You may have come across this age-old adage, “Work smarter, not harder.”
So, why not extend the same philosophy in other aspects of your life?
Are you in a situation wherein, no matter how much you exercise, eat healthily, and sleep well, you still struggle to focus and motivate yourself?
If yes, you need an intelligent solution minus the adverse health effects.
Welcome to the world of ‘Nootropics’ that can help boost your brain’s power.
The effect of Nootropics on your brain is such that the results come as a no-brainer.
So today, I’m taking you through what a nootropic is and the top 10 nootropics you can try today!
What are Nootropics?
Nootropics, also known as ‘brain boosters,’ ‘brain supplements’ or ‘cognitive enhancers,’ are made up of various artificial and natural compounds.
These compounds help enhance the brain’s cognitive activities by regulating or altering the brain’s neurochemicals and neurotransmitters’ production.
It improves blood flow, stimulates neurogenesis (the process by which neurons are produced in the body by neural stem cells), enhances nerve growth rate, modifies synapses, and improves cell membrane fluidity.
Thus, positive changes are created within your body, which helps you to function optimally irrespective of your current lifestyle and individual needs.
Currently, Nootropics are gaining mass popularity by leading its sales to burgeon into a billion-dollar industry.
A 2014 study done in the U.S. revealed that more than 18% of juniors, sophomores, and seniors at Ivy League colleges did use a brain stimulant at least once during their academic years.
Today, the nootropic industry is rapidly evolving by catering to a broad user base that needs them for various reasons.
Nootropics are also being taken in combination with natural supplements to enhance their potency.
Do you want to try Nootropics but confused with the plethora of information available online?
If that’s the case, then you might get further confused about what nootropic supplement you should buy that specifically caters to your needs.
Here is a list of the top 10 Nootropics or ten best brain supplements available in the market and their corresponding uses.
1. Modafinil – The Most Popular Nootropic of All Time
Among the brain focus supplements currently available in the nootropic market, Modafinil is probably the most common stimulant or one of the best focus pills used by people.
It’s praised to be the best nootropic available today.
It is a powerful cognitive enhancer that boosts your overall alertness with minor side effects.
However, to get your hands on this, you would require a prescription.
Modafinil is used to treat several disorders, like shift work disorder, narcolepsy, and obstructive sleep apnea.
It works by increasing the dopamine levels in your brain, similar to cocaine but in a more subdued manner.
This helps in creating an enhanced reward system in the brain that makes it more potent.
The main USP of Modafinil over other intelligent drugs and best brain supplements is compelling over a broad age group.
The benefits include improving fatigue levels, reaction time, vigilance, and motivation of users.
It also enhances the brain function of those who are sleep-deprived.
Modafinil is not addictive, but there may be chances of drug abuse and memory impairment.
This can manifest in people who consume it to stay up for way too long; thus, this would probably make them ill.
Long-term use of Modafinil may reduce plasticity and may harm the memory of some individuals.
Hence, it is sold only on prescription by a qualified physician.
Source: Vassar College Libraries
2. Caffeine- The Most Commonly Used Nootropic
Caffeine, in the form of coffee or soda, is the most common natural nootropics that have been used over centuries.
Nowadays, it also comes in the form of supplement pills.
According to various studies, people who consume coffee have fewer chances of developing disorders like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and other memory-related conditions.
Though coffee gives instant alertness, the effect lasts only for a short while.
People who drink coffee every day may develop caffeine tolerance; this is why it is still important to control your daily intake.
An individual should not consume more than 300 mg of coffee a day.
Caffeine, the world’s favorite nootropic, has fewer side effects, resulting in nausea, restlessness, nervousness, and hyperactivity if consumed abnormally in excess.
This is why people who need increased sharpness would instead induce L-theanine, or some other Nootropic, along with caffeine.
Today, you can find various supplements that contain caffeine.
OptiMind, one of the best and most sought-after nootropics in the U.S, containing caffeine, is considered the best brain supplement for adults and kids when compared to other focus drugs present in the market today.
Source: Harvard Medical School
3. L-theanine- The Anxiety Reducing Nootropic
Brain focus pills mostly contain chemical components like L-theanine, which is naturally found in green and black tea.
It’s associated with enhancing alertness, cognition, relaxation, arousal, and reducing anxiety to a large extent.
Theanine is an amino and glutamic acid that has been proven to be a safe psychoactive substance.
