Genius Joy Review: A Joyful Surprise Or Another Disappointment?

Genius Joy Review

What exactly is Genius Joy? Genius Joy is a serotonin supplement that offers relief from mood swings and anxiety. It contains serotonin along with other research-backed ingredients that should help boost your mood, improve your attention span, increase energy levels, and your overall well-being.

According to the manufacturer, Genius Joy should deliver the following benefits:

• Improved focus, memory, and mental clarity
• Reduced stress levels
• Revived CNS and reduced cortisol
• Supports a healthy balance of dopamine and serotonin

The supplement takes a novel approach to cognitive enhancement. Since stress “clogs” the mind, reducing it and improving mood it it’s main focus, in order to consequently boost performance and productivity.

With such a profile, it makes for a rather interesting nootropic. It’s hard to come across a stack that focuses on promoting neurotransmitter balance and subjective well-being. but how much of their claims are true? Read on to find out.

About the Manufacturer

Genius Joy is manufactured by a company called the Genius Brand. In its nootropic segment, the manufacturer has released three supplements – the Genius Joy, Genius Pre, and Genius Consciousness.

The privately held company is headquartered in Auburn, Washington. It’s made up of a small team of less than 10 members, that is if the information that appears on their LinkedIn page is anything to go by. The Genius Brand prefers to keep much of its details private. For example, they don’t talk much about the founder’s story or tackle a similar topic on their website, which is quite common among the big supplement vendors.

With this in mind, we did manage to do a bit of digging and found about 5 folks linked to the company. Among them was Mark Post, who is the president of the Genius Brand. There’s also Robert Oliver, who is the CEO of the brand and is also behind the @thegeniusCEO handles on social media. The team behind the product seem legitimate, considering that they don’t even overhype their credentials.

Genius Joy Ingredients

Here is a brief overview of the ingredients that make up the Genius Joy formulation, including what they do and how they work.

B-Vitamins

These are a group of eight essential micronutrients that have lots of benefits for bodily functions. B-Vitamins essentially help the body with the processing of nutrients and converting food into energy. Every B-vitamin has a unique role in the body.

Generally speaking, a person who consumes a balanced, healthy diet will get the necessary vitamins from the diet itself. People consuming overcooked and/or processed food may gradually get deficient in one or more of these vitamins.

According to studies on B-vitamins, taking a small dose of the B-complex won’t harm the body. [1]

However, as essential as these vitamins might be in regulating bodily functions, they don’t play an active role as nootropics.

Vitamin D3

Vitamin D is vital when it comes to maintaining proper bone health since it helps the body to absorb calcium. It also regulates phosphorus and calcium in the body. Consuming Vitamin D orally doesn’t possess any harmful risks when taken within the recommended doses. However, when it’s consumed in high doses for longer, you face a higher risk of developing high blood calcium content.

SAMe – S-Adenosylmethionine Tosylate Disulfate

This is quite an obscure supplement that naturally occurs in the human body, usually serving as a co-substrate in methyl transfers. In other words, you can think of SAMe as a donor that helps in the creation of various nucleic acids, peptides, lipids, and other substrates.

Abnormal SAMe levels in the body are associated with liver disease and depression. Some studies actually report that consuming SAMe orally could help with depression. [2] [3]

However, most of these clinical trials were only conducted for a couple of weeks with small sample size. Plus, the possible side effects of taking SAMe hasn’t been adequately studied.

N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine

L tyrosine is an amino acid that supports brain function by promoting neurotransmitters’ synthesis. N-acetyl is an acetylated derivative of L tyrosine. Tyrosine is really effective at reducing anxiety and encouraging a calm, clear mind during times of acute physical and mental stress.

Several clinical trials have found that the compound is especially effective at supporting memory function and focus in people subjected to sleep deprivation. [4] [5] [6]

Rhodiola Rosea

Also referred to as the Arctic root, Rhodiola Rosea is a plant that has been traditionally used as medicine. The root is considered to be an adaptogen, which means it can help the body adapt to stress better.

There’s anecdotal evidence that suggests the root extract may be helpful in improving memory, promoting clear-headedness, and enhancing learning. An article published in Phytotherapy Research sheds more light on the stress relieving properties of this herb. [7]

The 300 mg contained in Genius Joy is quite a substantial serving compared to the standard serving of 100 mg. When combined with a significant dose of Tyrosine, it will have a considerable effect on your ability to perform under and handle stress.

Red Panax Ginseng (Root) Powder

We tend to be quite pessimistic about the use of Ginseng in nootropics. But in this case, Genius Joy explicitly touts itself as an all-round wellness product. As such, it’s a reasonable addition. Clinical trials have shown that ginseng supplementation can improve subjective well-being, and it’s known to improve memory, focus, and thinking.

A study published in MDPI studies the safety of this root and concludes that large-scale clinical trials are required to affirm its safety. [8] Another study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine echoes the same fact.

While consuming ginseng is potentially safe in the short term, researchers believe long term use of the root may modify certain hormones and produce some side effects, including trouble sleeping, dizziness, high blood pressure, among others.

5-HTP

This is an amino acid produced naturally by the body. It helps with the production of serotonin, whose deficiency could lead to anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders. Due to this relationship, using 5-HTP in the treatment of depression has become popular these days.

According to a study published in the Official Journal of the World Psychiatric Association, linking serotonin levels to depressions isn’t well-founded. [9] 

More scientific research is needed to determine the exact relationship between the two and establish whether 5-HTP can be used as treatment for anxiety and depression.

NeuroFactor / Coffea Arabica

Arabian coffee, or coffee arabica, is widely known as the first species of coffee ever cultivated. NeuroFactor is a trademarked coffee arabica product made by the company Futureceuticals. Coffee arabica is known to raise the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).

BDNF is a protein that helps to make sure that neurons stay healthy and encourage the growth of new ones. In turn, this facilitates memory retention, learning, and enhances mood. Plus, there are no known risks associated with the consumption of NeuroFactor in small quantities. [10]

L-Theanine

This is an amino acid derived from tea plant leaves. Clinical studies have proven that this extract is effective when it comes to reducing stress, uplifting mood, and alleviating anxiety. One of these studies was published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. [11]