Category Archives: Nootropics

Sceptics about nootropics ("smart drugs") are unwitting victims of the so-called Panglossian paradigm of evolution. They believe that our cognitive architecture has been so fine-honed by natural selection that any tinkering with such a wonderfully all-adaptive suite of mechanisms is bound to do more harm than good. Certainly the notion that merely popping a pill could make you brighter sounds implausible. It sounds like the sort of journalistic excess that sits more comfortably in the pages of Fortean Times than any scholarly journal of repute.

Yet as Dean, Morgenthaler and Fowkes' (hereafter "DMF") book attests, the debunkers are wrong. On the one hand, numerous agents with anticholinergic properties are essentially dumb drugs. They impair memory, alertness, verbal facility and creative thought. Conversely, a variety of cholinergic drugs and nutrients, which form a large part of the smart-chemist's arsenal, can subtly but significantly enhance cognitive performance on a whole range of tests. This holds true for victims of Alzheimer's Disease, who suffer in particular from a progressive and disproportionate loss of cholinergic neurons. Yet, potentially at least, cognitive enhancers can aid non-demented people too. Members of the "normally" ageing population can benefit from an increased availability of acetylcholine, improved blood-flow to the brain, increased ATP production and enhanced oxygen and glucose uptake. Most recently, research with ampakines, modulators of neurotrophin-regulating AMPA-type glutamate receptors, suggests that designer nootropics will soon deliver sharper intellectual performance even to healthy young adults.

DMF provide updates from Smart Drugs (1) on piracetam, acetyl-l-carnitine, vasopressin, and several vitamin therapies. Smart Drugs II offers profiles of agents such as selegiline (l-deprenyl), melatonin, pregnenolone, DHEA and ondansetron (Zofran). There is also a provocative question-and-answer section; a discussion of product sources; and a guide to further reading.

So what's the catch? One problem, to which not all authorities on nootropics give enough emphasis, is the complex interplay between cognition and mood. Thus great care should be taken before tampering with the noradrenaline/acetylcholine axis. Thought-frenzied hypercholinergic states, for instance, are characteristic of one "noradrenergic" sub-type of depression. A predominance of forebrain cholinergic activity, frequently triggered by chronic uncontrolled stress, can lead to a reduced sensitivity to reward, an inability to sustain effort, and behavioural suppression.

This mood-modulating effect does make some sort of cruel genetic sense. Extreme intensity of reflective thought may function as an evolutionarily adaptive response when things go wrong. When they're going right, as in optimal states of "flow experience", we don't need to bother. Hence boosting cholinergic function, alone and in the absence of further pharmacologic intervention, can subdue mood. It can even induce depression in susceptible subjects. Likewise, beta-adrenergic antagonists (e.g. propranolol (Inderal)) can induce depression and fatigue. Conversely, "dumb-drug" anticholinergics may sometimes have mood-brightening - progressing to deliriant - effects. Indeed antimuscarinic agents acting in the nucleus accumbens may even induce a "mindless" euphoria.

Now it might seem axiomatic that helping everyone think more deeply is just what the doctor ordered. Yet our education system is already pervaded by an intellectual snobbery that exalts academic excellence over emotional well-being. In the modern era, examination rituals bordering on institutionalised child-abuse take a heavy toll on young lives. Depression and anxiety-disorders among young teens are endemic - and still rising. It's worth recalling that research laboratories routinely subject non-human animals to a regimen of "chronic mild uncontrolled stress" to induce depression in their captive animal population; investigators then test putative new antidepressants on the depressed animals to see if their despair can be experimentally reversed by patentable drugs. The "chronic mild stressors" that we standardly inflict on adolescent humans can have no less harmful effects on the mental health of captive school-students; but in this case, no organised effort is made to reverse it. Instead its victims often go on to self-medicate with ethyl alcohol, tobacco and street drugs. So arguably at least, the deformed and emotionally pre-literate minds churned out by our schools stand in need of safe, high-octane mood-brighteners more urgently than cognitive-tweakers. Memory-enhancers might be more worthwhile if we had more experiences worth remembering.

One possible solution to this dilemma involves taking a cholinergic agent such as piracetam (Nootropil) or aniracetam (Draganon, Ampamet) that also enhances dopamine function. Some researchers tentatively believe that the mesolimbic dopamine system acts as the final common pathway for pleasure in the brain. This hypothesis may well prove simplistic. There are certainly complications: it is not the neurotransmitter dopamine itself, but the post-synaptic metabolic cascades it triggers, that underlies motivated bliss. Other research suggests that it is the endogenous opioid system, and in particular activation of the mu opioid receptors, that mediates pure pleasure. Mesolimbic dopamine amplifies "incentive-motivation": "wanting" and "liking" may have different substrates, albeit intimately linked. Moreover there are mood-elevating memory-enhancers such as phosphodiesterase inhibitors (e.g. the selective PDE4 inhibitor rolipram) that act on different neural pathways - speeding and strengthening memory-formation by prolonging the availability of CREB. In any event, several of the most popular smart drugs discussed by DMF do indeed act on both the cholinergic and dopaminergic systems. In addition, agents like aniracetam and its analogs increase hippocampal glutaminergic activity. Hippocampal function is critical to memory - and mood. Thus newly developed ampakines, agents promoting long-term potentiation of AMPA-type glutamate receptors, are powerful memory-enhancers and future nootropics.

Another approach to enhancing mood and intellect alike involves swapping or combining a choline agonist with a different, primarily dopaminergic drug. Here admittedly there are methodological problems. The improved test score performances reported on so-called smart dopaminergics may have other explanations. Not all studies adequately exclude the confounding variables of increased alertness, sharper sensory acuity, greater motor activity or improved motivation - as distinct from any "pure" nootropic action. Yet the selective dopamine reuptake blocker amineptine (Survector) is both a mood-brightener and a possible smart-drug. Likewise selegiline, popularly known as l-deprenyl, has potentially life-enhancing properties. Selegiline is a selective, irreversible MAO-b inhibitor with antioxidant, immune-system-boosting and anti-neurodegenerative effects. It retards the metabolism not just of dopamine but also of phenylethylamine, a trace amine also found in chocolate and released when we're in love. Selegiline also stimulates the release of superoxide dismutase (SOD); SOD is a key enzyme which helps to quench damaging free-radicals. Taken consistently in low doses, selegiline extends the life-expectancy of rats by some 20%; enhances drive, libido and endurance; and independently improves cognitive performance in Alzheimer's pa
tients and in some healthy normals. It is used successfully to treat canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) in dogs. In 2006, higher dose (i.e. less MAO-b selective) selegiline was licensed as the antidepressant EMSAM, a transdermal patch. Selegiline also protects the brain's dopamine cells from oxidative stress. The brain has only about 30-40 thousand dopaminergic neurons in all. It tends to lose perhaps 13% a decade in adult life. An eventual 70%-80% loss leads to the dopamine-deficiency disorder Parkinson's disease and frequently depression. Clearly anything that spares so precious a resource might prove a valuable tool for life-enrichment.

