ever growing and Nootropics Expert have a helpful list of the 90 most popular compounds in use today but what’s interesting about Soylent’s Nootropic blend is it’s very specific in scope and only really brings in two additions that we haven’t seen in other Soylent drinks previously.

Our customers told us they were frustrated with the empty calories and lack of nutrition in the leading energy drinks, Soylent Stacked is the first energy drink formulated for both your mind and your body.

CEO Bryan Crowley

So let’s look at the blend in use. Caffeine, L-Theanine, L-Tyrosine and Alpha-GPC.

Caffeine of course we know well. It’s a a stimulatory anti-sleep compound extracted from coffee beans. Habitual use leads to tolerance which dulls several of caffeine’s effects.

L-Theanine is one of the main active ingredients found in green tea. It helps promote relaxation without drowsiness, and works synergisticly with caffeine.

L-Tyrosine is an amino acid that is used to produce noradrenaline and dopamine; it appears to reduce stress during exposure to acute stressors and may help to prevent stress-induced memory deficits. The typical dose for L-Tyrosine is 300 – 500 mg twice per day.

Alpha-GPC is a cholinergic compound that is used for its cognitive-promoting properties, and to enhance power output in athletes. It appears to also support cellular membranes, and may aid in preventing cognitive decline. The recommended daily dosage for Alpha GPC is 600 mg.

The four are quite complimentary and on paper should certainly help improve focus, memory and brain function. But what about nutrition?

Here things are a fairly standard Soylent affair – so we’re talking complete nutrition and well thought out macros, but things look very Bridgey. Let’s quickly compare Soylent RTD’s.

	Stacked	Bridge	Drink	Cafe
Fat (g) – Saturated (g)	10 1	10 1	21 1.5	21 2
Carbs (g) – Sugar (g) – Fibre (g)	12 3 3	10 3 3	36 3 9	37 3 9
Protein (g)	15	15	20	20
Salt (g)	0.23	0.23	0.3	0.3
Caffeine (mg)	100	0	0	150
Kcal	180	180	400	400
Price per 400kcal	$5.29	$4.58	$2.69	$3.09

“Most nootropic supplements on the market are pills or powder – they do not provide the nutrient density needed to keep you energized both physically and mentally. With Soylent Stacked we provide the functional benefits of nootropics combined with the complete nutrition you can expect from all Soylent products.

Julie Daoust, VP of Product Development at Soylent

So the foundation of Stacked looks to be little more than a tweaked version of Soylent Bridge – of course that’s no bad thing – but with slightly more carbs and added Nootropics, but otherwise we’ve a very like-for-like drink.

But is the addition of L-Theanine, L-Tyrosine and Alpha-GPC worth an extra $2.20 per meal compared to Soylent Cafe? it’s difficult to say without knowing how much of each compound is present, and who exactly are the target audience here? Surely not existing Soylent subscribers because as a meal replacement it simply doesn’t look very compelling against the rest of Soylent’s existing line up.

Consider Stacked purely as an energy drink though and the appeal is immediately obvious compared to the crop of sugar laden carbonated beverages. Are Rosa Foods targetting e-sports?