Monthly Archives: July 2017

The use of smart drugs is becoming trendy. Lots of people are taking various substances regularly, many others try them from time to time. The idea of enhancing the brains ability, or tapping into its unused reservoir is definitely sexy, and many people are actively looking for information on this subject.

The shortage of scientifically verified information is exactly the reason Im writing this article. Although thousand of publications on smart drugs, cognitive enhancers, and nootropics etc. can be found online, the overwhelming majority of claims are unsubstantiated or unashamedly commercialized. This means that the info you come across mostly consists of descriptions of personal opinions or experiences, or compilations of facts published elsewhere, or just articles from popular media where people can write whatever they want.

Multiple websites publish all kind of rubbish just to convince you to buy yet another wonderfully effective smart drug. Few people make an effort to refer to their sources of information, not to mention to present scientific and statistical data backing their claims. This is particularly enigmatic when these articles provide recipes for various drug combinations and claim the superiority of some of these combinations/compounds over the others. However, even scientific data on the subject is rather incomplete. Many studies were done using only a small number of participants, or in the absence of any reasonable controls. On their own, studies of such kind are of little, if any, value.

Fortunately, several systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the use of nootropics were published in the last couple of years. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses combine data from multiple individual studies, thus making the data statistically significant. This is a better way of assessing the efficacy of different drugs in the general, healthy population, and these are the publications that I will mostly use as reference points in this article.

How to prove that a smart drug is really smart?

Smart drugs (e.g., nootropics and cognitive enhancers) are defined as substances that improve cognitive function, particularly executive functions, memory, creativity, or motivation, in healthy individuals. The last bit is important: there are many drugs that were specifically developed to enhance brain functions in people with various cognitive disorders or deficits. Such drugs wont necessarily smarten up healthy people, and when they do, they are not necessarily safe. Nootropics may come in many forms, from classical pharmaceutics in the form of pills to herbal supplements and functional foods.

There are only few smart drugs that are proven to improve some aspects of cognition. Proving that a compound has the properties of a nootropic is not a simple task. There is no straightforward way of measuring whatever cognitive enhancement you may experience once the pill is taken. The drug may indeed work and visibly increase your productivity. But it may also simply improve your mood if you anticipate a positive effect. On top of this, any given drug may work for some people and not work for others. Furthermore, the use of any drug is associated with potential side effects (e.g., headaches) that might eliminate its advantages in productivity and creativity. If the changes in productivity can be measured using some tests, creativity still remains something arguably impossible to quantify.

How smart drugs work?

There are several mechanisms that can be involved in the functioning of smart drugs. Some drugs can increase the blood flow (and thus oxygen supply) to the brain. Others can accelerate neuronal communication through increased release of certain neuromediators or through agonistic effects on the receptors of these neuromediators. Some compounds can serve as biochemical precursors of neuromediators, others may prevent oxidative damage to brain cells or provide them with a source of energy. Some of these changes can be achieved quickly making the drugs work almost instantly. Others, such as amendment/prevention of neuronal damage, manifest themselves only after prolonged use of the drug, thus making any changes in cognitive functions not so fast and not so obvious (although they can still be substantial).

Short overview of most popular nootropics

Amphetamines are a class of pharmaceuticals that include adderall, dextroamphetamine, and lisdexamphetamine. The drugs were developed to treat people with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and this is where their effects are the most prominent. The drugs were also demonstrated to improve episodic memory, working memory, and some aspects of attention in the general population. At low doses they improve memory consolidation, recall of information, and motivation to perform tasks that require high degree of attention. Ritalin is structurally different from amphetamines and works through different mechanisms, although produces similar effects. Both amphetamines and ritalin improve cognitive functions, albeit only at lower doses. At high doses they stimulate other neural pathways not involved in learning that effectively cancel their positive effects on cognition.

Wakefulness-promoting agents, such as modafinil and armodafinil, increase alertness, counteract fatigue, and increase productivity and motivation. Modafinil is praised for its ability to improve reaction time, logical reasoning, and problem-solving. The drug is clinically prescribed for a number of conditions including sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and shift work sleep disorder.

Compounds from the racetam family (piracetam, oxiracetam etc.) are more extensively studied compared than the newer nootropics. Piracetam was developed back in the 1960s and has an almost perfect safety profile. Convincingly, it was shown to improve cognitive abilities, particularly in older people and those with cognitive impairment. Although piracetam is officially recognized as a nootropic, its brain-enhancing effects in healthy people are considered to be moderate. There is a number of other derivatives from this group of drugs which, allegedly, work better. A good example is phenotropil. This compound was developed in Russia where it is available as a prescription drug. It was demonstrated to have a memory enhancing effect. The drug can be used as a stimulant and enhances resistance to extreme temperatures and stress. Due to its stimulating effect, phenotropil is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, which means that it cannot be used by athletes intending to compete in official events.

Xanthines, such as caffeine, are some of the most commonly used compounds with nootropic effects. In particular, they increase alertness and performance levels. Caffeine is not what comes to mind when we think of nootropics, but apparently its effect is comparable to many pharmaceuticals.