In 2005, a second selective MAO-b inhibitor, rasagiline (Azilect) gained an EC product license. Its introduction was followed a year later in the USA. Unlike selegiline, rasagiline doesn't have amphetamine trace metabolites - a distinct if modest therapeutic advantage.

Looking further ahead, the bifunctional cholinesterase inhibitor and MAO-b inhibitor ladostigil acts both as a cognitive enhancer and a mood brightener. Ladostigil has neuroprotective and potential antiaging properties too. Its product-license is several years away at best.

Consider, for instance, the plight of genetically engineered "smart mice" endowed with an extra copy of the NR2B subtype of NMDA receptor. It is now known that such brainy "Doogie" mice suffer from a chronically increased sensitivity to pain. Memory-enhancing drugs and potential gene-therapies targeting the same receptor subtype might cause equally disturbing side-effects in humans. Conversely, NMDA antagonists like the dissociative anaesthetic drug ketamine exert amnestic, antidepressant and analgesic effects in humans and non-humans alike.

Amplified memory can itself be a mixed blessing. Even among the drug-nave and chronically forgetful, all kinds of embarrassing, intrusive and traumatic memories may haunt our lives. Such memories sometimes persist for months, years or even decades afterwards. Unpleasant memories can sour the well-being even of people who don't suffer from clinical PTSD. The effects of using all-round memory enhancers might do something worse than merely fill our heads with clutter. Such agents could etch traumatic experiences more indelibly into our memories. Or worse, such all-round enhancers might promote the involuntary recall of our nastiest memories with truly nightmarish intensity.

By contrast, the design of chemical tools that empower us selectively to forget unpleasant memories may prove to be at least as life-enriching as agents that help us remember more effectively. Unlike the software of digital computers, human memories can't be specifically deleted to order. But this design-limitation may soon be overcome. The synthesis of enhanced versions of protease inhibitors such as anisomycin may enable us selectively to erase horrible memories. If such agents can be refined for our personal medicine cabinets, then we'll potentially be able to rid ourselves of nasty or unwanted memories at will - as distinct from drowning our sorrows with alcohol or indiscriminately dulling our wits with tranquillisers. In future, the twin availability of 1] technologies to amplify desirable memories, and 2] selective amnestics to extinguish undesirable memories, promises to improve our quality of life far more dramatically than use of today's lame smart drugs.

Such a utopian pharmaceutical toolkit is still some way off. Given our current primitive state of knowledge, it's hard to boost the function of one neurotransmitter signalling system or receptor sub-type without eliciting compensatory and often unwanted responses from others. Life's successful, dopamine-driven go-getters, for instance, whether naturally propelled or otherwise, may be highly productive individuals. Yet they are rarely warm, relaxed and socially empathetic. This is because, crudely, dopamine overdrive tends to impair "civilising serotonin" function. Unfortunately, tests of putative smart drugs typically reflect an impoverished and culture-bound conception of intelligence. Indeed today's "high IQ" alpha males may strike posterity as more akin to idiot savants than imposing intellectual giants. IQ tests, and all conventional scholastic examinations, neglect creative and practical intelligence. They simply ignore social cognition. Social intelligence, and its cognate notion of "emotional IQ", isn't some second-rate substitute for people who can't do IQ tests. On the contrary, according to the Machiavellian ape hypothesis, the evolution of human intelligence has been driven by our superior "mind-reading" skills. Higher-order intentionality [e.g. "you believe that I hope that she thinks that I want...", etc] is central to the lives of advanced social beings. The unique development of human mind is an adaptation to social problem-solving and the selective advantages it brings. Yet pharmaceuticals that enhance our capacity for empathy, enrich our social skills, expand our "state-space" of experience, or deepen our introspective self-knowledge are not conventional candidates for smart drugs. For such faculties don't reflect our traditional [male] scientific value-judgements on what qualifies as "intelligence". Thus in academia, for instance, competitive dominance behaviour among "alpha" male human primates often masquerades as the pursuit of scholarship. Emotional literacy is certainly harder to quantify scientifically than mathematical puzzle-solving ability or performance in verbal memory-tests. But to misquote Robert McNamara, we need to stop making what is measurable important, and find ways to make the important measurable. By some criteria, contemporary IQ tests are better measures of high-grade autism than mature intelligence. So before chemically manipulating one's mind, it's worth critically examining which capacities one wants to enhance; and to what end?

In practice, the first and most boring advice is often the most important. Many potential users of smart pills would be better and more simply advised to stop taking tranquillisers, sleeping tablets or toxic recreational drugs; eat omega-3 rich foods, more vegetables and generally improve their diet; and try more mentally challenging tasks. One of the easiest ways of improving memory, for instance, is to increase the flow of oxygenated blood to the brain. This can be achieved by running, swimming, dancing, brisk walking, and more sex. Regular vigorous exercise also promotes nerve cell growth in the hippocampus. Hippocampal brain cell growth potentially enhances mood, memory and cognitive vitality alike. Intellectuals are prone to echo J.S. Mill: "Better to be an unhappy Socrates than a happy pig". But happiness is typically good for the hippocampus; by contrast, the reduced hippocampal volume anatomically characteristic of depressives correlates with the length of their depression.

In our current state of ignorance, homely remedies are still sometimes best. Thus moderate consumption of adenosine-inhibiting, common-or-garden caffeine improves concentration, mood and alertness; enhances acetylcholine release in the hippocampus; and statistically reduces the risk of suicide. Regular coffee drinking induces competitive and reversible inhibition of MAO enzymes type A and B owing to coffee's neuroactive beta-carbolines. Coffee is also rich in antioxidants. Non-coffee drinkers are around three times more likely to contract Parkinson's disease. A Michigan study found caffeine use was correlated with enhanced male virility in later life.

Before resorting to pills, aspiri
ng intellectual heavyweights might do well to start the day with a low-fat/high carbohydrate breakfast: muesli rather than tasty well-buttered croissants. This will enhance memory, energy and blood glucose levels. An omega-3 rich diet will enhance all-round emotional and intellectual health too. A large greasy fry-up, on the other hand, can easily leave one feeling muddle-headed, drowsy and lethargic. If one wants to stay sharp, and to blunt the normal mid-afternoon dip, then eating big fatty lunches isn't a good idea either. Fat releases cholecystokinin (CCK) from the duodenum. Modest intravenous infusions of CCK make one demonstrably dopey and subdued.

