This is our recently updated review of Genius Joy, a nootropic/mood-boosting dietary supplement. It consists of amino acids, vitamins, and herbal extracts that the manufacturer says will help you feel better and improve your ability to think clearly. But does Genius Joy really work? Find out in our in-depth review below – starting with a quick summary.
Genius Joy Review Summarized
PROS
- Natural formula
- Contains some well-researched mood-enhancing ingredients
CONS
- Some ingredients like L-Tyrosine are underdosed
- Some ingredients like Rhodiola are over-served
- The inclusion of 5-HTP makes Genius Joy unsafe for daily long-term use
- Overpriced for what it offers
SUMMARY:
Genius Joy is a food-based supplement that will help you feel better mentally. It contains good doses of some of the key ingredients – including Panax Ginseng, SAMe, and B vitamins. But this doesn’t apply to everything in Genius Joy. Some core ingredients are missing from the Genius Joy, including Phosphatidylserine and Lion’s Mane Mushroom. Genius Joy also uses some ineffective ingredients like Coffea Arabica Fruit Extract. All things considered, Genius Joy does offer some decent mood-enhancing benefits, but for the price of $59.99 per bottle, it’s definitely not the best nootropic supplement we’ve seen.
What do we recommend?
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About Genius Joy
| Claimed Benefits: Supports motivation, enhances attention, improves energy, provides temporary relief from mood swings |
| Ingredients: Rhodiola, SAMe, B vitamins, L-Tyrosine, Coffea Arabica Fruit Extract, L-Theanine, 5-HTP |
| Manufacturer: The Genius Brand |
| Available at: Manufacturer’s Website, Amazon |
| Price: $59.99 (25 servings) |
Here’s a closer look at Genius Joy. A nootropic supplement marketed as a safe and effective natural serotonin mood-enhancing formula. Designes to give you a relief from anxiety symptoms.
Genius Joy is formulated with some of the best-known ingredients in the nootropic world. Combined, they work to help support your motivation, focus, and mental energy to improve your overall well-being.
These are some great promises – however, we’ll need to see whether the science agrees. In the sections below, you’ll see us take a closer look at the ingredients to see if they’re really effective and dosed correctly like The Genius Brand claims.
Dosage Instructions
The recommended dosage for Genius Joy is 4 capsules per day, ideally with food to help absorb its nutrients.
Ingredients – What’s Inside Genius Joy?
The ingredients in Genius Joy are:
- Vitamin B1 (1.5mg)
- Vitamin B2 (1.7mg
- Vitamin B3 (20mg)
- Vitamin B5 (10mg)
- Vitamin B6 (2mg)
- Vitamin B12 (6mcg)
- Vitamin D3 (1000IU)
- SAMe (1000mg)
- N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine (350mg)
- Rhodiola Rosea Root Extract (300mg)
- Red Panax Ginseng Root Powder (250mg)
- Griffonia simplicifolia Seed Extract (98% 5-HTP) (100mg)
- NeuroFactor Coffea Arabica Fruit Extract (100mg)
- L-Theanine (100mg)
As you can see on the product label:
Genius Joy contains some great ingredients for mood enhancement. These include the essential B vitamins, SAMe, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, and Rhodiola.
However, we don’t see Ashwagandha in the formula, nor other proven mood enhancing ingredients. There are also some ineffective ingredients in the formula – not proven to do anything.
Additionally, some ingredients in Genius Joy – such as N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine – are underdosed.
So, how will Genius Joy work for you? Is it effective enough for you notice an improvement in mood and mental clarity? Let’s find out!
In the following section, we’ll break down the ingredients in Genius Joy in more detail to see what effects they have on your mind and body, whether they are safe and effective, and the studies behind them.
- B Vitamins
All of the 8 B vitamins are essential; your body can’t make them on its own. Luckily, most foods we eat today have plenty of B vitamins, in particular, animal products, plants and legumes.
Vitamin B12 is the only one that is a little more difficult to get if you eat a plant-based-only diet, as it’s mostly found in beef lifer, shellfish, and eggs.
If you’re eating a varied diet, then there’s little benefit from supplementing B vitamins. You may notice a lift in your mood and energy levels in a case of severe deficiency – which, again, is rare.
- Vitamin D3
Vitamin D3 – also known as the sunshine vitamin. It plays a crucial role in numerous biological processes, mood regulation included. It is vital for the production of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin which keep you happy, calm, and focused.
Vitamin D3 is part of the reason why some people get the blues during colder months. The biggest source of vitamin D3 for humans is the sun; but as we don’t get enough of it these days (being inside the office and home all day), it may manifest as mood swings and other health issues.
Therefore, it’s great to supplement vitamin D3. The only issue is, there’s only 1,000IU of vitamin D3 in Genius Joy. This is too low to have a substantial effect on your mood or mental performance. The optimal dosages of vitamin D3 are shown to be in the range of 3,000-5,000IU per day, in some cases even higher.
- SAMe
SAMe is a form of the amino acid methionine, which is produced in your liver.
The beneficial effects are usually attributed to the fact that SAMe increases levels of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) in the brain. This compound is involved in many important processes in your body, including mood regulation and cognition.
SAMe can be taken in supplement form or through diet, but it will have to be converted by an enzyme into SAM before it can affect mood or cognition.
- N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine
L-Tyrosine is an amino acid and a building block for dopamine. In other words, L-Tyrosine helps your brain make more of the neurochemical dopamine, which is involved in the motivation and reward-seeking behavior.
Having optimal dopamine levels is crucial for maintaining sharp focus, healthy behavior, and positive mindset.
But L-Tyrosine in Genius Joy is underdosed. The optimal amount is 1,000mg, and Genius Joy contains just over 300mg. As a result, this ingredient may not be effective for you.