Some studies suggest that this compound influences the expression in the brain’s genes, which is responsible for aggression, fear, and memory.
This, in turn, helps balance the behavioral responses to stress and improves specific conditions, like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Theanine can also be combined with caffeine as both of them work in synergy to increase memory, reaction time, mental endurance, and memory.
The best part about Theanine is that it is one of the safest nootropics and is readily available in capsules.
A natural option would be to use an excellent green tea brand that constitutes tea grown in the shade because then Theanine would be abundantly present in it.
While L-theanine has numerous benefits, there are some side effects linked to it as well.
Patients diagnosed with cancer can have serious side effects from L-theanine.
Also, having more substantial quantities of the substance causes irritability, stomach upset, and nausea.
Source: PennState World Campus
4. Bacopa Monnieri- Best Natural Nootropic
Known widely as ‘Brahmi,’ the Bacopa Monnieri or Water Hyssop is a small herb native to India that mentions various Ayurvedic texts for being the best natural cognitive enhancer.
It has been used traditionally for memory enhancement, asthma, epilepsy, and improving people’s mood and attention over 65.
It is known to be one of the best brain supplements in the world.
A study mentioned in Neuropsychopharmacology as of August 2002 revealed that Bacopa Monnieri decreases the rate of forgetting newly acquired information, memory consolidations, and verbal learning rate.
It also helps in enhancing nerve impulse transmission, which leads to increased alertness.
It is also known to relieve the effects of anxiety and depression.
All these benefits happen as Bacopa Monnieri dosage helps activate choline acetyltransferase and inhibit acetylcholinesterase, enhancing the levels of acetylcholine in the brain.
This chemical is also associated with improving memory and attention.
Bacopa Monnieri is probably one of the safest and most effective memory and mood enhancer nootropics available today with minor side-effects.
In some humans, a majorly extended use of Bacopa Monnieri can result in nausea.
One of the primary products of AlternaScript is Optimind, a nootropic supplement that primarily constitutes of Bacopa Monnieri as one of the main ingredients.
Source: US National Library of Medicine
5. Creatine - Natural Power Packing Nootropic
Creatine is a substance that’s produced in the human body. It is initially produced in the kidneys, and the process is completed in the liver.
It is then stored in the brain tissues and muscles to support a human body’s energy demands.
Athletes and bodybuilders use creatine supplements to relieve fatigue and increase the recovery of the muscle tissues affected by vigorous physical activities.
Apart from helping the tissues recover faster, creatine also helps enhance the mental functions in sleep-deprived adults, and it also improves the performance of complex cognitive tasks.
Many studies suggest that Creatine helps in treating cognitive decline in individuals when combined with other therapies.
It also helps people suffering from Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease.
Though there are minimal side effects associated with creatine, pretty much like any nootropic, it is not entirely free of side-effects.
An overdose of creatine can lead to gastrointestinal issues, weight gain, stress, and anxiety.
Source: CiteSeerX
|
Are you ready to unleash the full potential of your mind? If you are, you need to check out Optimind!
OptiMind not only enhances immediate focus, but also creates advanced cognitive function! It's time you really start working smarter and not harder |
6. Armodafinil - The Superior Form of Modafinil
Also known as Nuvigil, this generic drug is a derivative of Modafinil and is more potent than it.
Armodafinil essentially mimics Modafinil and is used to enhance mental performance, based on its ability to improve alertness and wakefulness.
In recent times, Armodafinil’s popularity is rising fast, as it provides more significant and more prolonged stimulant effects by improving the human brain’s capabilities.
It also helps in weight-loss and is used to treat children with ADHD.
It’s recommended that you consult a doctor before Armodafinil dosage because it may have some harsh side effects.
Some of the supplement’s common side effects include headache, nausea, diarrhea, dry mouth, dizziness, anxiety, and nervousness.
Some can also experience severe side effects, like palpitations and hallucinations.
Source: Duke University
7. Alpha Lipoic Acid – The Brain Cell Damage Preventing Nootropic
Alpha Lipoic Acid is a vitamin-like chemical filled with antioxidant properties that naturally occur in broccoli, spinach, yeast, kidney, liver, and potatoes.
The compound is generally prescribed to patients suffering from nerve-related symptoms of diabetes because it helps prevent damage to the nerve cells and improves the functioning of neurons.
It can be termed as one of the best memory-boosting supplements.
It can easily pass through the blood-brain barrier and protect the nerve tissues present in the brain.