To urge such caveats is not to throw up one's hands in defeatist resignation. Creative psychopharmacology can often in principle circumvent such problems, even today. Complementary and sometimes effective combinations such as sustained-release methylphenidate (Ritalin) and SSRIs such as fluoxetine (Prozac), for instance, are arguably still under-used. They could be more widely applied both in clinical psychiatry and, at least in the context of a general harm-reduction strategy, on the street. There may indeed be no safe drugs but just safe dosages. Yet some smart drugs, such as piracetam, really do seem to be at worst pretty innocuous. Agents such as the alpha-1 adrenergic agonist adrafinil (Olmifron) typically do have both mood-brightening and intellectually invigorating effects. Adrafinil, like its chemical cousin modafinil (Provigil), promotes alertness, vigilance and mental focus; and its more-or-less pure CNS action ensures it doesn't cause unwanted peripheral sympathetic stimulation.

Unfortunately the lay public is currently ill-served, a few shining exceptions aside, by the professionals. A condition of ignorance and dependence is actively fostered where it isn't just connived at in the wider population. So there's often relatively little point in advising anyone contemplating acting on DMF's book to consult their physician first. For it's likely their physician won't want to know, or want them to know, in the first instance.

As traditional forms of censorship, news-management and governmental information-control break down, however, and the Net insinuates itself into ever more areas of daily life, more and more people are stumbling upon - initially - and then exploring, the variety of drugs and combination therapies which leading-edge pharmaceutical research puts on offer. They are increasingly doing so as customers, and not as patronisingly labelled role-bound "patients". Those outside the charmed circle have previously been cast in the obligatory role of humble supplicants. The more jaundiced or libertarian among the excluded may have felt themselves at the mercy of prescription-wielding, or -withholding, agents of one arm of the licensed drug cartels. So when the control of the cartels and their agents falters, there is an especially urgent need for incisive and high-quality information to be made readily accessible. Do DMF fulfil it?

Smart Drugs 2 lays itself wide open to criticism; but then it takes on an impossible task. In the perennial trade-off between accessibility and scholarly rigour, compromises are made on both sides. Ritual disclaimers aside, DMF's tone can at times seem too uncritically gung-ho. Their drug-profiles and cited studies don't always give due weight to the variations in sample size and the quality of controls. Nor do they highlight the uncertain calibre of the scholarly journals in which some of the most interesting results are published. DMFs inclusion of anecdote-studded personal testimonials is almost calculated to inflame medical orthodoxy. Moreover it should be stressed that the scientific gold-standard of large, placebo-controlled, double-blind cross-over prospective trials are still quite rare in this field as a whole.

Looking ahead, this century's mood-boosting, intellect-sharpening, empathy-enhancing and personality-enriching drugs are themselves likely to prove only stopgaps. This is because invincible, life-long happiness and supergenius intellect may one day be genetically pre-programmed and possibly ubiquitous in our transhuman successors. Taking drugs to repair Nature's deficiencies may eventually become redundant. Memory- and intelligence-boosting gene therapies are already imminent. But in repairing the deficiencies of an educational system geared to producing dysthymic pharmacological illiterates, Smart Drugs 1 and 2 offers a warmly welcome start.

Refs and further reading

HedWeb Future Opioids BLTC Research Superhappiness? Utopian Surgery? Social Media 2015 Nutritional Medicine Wirehead Hedonism The Good Drug Guide The Abolitionist Project Reproductive Revolution Critique Of Brave New World MDMA: Utopian Pharmacology Nootropics/Smart Drugs: Sources The Biointelligence Explosion (2013) Male intelligence vs female intelligence Humans and AI: Co-evolution, Fusion or Replacement? (2013) e-mail info@nootropics.com

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nootropics / smart-drugs

Nootropics (pronunciation: noh--TROP-iks)also called smart drugs and cognitive enhancersare drugs, supplements, or other substances that improve cognitive function, particularly executive functions, memory, creativity, or motivation, in healthy individuals.[1][2] The use of cognition-enhancing drugs by healthy individuals in the absence of a medical indication is one of the most debated topics among neuroscientists, psychiatrists, and physicians which spans a number of issues, including the ethics and fairness of their use, concerns over adverse effects, and the diversion of prescription drugs for nonmedical uses, among others.[1][3][4] Nonetheless, the international sales of cognition-enhancing supplements exceeded US$1 billion in 2015 and the global demand for these compounds is still growing rapidly.[5]

The word nootropic was coined in 1972 by a Romanian psychologist and chemist, Corneliu E. Giurgea,[6][7] from the Greek words nous, or "mind", and trepein meaning to bend or turn.[8]

There are only a few drugs that are known to improve some aspect of cognition. Many more are in different stages of development.[9] The most commonly used class of drug is stimulants, such as caffeine.[10]

These drugs are purportedly used primarily to treat cognitive or motor function difficulties attributable to disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and ADHD. Some researchers, however, report more widespread use despite concern for further research.[11] Nevertheless, intense marketing may not correlate with efficacy. While scientific studies support the beneficial effects of some compounds, manufacturer's marketing claims for dietary supplements are usually not formally tested and verified by independent entities.[12]

Among students, nootropics have been used to increase productivity, despite their long-term effects lacking conclusive research in healthy individuals.[9] The use of prescription stimulants is especially prevalent among students attending academically competitive colleges.[13] Surveys suggest that 0.74.5% of German students have used cognitive enhancers in their lifetime.[14][15][16] Stimulants such as dimethylamylamine and methylphenidate are used on college campuses and by younger groups.[9] Based upon studies of self-reported illicit stimulant use, 535% of college students use diverted ADHD stimulants, which are primarily used for performance enhancement rather than as recreational drugs.[17][18][19]

Several factors positively and negatively influence the use of drugs to increase cognitive performance. Among them are personal characteristics, drug characteristics, and characteristics of the social context.[14][15][20][21]

The main concern with pharmaceutical drugs is adverse effects, and these concerns apply to cognitive-enhancing drugs as well. Long-term safety data is typically unavailable for some types of nootropics[9] (e.g., many non-pharmaceutical cognitive enhancers, newly developed pharmaceuticals and pharmaceuticals with short-term therapeutic use). Racetamscompounds that are structurally related to piracetamhave few serious adverse effects and low toxicity, but there is little evidence that they enhance cognition in individuals without cognitive impairments.[22][23] While addiction to stimulants is sometimes identified as a cause for concern,[24] a very large body of research on the therapeutic use of the "more addictive" psychostimulants indicate that addiction is fairly rare in therapeutic doses.[25][26][27] On their safety profile, a systematic review from June 2015 asserted, "evidence indicates that at low, clinically relevant doses, psychostimulants are devoid of the behavioral and neurochemical actions that define this class of drugs and instead act largely as cognitive enhancers."[28]

In the United States dietary supplements may be marketed if the manufacturer can show that it can manufacture the supplement safely, that the supplement is indeed generally recognized as safe, and if the manufacturer does not make any claims about the supplements use to treat or prevent any disease or condition; supplements that contain drugs or for which treatment or prevention claims are made are illegal under US law.[29]