- Rhodiola Rosea Root Extract
Rhodiola Rosea is an adaptogenic herb that grows in harsh Arctic climates. It’s best known for its ability to reduce fatigue and brain fog. Rhodiola also acts as a mood-booster.
However, the 300mg that’s found in Genius Joy may be too much. Rhodiola works best at lower doses – too much is known to cause insomnia, extremely vivid dreams, and overstimulation in some cases.
It would be far better if Genius Joy lowered the Rhodiola dose and used that capsule space for more L-Tyrosine. This would make the supplement more effective at improving your mood without side effects.
- Red Panax Ginseng Root Powder
Panax Ginseng, also known as the “true” or “Asian ginseng”, is a medicinal herb that has been used for thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicine.
Modern research has found that it may be able to increase information processing, improve mood and boost brain function. It’s a great choice by The Genius Brand.
- Griffonia simplicifolia Seed Extract (98% 5-HTP)
Griffonia Simplicifolia is a shrub native to Africa. It contains high amounts of a compound known as 5-HTP. If you’ve ever heard of 5-HTP, you know it’s commonly used by people to ward off symptoms of anxiety and depression.
One lesser known benefit of 5-HTP is that it can reduce your appetite. This is because 5-HTP is used by your brain to make serotonin, a neurochemical that at higher levels has a suppressing effect on hunger.
The issue with 5-HTP, however, is that it’s probably not the safest supplement to take daily long-term. It can be beneficial to use occasionally, but everyday use is linked to heart & gastrointestional issue. 5-HTP is also a big no no for people on anti-depressants, as the combination of the two can result in the potentially threatening serotonin syndrome. (source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/5-htp-side-effects)
- NeuroFactor Coffea Arabica Fruit Extract
NeuroFactor is a patented form of Coffea Arabica Fruit Extract. Very few human studies exist on this ingredient and its mood benefits. There’s one study that showed humans who used Coffea Arabica Whole Fruit Concentrate Powder experienced improvements in their brain function.
Note the keyword Whole Fruit Concentrate. This is completely different from the Coffea Arabica Fruit Extract in Genius Joy. We don’t know which part of the fruit is extracted. It can be anything – water, fiber, caffeine, nutrients, etc.
Put simply, this isn’t the best ingredient to use in a brain supplement. There are definitely more proven options to include here – such as, Phosphatidylserine or Lion’s Mane Mushroom.
- L-Theanine
L-Theanine is a compound commonly found in green tea. It has soothing and calming properties. It works to lower inhibitions and improve your alpha brain wave state, which is associated with feelings of relaxed focus. It’s a great ingredient – it would be even better if the dose was 150mg or higher. Why? Because studies show this to be the optimal effective amount. (source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6836118/)
Our Commentary on Genius Joy’s Ingredients
Genius Joy contains some great ingredients for the support of mood and cognitive well-being. These include B vitamins, Panax Ginseng, and SAMe.
However, it’s also missing some of our favorite nootropics, including Phosphatidylserine, Lion’s Mane Mushroom, Bacopa Monnieri, Ashwagandha, and Pine Bark Extract amongst others.
Genius Joy also uses ingredients like Coffea Arabica Fruit Extract which aren’t proven to work. Additionally, it uses too low or too high doses of certain ingredients like Rhodiola Rosea and L-Tyrosine.
Despite these downsides, we think Genius Joy is a decent mood-enhancing formula. Even though it’s not the best currently on the market.
User Reviews
Genius Joy reviews can be found on Amazon and other websites. Here’s what some users said about it:
“This has all the ingredients needed to get a boost! Htp, tyrosine, and b vitamins. I didn’t take this every single day so didn’t notice that much of a difference personally but I have read about this combo of ingredients and it is suppose to be very effective.” – Lou Lou
“I didn’t think it was making any difference, because consciously I still think I feel “blah,” but everyone today that I’ve spoken to immediately said, “You sound cheerful!” So… I guess it must be doing something.” – Stephanie M.
“I really liked this product on it’s own in small occasional doses. I now know that I should not mix it with anything or take it for too long. I think the dosing instructions are meant for people who are generally not sensitive to medications. If I followed the dosing instructions of 4 caps per day, I would be giving myself seratonin sydrome every day. So listen to your body when determining a safe dose for you.” – Lauren
Pricing & Other Things to Consider
Genius Joy costs $59.99 per bottle. Each bottle contains 100 capsules. This yields 25 servings, as the serving size is 4 capsules per day.
At this price, it’s definitely not the best value for money, considering there are more effective nootropics available at this price range.
Side Effects
Genius Joy contains several ingredients that could cause side effects: Rhodiola, 5-HTP, and caffeine.
Rhodiola is over-served at 300mg per serving, which could cause insomnia. The other ingredient in Genius Joy, 5-HTP, should not be taken by people on anti-depressants.
It’s important to check with your doctor before taking these ingredients, especially if you have a condition.
For most healthy people, though, Genius Joy should be safe and side-effect-free. The ingredients in the supplement are mostly well-researched, and come in (for the most part) healthy doses.
Conclusion to Genius Joy REVIEW
Genius Joy is a decent supplement. It contains some good mood boosters that we often see in the best nootropics – including B vitamins, Panax Ginseng, and even Rhodiola.
However, there are some downsides about this product that we need to recap here:
- It has too much of certain ingredients which increases the risk of side effects
- The inclusion of 5-HTP means it’s not healthy for everyday use
- Contains too low amounts of L-Tyrosine and L-Theanine which limits their effectiveness
Although it should give you decent mood enhancement effects, we feel it’s not quite worth the steep price of $59.99. If you can find it for less, it may be worth trying out. For now, though, we definitely think there are better products available on sale today.
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