Tyrosine is the amino acid your brain converts into dopamine and norepinephrine, the two neurotransmitters most responsible for staying alert and on-task — especially under stress, sleep loss, or multitasking. Those neurotransmitter stores get depleted under stress, and research suggests replenishing tyrosine can help offset the resulting dip in cognitive performance. NALT is the more bioavailable, water-soluble form of tyrosine. Studies use a range of 300–600mg for this kind of everyday cognitive support — Sunshine's 500mg sits inside that range.

These two are precursors your brain uses to build phosphatidylcholine, the main phospholipid in neuronal cell membranes and part of how synapses maintain the connections cells use to communicate. Citicoline's research (typically 250–500mg) has shown improvements in attention and memory in healthy adults — our 100mg is below that studied range. Uridine's cognitive research is earlier-stage and mostly in animal models, showing increased neurite outgrowth and synaptic protein activity. We include both because they act on complementary steps of the same pathway, but we want to be upfront that neither is dosed at the top of its studied range here.

ALCAR shuttles fatty acids into cell mitochondria, where they're converted into usable energy — a process brain cells depend on heavily. The clinical trials linking ALCAR to reduced mental fatigue used much higher doses, 1.5–3g per day taken over months; Sunshine's 500mg is a meaningful daily-use amount, not a replica of that trial dose. B6 and B12 are cofactors your nervous system needs to synthesize neurotransmitters and maintain nerve function — both are water-soluble vitamins your body doesn't store, which is why they're included well above minimum daily requirements (294% and 2083% DV).

Sodium and potassium are the ions your neurons use to fire electrical signals. A 2018 meta-analysis of 33 studies found that even mild dehydration (as little as 1–2% body mass loss) measurably impairs attention, reaction time, and executive function. Sunshine's electrolytes come from pink Himalayan salt and potassium chloride, formulated to support real fluid balance rather than just flavor — magnesium, calcium, and zinc round out the mineral profile.