In 2015, systematic medical reviews and meta-analyses of clinical research in humans established consensus that certain stimulants, only when used at low (therapeutic) concentrations, unambiguously enhance cognition in the general population;[28][30][31][32] in particular, the classes of stimulants that demonstrate cognition-enhancing effects in humans act as direct agonists or indirect agonists of dopamine receptor D1, adrenoceptor A2, or both receptors in the prefrontal cortex.[28][30][32][33] Relatively high doses of stimulants cause cognitive deficits.[32][33]

Racetams, such as piracetam, oxiracetam, and aniracetam, are structurally similar compounds, which are often marketed as cognitive enhancers and sold over-the-counter. Racetams are often referred to as nootropics, but this property of the drug class is not well established.[53] The racetams have poorly understood mechanisms of action; however, piracetam and aniracetam are known to act as positive allosteric modulators of AMPA receptors and appear to modulate cholinergic systems.[54]

According to the FDA, "Piracetam is not a vitamin, mineral, amino acid, herb or other botanical, or dietary substance for use by man to supplement the diet by increasing the total dietary intake. Further, piracetam is not a concentrate, metabolite, constituent, extract or combination of any such dietary ingredient. [...] Accordingly, these products are drugs, under section 201(g)(1)(C) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. 321(g)(1)(C), because they are not foods and they are intended to affect the structure or any function of the body. Moreover, these products are new drugs as defined by section 201(p) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. 321(p), because they are not generally recognized as safe and effective for use under the conditions prescribed, recommended, or suggested in their labeling."[55]

The results of this meta-analysis cannot address the important issues of individual differences in stimulant effects or the role of motivational enhancement in helping perform academic or occupational tasks. However, they do confirm the reality of cognitive enhancing effects for normal healthy adults in general, while also indicating that these effects are modest in size.

Originally posted here:

Nootropic - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Disclaimer: Nothing here should be taken to endorse using illegal or dangerous substances. This was a quick informal survey and you should not make any important health decisions based on it. Talk to your doctor before trying anything.]

Nootropics are traditionally defined as substances that improve mental function. In practice they usually refer to psychoactive chemicals that are neither recreational drugs like cocaine and heroin, nor officially-endorsed psychiatric drugs like Prozac or Risperdal. Most are natural supplements, foreign medications available in US without prescription, or experimental compounds. They promise various benefits including clearer thinking, better concentration, improved mood, et cetera. You can read more about them here.

Although a few have been tested formally in small trials, many are known to work only based on anecdote and word of mouth. There are some online communities like r/nootropics where people get together, discuss them, and compare results. Ive hung out there for a while, and two years ago, in order to satisfy my own curiosity about which of these were most worth looking into, I got 150 people to answer a short questionnaire about their experiences with different drugs.

Since then the field has changed and I wanted to get updated data. This year 850 (!) people agreed to fill out my questionnaire and rate various nootropics on a scale of 0 10 thanks again to everyone who completed the survey.

Before the results themselves, a few comments.

Last time around I complained about noisy results. This year the sample size was five times larger and the results were less noisy. Heres an example: the ratings for caffeine form a beautiful bell curve:

Even better, even though this survey was 80% new people, when it asked the same questions as last years the results were quite similar they correlated at r = 0.76, about what youd get from making students take the same test twice. Whatevers producing these effects is pretty stable.

A possible objection since this survey didnt have placebo control, might all the results be placebo? Yes. But one check on this is that the different nootropics controlled against one another. If we believe that picamilon (rated 3.7) is a placebo, this suggests that PRL-8-53 (rated 5.6) does 19 percentage points points better than placebo.

But might this be confounded by lack of blinding? Yes. That is, if companies have really hyped PRL-8-53, and it comes in special packaging, and it just generally looks cooler than picamilon, maybe that would give it a stronger placebo effect.

Against this hypothesis I can only plead big differences between superficially similar drugs. For example, rhodiola and ashwagandha are both about equally popular. Theyre both usually sold by the same companies in the same packaging. Theyre both classified as adaptogens by the people who classify these sorts of things. But ashwagandha outperforms rhodiola by 0.9 points, which in a paired-samples t-test is significant at the p = 0.03 level. While you can always find some kind of difference in advertising or word-of-mouth that could conceivably have caused a placebo effect, there are at least some reasons to think somethings going on here.

Without further ado, heres what I found:

Some very predictable winners: Adderall is a prescription drug and probably doesnt even qualify as a nootropic; I included it as a reference point, and it unsurprisingly did very well. LSD microdosing is the practice of taking LSD at one-tenth or less of the normal hallucinogenic dose; users say that it improves creativity and happiness without any of the typical craziness. Phenibut is a Russian anxiolytic drug of undenied effectiveness which is sort of notorious for building tolerance and addiction if used incorrectly. And modafinil is a prescription medication for sleep issues which makes users more awake and energetic. All of these are undeniably effective but all are either addictive, illegal without prescription, or both.

Im more interested by a second tier of winners, including tianeptine, Semax, and ashwagandha. Tianeptine is a French antidepressant available (legally? kind of a gray area) without prescription in the US; users say it both provides a quick fix for depression and makes them happier and more energetic in general. Semax is a Russian peptide supposed to improve mental clarity and general well-being. Ashwagandha might seem weird to include here since its all the way down at #15, but a lot of the ones above it had low sample size or were things like caffeine that everyone already knows about, and its high position surprised me. Its an old Indian herb thats supposed to treat anxiety.

The biggest loser here is Alpha Brain, a proprietary supplement sold by a flashy-looking company for $35 a bottle. Many people including myself have previously been skeptical that they can be doing much given how many random things they throw into one little pill. But it looks like AlphaBrain underperformed even the nootropics that I think of as likely placebo things like choline and DMAE. Its possible that survey respondents penalized the company for commercializing what is otherwise a pretty un-branded space, ranking it lower than they otherwise might have to avoid endorsing that kind of thing.

(I was surprised to see picamilon, a Russian modification of the important neurotransmitter GABA, doing so badly. I thought it was pretty well-respected in the community. As far as I can tell, this one is just genuinely bad.)

Finally, a note on addiction.

Adderall, phenibut, and nicotine have all raised concern about possible addictive potential. I wanted to learn a little bit about peoples experiences here, so I asked a few questions about how often people were taking things at what dose and whether they got addicted or not.

In retrospect, these were poorly phrased and didnt get me the data I wanted. When people said they were taking Adderall every day and got addicted, I didnt know whether they meant they became addicted because they were using it every day, or that they were using it every day because they were addicted. People gave some really weird answers here and Im not sure how seriously I can take them. Moving on anyway:

A bit under 15% of users got addicted to Adderall. The conventional wisdom says recreational users are more likely to get addicted than people who take it for a psychiatric condition with a doctors prescription. There was no sign of this; people who took it legally and people who took it for ADHD were actually much more likely to get addicted than people who described themselves as illegal or recreational users. In retrospect this isnt surprising; typical psychiatric use is every day; typical recreational use is once in a while.