L-Theanine, a chemical component of green tea, is very well studied and its effects on promoting alertness and attention are confirmed by multiple research.

When it comes to nutraceuticals and herbal supplements, recent studies appear to be contradictory. Some data do support the memory-enhancing effects of such plants as Gingko biloba, Asian ginseng, and Bacopa monnieri, but systematic reviews do not find convincing evidence of their effectiveness. It is likely that herbal supplements may work well over longer periods of time and improve cognitive abilities, but in the short term their effects are not particularly obvious. The same applies to many vitamins, such as vitamin E and B group vitamins, as well as Omega-3 fatty acids: the evidence supporting their benefits are limited at the present time.

To conclude, only few drugs are scientifically proven to be associated with moderate cognitive enhancement effects in the healthy population. Being sceptical when assessing information on smart drugs from the internet is a good idea: lots of ridiculous rubbish is published online. Most nootropics are relatively safe, but side effects are always a possibility since the response to nootropics is highly individual.

References:

Spencer BC et al. (2015) The Cognition-Enhancing Effects of Psychostimulants Involve Direct Action in the Prefrontal Cortex. Biological Psychiatry 77,940950. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.09.013

Ilieva IP et al. (2015) Prescription Stimulants Effects on Healthy Inhibitory Control, Working Memory, and Episodic Memory: A Meta-analysis. J Cogn Neurosci. 27, 1069-1089. doi:10.1162/jocn_a_00776

Bagot KS and Kaminer Y (2014) Efficacy of stimulants for cognitive enhancement in non-attention deficit hyperactivity disorder youth: a systematic review. Addiction 109, 547557. doi:10.1111/add.12460

Linssen AMW et al. (2014) Cognitive effects of methylphenidate in healthy volunteers: a review of single dose studies. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 17, 961-977. doi:10.1017/S1461145713001594

Urban KR and Gao WJ (2014) Performance enhancement at the cost of potential brain plasticity: neural ramifications of nootropic drugs in the healthy developing brain. Front. Syst. Neurosci.| doi: 10.3389/fnsys.2014.00038

Winblad B (2005) Piracetam: a review of pharmacological properties and clinical uses. CNS Drug Rev. 11, 169-182. PMID:16007238

Zvejniece L et al. (2011) Investigation into Stereoselective Pharmacological Activity of Phenotropil. Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology 109, 407412. doi: 10.1111/j.1742-7843.2011.00742.x

Rogers PJ (2007) Caffeine, mood and mental performance in everyday life. Nutrition Bulletin 32, 8489. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-3010.2007.00607.x

Camfield DA et al. (2014) Acute effects of tea constituents L-theanine, caffeine, and epigallocatechin gallate on cognitive function and mood: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutr Rev 72, 507-522. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/nure.12120

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Nootropics: How Smart Can You Get on Smart Drugs? - Brain Blogger (blog)

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True Focus is a dietary supplement marketed as a nootropic that provides neurotransmitter support in order to help improve users mental performance. This may include increasing thinking speed and accuracy and enhancing users attention span and ability to retain deep focus for longer periods of time.

It may also have applications for improving users mood and sense of mental well-being. True Focus uses several different antioxidants and anti-inflammatories that are designed to help prevent damage to the tissues of the brain, potentially helping lengthen the lifespan of its effectiveness and prevent conditions like Alzheimers disease and dementia.

The nootropic booster that has shown the most potent effects on their consumers is Memotenz. It is a powerful memory booster that has also shown applications for improving cognition, subjective well-being, and providing neural protection, even into old age. Click on this link to read our panel of experts full review of Memotenz to see if it might be effective for helping you meet your personal mental performance goals.

True Focus promotes their ingredients blend as containing a mixture of amino acids, grape seed extracts, and ginkgo biloba. While this is technically true, it is also somewhat misleading as the amino acids that they use are not the most effective aminos for nootropic products, and they also do not use a particularly effective dosage quantities of ginkgo.

Additionally, there are some other less-recommended ingredients that are found in their blend that they do not promote as heavily. Some of the main ingredients in their proprietary blend are:

L-Tyrosine: A non-essential amino acid that can be synthesized in the body or consumed in foods like cheeses and other dairy products, chicken, turkey, and certain types of nuts, beans, and fruits. Biologically, it plays a role as a building block for more complicated proteins in the body, including coenzyme Q10, and several different pigments, alkaloids, and phenols.

L-Tyrosine is part of the production of several different neurotransmitters in the brain including dopamine and epinephrine. It may have some benefits for improving alertness, attention, and focus in some people, however these effects will tend to be more noticeable in individuals that have L-Tyrosine deficiencies, either natural or dietary, that prevent them from getting even minimal amounts of the amino.

For L-Tyrosine deficient individuals the benefits will be dramatic, but in people who get enough L-Tyrosine the effects of additional supplementation will be very slight. It is not technically thought of as a performance booster in the majority of consumers.

L-Phenylalanine: Another amino acid that may be beneficial for the mental performance of some individuals. L-Phenylalanine is considered an essential amino acid that the body is incapable of manufacturing it on its own and needs to get its requisite amounts from outside sources.