There is evidence that the acid plays an instrumental role in preventing strokes in adults by decreasing the number of free radicals in the body.
It increases the production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that most Alzheimer’s patients are deficient in.
The acid is also known to restore the vitamin C and E levels in the body.
Alpha Lipoic Acid’s potent antioxidant property protects brain cells from damage during an injury.
This helps make sure that your brain functions normally, even if there is any external or internal brain injury.
OptiMind, one of the best nootropic supplements that you can find today, contains Alpha Lipoic Acid that can help enhance your brain’s capabilities.
Source: Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation
8. Sulbutiamine – The Nootropic That Helps Mental Fatigue
Also known as Arcalion or Bisbuthiamine and Enercon, Sulbutiamine is a compound of the Sulphur group.
It is an analog to vitamin B1, which is known to pass the blood-brain barrier easily. Sulbutiamine is found to circulate faster than Thiamine from blood to the brain.
It is recommended for patients suffering from mental fatigue caused due to emotional and psychological stress.
The best part about this compound is that it does not have the most common side effects linked with a few nootropics.
Those who take Sulbutiamine regularly can notice a marked increase in consumption and retention of new information, along with improvement in both long-term and short-term memory skills.
Also, Sulbutiamine increases dopamine levels in the brain, elevating energy and alertness.
As Sulbutiamine crosses the blood-brain barrier very quickly, it positively affects the cholinergic and the glutamatergic receptors responsible for essential activities impacting memory, concentration, and mood.
The compound is also fat-soluble, which circulates rapidly and widely throughout the body and the brain, ensuring positive results.
Thus, patients with schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease will find the drug to be very effective.
Source: US National Library of Medicine
9. GABA – The Anxiety Busting Nootropic
Gamma-aminobutyric acid, also known as GABA, naturally produced in the brain from glutamate, is a neurotransmitter that helps communication between the nervous system and brain.
This GABA Nootropic’s primary function is to reduce the nerve cells’ additional activity and calm the mind.
Thus, it improves various conditions, like stress, anxiety, and depression, by decreasing the beta brain waves and increasing the alpha brain waves.
It is one of the best nootropics for anxiety that you can find in the market today.
As a result, cognitive abilities like memory power, attention, and alertness also improve.
GABA helps drug addicts recover from addiction by normalizing the brain’s GABA receptors which reduce anxiety and craving levels in the absence of addictive substances.
Whereas in ADHD patients, it promotes sleep, improves mood, decreases inflammation, and increases focus, and accelerates the level of growth hormones.
A study by the American Journal of Psychiatry has found that patients with panic disorders benefit from GABA.
Source: US National Library of Medicine
10. Alpha GPC - A Natural Memory Booster and Potentiator
L-Alpha glycerylphosphorylcholine or choline alfoscerate, also known as Alpha GPC, is a natural nootropic that works both independently and in combination with other nootropics.
It can be found in the human body naturally in small amounts.
It’s also present in some dairy products, wheat germ, and in organic meats.
However, these dietary sources contain small quantities of GPC, which is why people prefer taking it through supplements.
The compound is one of the best brain enhancement supplements that includes memory enhancement and protection against brain aging.
Some studies suggest that the compound effectively treats disorders like vascular dementia, Alzheimer’s, brain stroke, anxiety, and depression.
However, there are some side effects of Alpha GPC, like headaches, heartburn, dizziness, skin rashes, insomnia, and confusion.
These are some of the best Nootropics for focus and other benefits that they bring with them.
They might intrigue you in trying out any of these Nootropics to boost your brain’s power.
However, you need to do your research before choosing the right Nootropic.
One way of doing so is by consulting a doctor to know the best Nootropic for you.
Another way to select a Nootropic supplement is choosing the one with clinically tested natural Nootropic substances.
There are many sources where you can find the right kind of Nootropics for your needs, and one of them is AlternaScript.
Source: US National Library of Medicine
Conclusion - The 10 Best Nootropics
There you have it, the 10 best nootropics that help you to unleash your brain's true potential!
Some of you may have been using nootropics without even realizing it.
If you're interested in unlocking the full potential of your mind, you should check out what we have to offer!
OptiMind is one of the best nootropic supplements available.
It contains six natural Nootropic ingredients derived from plants that help in overall brain development.
All the ingredients have been clinically tested for their effects and benefits, which has made OptiMind one of the best brain pills that you can find in the US today.
If you're ready to expand your mind, click here to check out OptiMind now!