Only 3% of users got addicted to phenibut. This came as a big surprise to me given the caution most people show about this substance. Both of the two people who reported major addictions were using it daily at doses > 2g. The four people who reported minor addictions were less consistent, and some people gave confusing answers like that they had never used it more than once a month but still considered themselves addicted. People were more likely to report tolerance with more frequent use; of those who used it monthly or less, only 6% developed tolerance; of those who used it several times per month, 13%; of those who used it several times per week, 18%; of those who used it daily, 36%.

Then there was nicotine. About 35% of users reported becoming addicted, but this was heavily dependent upon variety of nicotine. Among users who smoked normal tobacco cigarettes, 65% reported addiction. Among those who smoked e-cigarettes, only 25% reported addiction (and again, since theres no time data, its possible these people switched to e-cigarettes because they were addicted and not vice versa). Among users of nicotine gum and lozenges, only 7% reported addiction, and only 1% reported major addiction. Although cigarettes are a known gigantic health/addiction risk, the nootropic communitys use of isolated nicotine as a stimulant seems from this survey (subject to the above caveat) to be comparatively but not completely safe.

I asked people to name their favorite nootropic not on the list. The three most popular answers were ALCAR, pramiracetam, and Ritalin. ALCAR and pramiracetam were on last years survey and ended up around the middle. Ritalin is no doubt very effective in much the same way Adderall is very effective and equally illegal without a prescription.

People also gave their personal stacks and their comments; you can find them in the raw data (.xlsx, .csv) or the fixed-up data (.csv, notes). If you find anything else interesting in there, please post it in the comments here and Ill add a link to it in this post.

EDIT: Jacobian adjusts for user bias

More:

2016 Nootropics Survey Results | Slate Star Codex

What are Nootropics?

Nootropics are a branch of psychoactive drugs that work on the human brain to increase memory, focus, and overall cognition, improve quality of visual perception, and increase energy and productivity levels in mentally demanding tasks. Nootropics are not like common ADHD psychostimulants, do not have a risk of addiction, and are largely devoid of excess side effects, making them the perfect long-term alternative for many stimulant users. If youre new to nootropics as a whole, when taking a nootropic, dont expect the Limitless Pill, and dont expect something extremely euphoric or life-changing. When taking nootropics however, intend on having a significantly improved memory that you can feel while studying, learning, and in everyday tasks. Expect much improved focus, and bask in the benefits of increased energy levels.

When you take nootropics, you give yourself a leg up on all the competitors in your industry that either dont know about, or are not well-informed enough on the purported benefits, to use nootropics, or smart drugs. If a non-addictive, well-researched, with decades of clinical trials supplement came out with benefits that clearly improve your brains ability to function, would you rob yourself of the potentially endless benefits this could have on your everyday life? With nootropics, you get just what you want out of coffee, or prescription ADHD medications, should you use them- increased mental abilities, just without any side effects, and no withdrawals or build-up of tolerance.

Purchasing Nootropics over the internet is the most convenient way to get much improved, highly developed brain power, right from the comfort of your own home. Nootropics are not sold in stores, and are only available online, though largely unknown, due to the increase in popularity of things like the movies Limitless and Lucy, the curiosity and realization about the effectiveness of nootropics, is rapidly coming to light.

While nootropics are near totally void of any excess side effects, they can have unintended effects that are very mild. These include, a headache when taking the racetams, if not enough choline is used, and these are Piracetam, Aniracetam, Pramiracetam, Oxiracetam and Phenylpiracetam-use choline with these. This can also happen with the ampakine nootropics, Noopept and Sunifiram, since they originated from racetam-like drugs. Racetams use acetylcholine for their main effect, which can often times leave brain stores of it depleted, through this, more choline is needed in order to maintain baseline and/or enhanced levels. Choline also makes Racetams and Ampakines even stronger by providing an excess of the main neurotransmitter used for their effect.

The benefits of nootropics as a whole include, significantly increased memory, better focus, visual and perceptual improvements, cumulative effects over the long-term when taken on a daily basis, and an increased ability to interpret and collect information. For both the long-term and short, nootropics are a great option for those looking to increase cognitive abilities, have more energy at work or in business, and be an overall enhanced version of themselves.

Use nootropics for any task that you need to be sharper, more alert, and have better memory or better focus for. Nootropics are mainly used by business professionals looking for an edge on the competition, students in college with difficult majors, and/or hard working middle class peoples feeling burnt out, or wanting a boost to improve productivity at work. Here is the run-down on some of our main nootropics, what they do, and what you should expect when using them.

When taking nootropics, expect smooth, much more collected levels of energy, focus and memory. Nootropics arent a cure-all by any means, but they can and will lead to noticeable levels of self-improvement.

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Buy Nootropics Online, Quality Capsules- SDFC

[Disclaimer: Nothing here should be taken to endorse using illegal or dangerous substances. This was a quick informal survey and you should not make any important health decisions based on it. Talk to your doctor before trying anything.]

Nootropics are traditionally defined as substances that improve mental function. In practice they usually refer to psychoactive chemicals that are neither recreational drugs like cocaine and heroin, nor officially-endorsed psychiatric drugs like Prozac or Risperdal. Most are natural supplements, foreign medications available in US without prescription, or experimental compounds. They promise various benefits including clearer thinking, better concentration, improved mood, et cetera. You can read more about them here.

Although a few have been tested formally in small trials, many are known to work only based on anecdote and word of mouth. There are some online communities like r/nootropics where people get together, discuss them, and compare results. Ive hung out there for a while, and two years ago, in order to satisfy my own curiosity about which of these were most worth looking into, I got 150 people to answer a short questionnaire about their experiences with different drugs.

Since then the field has changed and I wanted to get updated data. This year 850 (!) people agreed to fill out my questionnaire and rate various nootropics on a scale of 0 10 thanks again to everyone who completed the survey.

Before the results themselves, a few comments.

Last time around I complained about noisy results. This year the sample size was five times larger and the results were less noisy. Heres an example: the ratings for caffeine form a beautiful bell curve:

Even better, even though this survey was 80% new people, when it asked the same questions as last years the results were quite similar they correlated at r = 0.76, about what youd get from making students take the same test twice. Whatevers producing these effects is pretty stable.

A possible objection since this survey didnt have placebo control, might all the results be placebo? Yes. But one check on this is that the different nootropics controlled against one another. If we believe that picamilon (rated 3.7) is a placebo, this suggests that PRL-8-53 (rated 5.6) does 19 percentage points points better than placebo.

But might this be confounded by lack of blinding? Yes. That is, if companies have really hyped PRL-8-53, and it comes in special packaging, and it just generally looks cooler than picamilon, maybe that would give it a stronger placebo effect.