L-Phenylalanine is used by the body to make proteins, certain types of chemical messengers, and as a neuromodulator that helps regulate nervous function. It is found commonly occurring in a number of different foods, especially meats and animal byproducts like chicken, liver, beef, and eggs.

L-Phenylalanine is also a precursor to L-tyrosine, so it has many of the same benefits and limitations when it comes to its abilities as a nootropic. In individuals with L-Tyrosine and L-Phenylalanine deficiencies it may have some very important benefits to their memory and cognition abilities, and in people who are consuming enough naturally then its effects will be relatively unnoticeable.

There are some more worries about potential side effects related to L-Phenylalanine than there are to most other amino acids, including the potential that excessive levels of it may start to interfere with serotonin and nitric oxide production, as well as disrupting the normal functioning of other aminos.

There are also a number of people that have a condition known as phenylketonuria (PKE), which is an inability to metabolize L-Phenylalanine. This is especially an issue with some pregnant women, who must carefully monitor their L-Phenylalanine intake.

Grape Seed Extract: A somewhat effective antioxidant derived from the seeds of the common vitis vinifera grape. Grape seed extracts are not known as particularly effective nootropic agents, but they may have some mild benefits for neuroprotection.

Grape seed extracts may potentially cause some side effects like gastro-intestinal issues or headaches, however they tend to be fairly mild in all respects. They are not thought to generally be able to harm most consumers, but they also may not be able to help them much either.

Ginkgo Biloba: One of the most potent herbal nootropic ingredients in the world and strongly recommended by our experts for use in over the counter mental performance boosters. It is especially thought to be beneficial for memory function, but it can also increase blood flow to the brain, improve cognition and energy levels, and may have some neuroprotectant capabilities as well.

Unfortunately, True Focus uses a very small dose of ginkgo biloba that is far lower than that found in the majority of effective nootropics that choose to include it. Our experts strongly recommend ginkgo biloba to our readers, however they would generally encourage them to find a product with a larger quantity of the potent herbal aid.

Follow this link to see which nootropic supplements were named to our team of experts top ten list.

When True Focus says in their advertising that they use amino acids in their blend, it would be easy to assume that they were referring to Acetyl L-Carnitine or L-Glutamine, as those are two aminos that are often found in nootropic products. Instead, they include only L-Tyrosine and L-Phenylalanine, which are not nearly as well regarded in products of this nature.

Additionally, they promote their use of ginkgo biloba, however their dose of ginkgo is far below our experts recommended levels. In general, the ingredients of True Focus seem to be beneficial for the body on its most basic levels, however they also seem incapable of offering much in the way of a specific increase in any traditional nootropic category. It seems unlikely that True Focus could be particularly effective as a study aid or short-term mental performance booster, though it may have some applications for regulating long term mental wellness.

Follow this link to read more reviews of the top nootropic products on the market today.

True Focus is not sold through their own unique webpage, nor are they sold through the web page of their manufacturer, NOW Foods. Instead, they are widely available through many physical retailers in the United States, as well as through several other third-party distributors that are found online.

The prices for True Focus that were being quoted by these online sellers tends to fall within this price range:

These prices are well below the average for products of this nature. This is in keeping with their low dosage amounts and unusual ingredients selection.

As mentioned above, True Focus is a product of NOW Foods, a fairly large and well known manufacturer of a wide variety of different vitamins and nutritional supplements. They list their contact information online as:

Phone Number: (888) 669-3663

Address: 244 Knollwood Drive

Bloomingdale, IL 60108

Email: NOW Foods does not publish an email address publically, however it does have a customer comment form on their contact page for all electronic inquiries.

EDITORS TIP: For the best results, our experts recommend using brain enhancement supplements for at least 3 months. Save your money by buying a few bottles at once.

The online reviews of True Focus are somewhat disappointing. Here are several comments that previous customers have left online:

Never noticed a thing. Total waste of my money.

I bought three months worth of True Focus, and after taking it every day for over a month and a half, I have yet to see any benefits. Not sure if Ill keep taking it until its gone or just throw the rest out now.

The majority of the critical reviews were similar to these in that it seems most customers expected more out of True Focus than they received.

To see which nootropic supplements are the most effective for increasing memory levels and attention span, just follow this link.

The advertising for True Focus boasts that it uses a potent blend of amino acids and the herbal brain booster ginkgo biloba in order to help boost its consumers mental performance in a variety of ways. Unfortunately, the amino acids that they are referring to are not thought to be the most potent on the market, and the dosage amount of ginkgo that they use is below industry standard.

The result is a supplement that can offer some benefits to its users, however far less than the benefits that most people will get from the majority of other nootropic products. Our research team encourages our readers to seek out a more effective mental performance booster than True Focus.

The product that they suggest our readers try is called Memotenz. It has a far more effective ingredients list, including a selection of amino acids like L-Carnitine that are much more traditionally used in product of this type.

It is effective as both a short-term study aid or performance booster and a long-term neuroprotectant capable of reducing the severity of cognitive decline. Click here to read testimonials from past Memotenz users to see if it sounds right for you.

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True Focus Review (UPDATED 2017): Don't Buy Before You Read This! - Diets In Review (blog)