Against this hypothesis I can only plead big differences between superficially similar drugs. For example, rhodiola and ashwagandha are both about equally popular. Theyre both usually sold by the same companies in the same packaging. Theyre both classified as adaptogens by the people who classify these sorts of things. But ashwagandha outperforms rhodiola by 0.9 points, which in a paired-samples t-test is significant at the p = 0.03 level. While you can always find some kind of difference in advertising or word-of-mouth that could conceivably have caused a placebo effect, there are at least some reasons to think somethings going on here.

Without further ado, heres what I found:

Some very predictable winners: Adderall is a prescription drug and probably doesnt even qualify as a nootropic; I included it as a reference point, and it unsurprisingly did very well. LSD microdosing is the practice of taking LSD at one-tenth or less of the normal hallucinogenic dose; users say that it improves creativity and happiness without any of the typical craziness. Phenibut is a Russian anxiolytic drug of undenied effectiveness which is sort of notorious for building tolerance and addiction if used incorrectly. And modafinil is a prescription medication for sleep issues which makes users more awake and energetic. All of these are undeniably effective but all are either addictive, illegal without prescription, or both.

Im more interested by a second tier of winners, including tianeptine, Semax, and ashwagandha. Tianeptine is a French antidepressant available (legally? kind of a gray area) without prescription in the US; users say it both provides a quick fix for depression and makes them happier and more energetic in general. Semax is a Russian peptide supposed to improve mental clarity and general well-being. Ashwagandha might seem weird to include here since its all the way down at #15, but a lot of the ones above it had low sample size or were things like caffeine that everyone already knows about, and its high position surprised me. Its an old Indian herb thats supposed to treat anxiety.

The biggest loser here is Alpha Brain, a proprietary supplement sold by a flashy-looking company for $35 a bottle. Many people including myself have previously been skeptical that they can be doing much given how many random things they throw into one little pill. But it looks like AlphaBrain underperformed even the nootropics that I think of as likely placebo things like choline and DMAE. Its possible that survey respondents penalized the company for commercializing what is otherwise a pretty un-branded space, ranking it lower than they otherwise might have to avoid endorsing that kind of thing.

(I was surprised to see picamilon, a Russian modification of the important neurotransmitter GABA, doing so badly. I thought it was pretty well-respected in the community. As far as I can tell, this one is just genuinely bad.)

Finally, a note on addiction.

Adderall, phenibut, and nicotine have all raised concern about possible addictive potential. I wanted to learn a little bit about peoples experiences here, so I asked a few questions about how often people were taking things at what dose and whether they got addicted or not.

In retrospect, these were poorly phrased and didnt get me the data I wanted. When people said they were taking Adderall every day and got addicted, I didnt know whether they meant they became addicted because they were using it every day, or that they were using it every day because they were addicted. People gave some really weird answers here and Im not sure how seriously I can take them. Moving on anyway:

A bit under 15% of users got addicted to Adderall. The conventional wisdom says recreational users are more likely to get addicted than people who take it for a psychiatric condition with a doctors prescription. There was no sign of this; people who took it legally and people who took it for ADHD were actually much more likely to get addicted than people who described themselves as illegal or recreational users. In retrospect this isnt surprising; typical psychiatric use is every day; typical recreational use is once in a while.

Only 3% of users got addicted to phenibut. This came as a big surprise to me given the caution most people show about this substance. Both of the two people who reported major addictions were using it daily at doses > 2g. The four people who reported minor addictions were less consistent, and some people gave confusing answers like that they had never used it more than once a month but still considered themselves addicted. People were more likely to report tolerance with more frequent use; of those who used it monthly or less, only 6% developed tolerance; of those who used it several times per month, 13%; of those who used it several times per week, 18%; of those who used it daily, 36%.

Then there was nicotine. About 35% of users reported becoming addicted, but this was heavily dependen
t upon variety of nicotine. Among users who smoked normal tobacco cigarettes, 65% reported addiction. Among those who smoked e-cigarettes, only 25% reported addiction (and again, since theres no time data, its possible these people switched to e-cigarettes because they were addicted and not vice versa). Among users of nicotine gum and lozenges, only 7% reported addiction, and only 1% reported major addiction. Although cigarettes are a known gigantic health/addiction risk, the nootropic communitys use of isolated nicotine as a stimulant seems from this survey (subject to the above caveat) to be comparatively but not completely safe.

I asked people to name their favorite nootropic not on the list. The three most popular answers were ALCAR, pramiracetam, and Ritalin. ALCAR and pramiracetam were on last years survey and ended up around the middle. Ritalin is no doubt very effective in much the same way Adderall is very effective and equally illegal without a prescription.

People also gave their personal stacks and their comments; you can find them in the raw data (.xlsx, .csv) or the fixed-up data (.csv, notes). If you find anything else interesting in there, please post it in the comments here and Ill add a link to it in this post.

EDIT: Jacobian adjusts for user bias

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2016 Nootropics Survey Results | Slate Star Codex

Nootropics are a broad classification of cognition-enhancing compounds that produce minimal side effects and are suitable for long-term use. These compounds include those occurring in nature or already produced by the human body (such as neurotransmitters), and their synthetic analogs. We already regularly consume some of these chemicals: B vitamins, caffeine, and L-theanine, in our daily diets.

A fundamental aspect of human evolution has been the drive to augment our capabilities. The neocortex is the neural seat of abstract and higher order cognitive processes. As it grew, so did our ability to create. The invention of tools and weapons, writing, the steam engine, and the computer have exponentially increased our capacity to influence and understand the world around us. These advances are being driven by improved higher-order cognitive processing.1Fascinatingly, the practice of modulating our biology through naturally occurring flora predated all of the above discoveries. Indeed, Sumerian clay slabs as old as 5000 BC detail medicinal recipes which include over 250 plants2. The enhancement of human cognition through natural compounds followed, as people discovered plants containing caffeine, theanine, and other cognition-enhancing, or nootropic, agents.

There is an ancient precedent to humans using natural compounds to elevate cognitive performance. Incan warriors in the 15th century would ingest coca leaves (the basis for cocaine) before battle. Ethiopian hunters in the 10th century developed coffee bean paste to improve hunting stamina. Modern athletes ubiquitously consume protein powders and hormones to enhance their training, recovery, and performance. The most widely consumed psychoactive compound today is caffeine. Millions of people use coffee and tea to be more alert and focused.

The term nootropic is simply a descriptor, and this descriptor spans across all legal classifications of compounds. Broadly speaking, there are four main classifications:

Nootrobox stacks are strictly derived from the first category - compounds that are GRAS and approved for human consumption as dietary supplements.

The mechanisms by which nootropic compounds influence our cognition and neurophysiology are as diverse as those of prescription drugs. We present below our in-progress work, detailing the mechanisms, effects, and history of various nootropic compounds. Check in for updates and additions.

2016 Nootrobox, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

For informational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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Biohacker Guide | Nootropics

Procrastination and lack of productivity are some of the biggest issues of the modern individuals. In some cases, they can even make or break ones success. It is quite common for very intelligent persons to feel like failures due to these issues.

Have you ever felt that you just cant do anything right and in a timely manner? You are not alone in this. Many people struggle to be productive and they usually make little progress. But it is essential to know that there are ways to hack your brain and to stimulate yourself to be more productive than you imagined.

HERE ARE 50 WAYS TO TRAINYOUR BRAIN FOR UNLIMITED PRODUCTIVITY:

1. STOP SABOTAGING YOURSELF.

Instead of wasting time complaining, just start working and get things moving. Whining about the chores of the day will never solve anything and it will only delay you more.

2. STOP STRESSING OUT.

Stress can trigger lots of health-related issues. Not to mention that it will give you inconvenient body reactions such as headaches, nausea and all of these will make you less efficient.

3. DRESS NICE.

Clothing has more to do with productivity than you think. Get comfortable clothes that fit you nicely and look flattering. The right clothes will make you feel more confident.

4. CLEAN YOUR ROOM AND YOUR DESK.

You cant be productive when there is clutter all over the place and you waste time anytime you need something as you have no idea where it could be.

5. AVOID DISTRACTIONS.

Dont try to pamper yourself with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or your favourite sites. You will end up forgetting how fast time goes by.

6. SET RULES FOR THE ONES AROUND YOU AS WELL.

Be very clear when you cant be disturbed unless it is something extremely important going on.

7. CREATE TO DO LISTS.

It only takes a few minutes to create To Do lists for a day, a week or for a whole month. In this way, you wont forget about the key matters that you have to solve in the future.

8. SET TIMETABLES.

Allot a certain amount of time for the tasks of the day and stick to the plan as much as possible. Make sure you include reasonably-timed necessary breaks too.

9. IDENTIFY THE TIME WASTERS.

Everyone has a few time wasting activities. Whether thats social media, taking way too much time for meals or gossiping, this has to stop.

10. BREATHE IN, BREATHE OUT.

When you feel overwhelmed, take a few minutes to focus on your breathing. Breathe in and out deeply several times until you feel less pressure.

11. PLACE PAPER POST-ITS.

Dont rely on apps as the information might remain there way after your deadlines. Use the good old paper post-its as reminders.

12. USE YOUR IMAGINATION.

If you get bored easily, get creative to make things more interesting.

13. ORGANISE YOUR BIG TASKS INTO SMALL ONES EASIER TO ACHIEVE.

When you accomplish small tasks, you will feel fulfilled and more motivated.

14. CLOSE YOUR EYES AND GET YOURSELF TOGETHER.

To regain your focus, forget about other tasks.

15. USE NOOTROPICS.

Special compounds can boost your brain health and cognitive abilities better than you think. Just make sure you choose top notch ones such as Modafy.

16. IDENTIFY WHETHER YOU ARE GOOD AT MULTITASKING.

Some do a great job as they feel stimulated, while others just cant manage several tasks in the same time. Find out whether multitasking works for you or not.

17. MAKE USE OF WISE QUOTES.

There are tons of motivational and inspiring quotes out there. Browse a bit and find those that appeal to you. Then apply that wisdom in your daily life.

18. FIND A GOOD STIMULANT.

Coffee might make you shaky and energy drinks might give you gastrointestinal distress. Dont try to hack your brain by consuming beverages that make you feel uncomfortable or downright sick. Its better to stick to nootropics as stimulants.

19. INVEST SOME EFFORT.

Force yourself to move faster and to be productive. When you have much time, you might tend to get a bit lazy.

Renowned author Cyril Northcote Parkinson formulated Parkinsons law, which states that work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion. It is known to be applicable in each and every life domain.

20. DONT OVERLOAD YOUR TO DO LIST.

If its not very important at the moment, dont let it waste your time. You can create separate To Do lists: mandatory and optional that you will complete when time allows you to.

21. EAT BREAKFAST.

It is the first opportunity to feed your body the nutrients it needs to function properly throughout the day. Dont skip it as you will tend to make poor nutrition choices that will only slow down your brain.

22. TAKE BREAKS WHEN YOU FEEL DRAINED OF ENERGY AND UNPRODUCTIVE.

Every now and then you really need a break. Stretch a bit, look out the window or get yourself a snack and a glass of water. But dont abuse breaks by turning them into hour-long gaps in your schedule.

23. EXERCISE.

Whether that is running, swimming, going to the gym or just having a walk, you need to wake up your body too. Physical exercise has positive effects over your whole body, so forget about getting lazy in front of the TV every time you have some time off.

24. LISTEN TO YOUR FAVOURITE SONGS BEFORE ENGAGING IN A TASK.

Go for highly energetic songs with a positive message that make you feel alive. Dont even think about songs that might trigger any kind of negative emotions.

25. HAVE REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS.

There might be a big difference between what you can do and what you want to do in a certain time frame. Remember that you are not a robot and stick to a realistic plan that will allow you to get proper rest too.

26. DONT GO OVERBOARD.

Exhausting yourself will only make you completely unproductive. Dont try to compensate inactivity with periods of time of highly intense long hours of work.

27. LEARN TIME MANAGEMENT.

The day has 24 hours for each and every person on this planet. Irrespective of your lifestyle, you can make time for nearly anything as long as you manage your time wisely.

28. TRY NAPPING.

A nap has the power to restart your system. But careful, some people might feel groggy after a nap. If u are one of them

29. DONT TAKE ON MORE RESPONSIBILITIES THAN YOU CAN HANDLE.

Saying yes to everyone every time might make your heart feel good but it will exhaust your brain.

30. FORGET ABOUT PERFECTION.

It is time to accept the fact that no matter how hard you will try, it is quite impossible to achieve perfection. Do your best to get the best result possible and dont freak out over tiny details that are irrelevant to the main purpose anyway.

31. KNOW YOUR BODYS TIMETABLE.

You might be a night owl or an early bird. Organise your day around these patterns. It is pointless to force yourself to be productive when your body simply isnt able to. Discover your bodys timetable and use it to your advantage.

32. PRIORITIZE.

Dont just make a mess out of everything by trying to accomplish as much as you can as humanly possible. Get the urgent things done soon then the ones that can wait.

33. SCHEDULE SIMILAR TASKS BACK-TO-BACK.

In this way the task will seem pretty repetitive and it feel easier as you will go into automate mode. It is best to take small breaks after accomplishing a set of tasks and not in the middle of it.

34. DO SOMETHING EVEN WHEN YOU ARE NOT IN THE MOOD.

So you just dont feel like doing anything. Get something easier done meanwhile or a task that you slightly enjoy doing. But that doesnt involve looking at cat videos or aimlessly browsing the Internet.

35. PLAN YOUR DAY AND EVEN YOUR WEEK.

Just make a rough draft and try to keep it. You can do this before you go to sleep or early in the morning before you start.

36. DONT OVERANALYSE THINGS.

Overanalysing could delay you a lot. You dont do yourself any favour by thinking for ages how to get something done without taking any real action. Take your time with essential matters but speed things up for the less important ones.

37. TURN OFF THE VOICES IN YOUR HEAD.

Everyone has an inner critic that thrashes down all the accomplishments. Just ignore that and focus on the tasks at hand.

38. GIVE YOUR BODY THE NUTRIENTS IT NEEDS.

This cant be emphasized enough. Say goodbye to highly processed foods that are full of additives. Add in your diet only healthy ones that ensure proper body functions.

39. LET THE SUN SHINE.

It is important to be exposed to natural light, otherwise you might feel groggy. The run rays will also stimulate your bodys natural rhythm

40. LEARN TO BE STRAIGHTFORWARD.

Dont spend time telling stories as you will only waste time and bore people. Keep things simple and go straight to the point.

41. USE MINDLESS ACTIVITIES TO LEARN.

Whenever you clean the house or do the laundry, you can listen to educational or motivational audios.

42. EDUCATE YOURSELF.

Never stop learning. There are tons of books that arent only good lecture, but contain different interesting points of view.

43. LET GO OF NEGATIVE EMOTIONS.

They can thrash your day and ruin your mood. Just banish them from your thoughts as much as possible.

44. ANALYSE THE TASKS AND TRIAGE THEM.

Some of them might be irrelevant. Spend your time with the ones that do matter as they are either highly important for work or for your personal life.

45. IDENTIFY THE ACTIVITIES THAT DONT BRING ANYTHING TO THE TABLE.

For example, commenting on YouTube videos or blogs and expressing an opinion that will either go unnoticed or start a fight is clearly pointless.

46. ACCEPT WHAT YOU CANT CHANGE.

Dont worry for other peoples problems if you cant do anything to help. This will only distract you from solving your own.

47. USE THE POMODORO TECHNIQUE.

It involves working for 25 minutes than having a 5-minute break. Stick to it to regain your discipline.

48. STOP COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERS.

Social media makes people always compare themselves to one another. Instead of whining because you are less successful than others, use that time to go to the next level yourself.

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Modafy Brain Stack | Accelerated Nootropic Formula

Welcome to NootropicsInfo.com

NootropicsInfo.com lets you explore the world of nootropics. It's an exciting area, as there are many regular users. We will provide you with the information you need to achieve the results you want with nootropics. Once you're more familiar with the types of nootropics and what they do, you can begin to build your own regime.

You will find the benefits, side-effects, method of action, administration directions, history, and much more regarding a wide variety of nootropics. Once you have obtained this vital knowledge, you will better understand the processes involved. You can then choose the best nootropic supplements for you and your needs.

Since the 1950s, advances have been made in the field of neuroscience, targeting cognitive abilities. Cognition is all of our mental abilities and processes that relate to knowledge. Nootropics tend to target these areas and processes, improving; memory, attention, reasoning, problem solving, comprehension, and more.

'Nootropics' or 'smart drugs,' are natural or synthetic compounds that improve cognitive functioning. Most commonly, users see improvements in their ability to focus and learn, while memory and motivation are improved.

Many have probably seen the movie 'Limitless.' The gentleman in this film took a pill and miraculously became a cognitive superhuman. He had higher intelligence and was much more efficient. This was Hollywood, and nootropics do not affect us in such a way.

Nootropics do not provide users with mental abilities. Instead, these nootropics enhance the mental strength that you have already built. Our mental abilities are generally formed through studying, engaging in mental exercises, and discipline. These nootropics give you a boost, allowing you to improve cognition.

Many work with our brain's natural neurotransmitters, as well as oxygen levels in the brain. Many degenerative conditions have a depletion in neurotransmitters. This is the main target for a variety of nootropics. Acetylcholine, glutamate, dopamine, and serotonin are some of the neurotransmitters involved. Once levels are increased, positive benefits are experienced.

People are naturally interested in how nootropics actually work. Although one simplified answer would be ideal, this is not the case. There are various different nootropics, as well as methods involved.

In order to fully grasp nootropics, you need to have a thorough understanding of the different types available. Some groups have a concrete history, while others have been released in the past few years.

If youre new to the world of nootropics, youre probably wondering what a stack is. A nootropic stack is when two or more nootropics are combined to achieve a desired effect.

The main reasons most users take nootropics, are due to the positive effects they have on both cognitive functioning. Although nootropics differ, you can stack multiple to achieve higher levels of attention...

Many people take nootropics to combat poor mood, while benefiting from a variety cognitive improvements and improved brain health. Depression and anxiety is a growing concern, affecting millions of people.

The term nootropics is fairly vague, as there are many different supplements available. Each substance yields its own unique effects, taking different methods of action. Although they differ, there are some general benefits that are experienced.

Memory

Many of the nootropics have a positive effect on one's memory. Regardless of your age, memory is a crucial aspect of your cognition. Many nootropics were designed and developed to target degenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's and dementia.

It is not just these individuals that benefit. There are many casual users that benefit as well. For example, students are able to retain more information when they're taking certain nootropics. Piracetam is a common memory enhancer, it is also the oldest racetam.

Focus and Attention

Think about some mornings. It can be hard to get motivated and focused. What do many of us do? We reach for a coffee, caffeine to be specific. Many nootropics provide this advantage, with less side-effects than caffeine. Focus and attention are heightened, as well as a sense of clarity.

Improved Mood

Some individuals experienced heightened cognitive functioning due to improved mood and reduced stress. When you're less stressed, you tend to perform better mentally. This has been seen through numerous studies.

Energy Levels

Many nootropics prevent fatigue by blocking certain receptors or producing more energy. When users are less tired, they can work more efficiently. This is often seen through an increase in oxygen uptake and glucose metabolism. Glucose is essentially fuel for the brain. When energy levels are increased, motivation and attention also improve.

When you combine compounds, this is known as 'stacking.' When nootropics are stacked, they can increase benefits, while decreasing side-effects. If you're beginning, the following are some safe and easy stacks to try:

Caffeine + L-Theanine: This will help you improve your focus, motivation, and even mood. A ratio of 2:1 works best. Take 200 mg of L-Theanine and 100 mg of caffeine.

Piracetam + Choline: This is a common stack, as it is highly beneficial. Piracetam was the first nootropic to be discovered, as it increases acetylcholine uptake. Choline is essential to synthesize acetylcholine, which is why a choline supplement works so well with a racetam. When taken together, memory has been seen to improve, and headaches are diminished. You can start with around 1500 mg or Piracetam, and approximately 250 mg of a choline supplement. Alpha GPC is recommded.

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Best Nootropics - Top Nootropic Drugs & Supplements Online