The Ultimate Buyer's Guide for Purchasing L-Theanine for Nootropic

L-Theanine is known for boosting alpha and theta brain waves, anti-anxiety, boosting cognition, improving memory, and better quality sleep

L-Theanine (r-glutamylethylamide) is a non-dietary amino acid found in green tea (camellia sinensis), and the mushroom Xerocomus badius. Structurally, L-Theanine is similar to the neurotransmitters l-glutamate and l-glutamine.

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L-Theanine easily crosses the blood-brain barrier. And taken as a supplement or by drinking green tea, reaches your brain within 30-45 minutes.

L-Theanine can lower blood pressure, rejuvenate and relax you, boost your ability to think, improve focus and change your mood. L-Theanine balances brain chemistry and improves cognitive health.

L-Theanine helps:

• Brain Waves. L-Theanine boosts alpha brain waves (8-12Hz) promoting alert relaxation.[i] And theta brain waves associated with creativity and relief from trauma.
• Neurotransmitters. L-Theanine increases GABA, serotonin and dopamine levels in your brain. Producing an energizing and calming effect. And improving cognition and memory.
• Neuroprotection. L-Theanine is an agonist of NMDA receptors and can inhibit synaptic release of glutamate. Protecting your brain from over-stimulation caused by glutamate, and possible glutamate toxicity.

Overview

L-Theanine (r-glutamylethylamide) is a non-dietary amino acid found in tea. And especially high levels in green tea (camellia sinensis). L-Theanine was first isolated from green tea in Japan by Sakato in .

As an analogue of glutamate and glutamine, it's hydrolyzed in your intestine and liver into l-glutamate and ethylamine. And easily crosses your blood-brain barrier.

L-Theanine is one of the very few nootropics known to modulate brain waves. It affects alpha brain waves which are associated with relaxation. Providing an alert calmness, L-Theanine helps in promoting super-learning, flow states and joy.

L-Theanine boosts the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine and GABA in your brain. As well as increasing Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) and Nerve Growth Factor (NGF).[ii]

L-Theanine is known for helping to relieve stress, improve cognition, boost mood and cognitive function.

How does L-Theanine work in the Brain?

L-Theanine boosts brain health and function in several ways. But two in particular stand out.

1. L-Theanine reduces physical and mental stress. L- Theanine helps increase alpha brain waves which are associated with mental relaxation and concentration.

One study in South Korea worked with 20 healthy male volunteers aged 18 ' 30 years.  One group was given L-Theanine tablets, and the other group a placebo daily for 7 days.

Brain waves were measured 40 minutes after administration of the tablets. The researchers analyzed alpha wave power values. And concluded that L-Theanine tablets promoted the release of alpha brain waves related to mental relaxation and concentration.[iii]

In May , researchers at Simon Fraser University in Canada developed a technology to clinically measure brain wave patterns. With this technology, we're now able to detect cognitive dysfunction before it happens. Imagine the implications of this new technology when applied to the nootropics world.[iv]

2. L-Theanine increases neurotransmitters. Research shows that L-Theanine increases dopamine, serotonin, and GABA in your brain.[v] And it reduces the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate which is associated with stress, tension and agitation.[vi]

A study done in Japan worked with 12 people who underwent 4 separate trials. One in which they took L-Theanine at the start of the experiment. One in which they took it half-way through. And two control trials in which they took either a placebo or nothing.

The results showed that L-Theanine resulted in a reduction in heart rate and s-IgA associated with acute stress. The researchers concluded that L-Theanine could cause anti-stress effects via the inhibition of cortical neuron excitation.[vii]

How things go bad:

As we get older, our brain chemistry and energy metabolism changes.

' Neurotransmitter levels decline

' Glutamate levels increase

' Stress levels increase

' Long-term memory and mood decline

' Quality of sleep declines

All of these changes can happen at any age once we reach adulthood. And are contributing factors to the neurodegenerative diseases of aging, and quality of life.

L-Theanine benefits

L-Theanine energizes without draining, calms without putting you to sleep, and motivates without causing a jagged edge.

Tea (as a source of L-Theanine) can have as much caffeine as some coffees. And yet doesn't exert the same 'speedy' effect. And the reason is the ingredient L-Theanine.

You can actually see L-Theanine's effect in your brain using an EEG. Brain waves are smoothed out rather than flattened out.[viii] So your body is relaxed, your mind is calmed, but you don't get sleepy. And L-Theanine, once it crosses the blood-brain barrier, raises levels of serotonin and dopamine.[ix]

L-Theanine even improves your quality of sleep. Researchers in Japan gave volunteers 200 mg of L-Theanine daily and recorded their sleep patterns. Sleep quality, recovery from exhaustion, and feeling refreshed were all enhanced by L-Theanine.[x]

And L-Theanine puts you in a better mood. Once it crosses your blood-brain barrier, L-Theanine changes levels of amino acids affecting serotonin, dopamine, and GABA. Having a modulating effect on mood.[xi]

How does L-Theanine feel?

Your unique neurochemistry including neurotransmitters, brain waves, brain structure and even regional brain activity will influence your response to L-Theanine.

Most neurohackers report a calming effect within 30 ' 45 minutes of taking L-Theanine. Cognition gets a boost, and energy levels rise without the jitteriness caused by stimulants like caffeine.

Some report L-Theanine has stopped their anxiety and panic attacks. Just don't combine it with anti-anxiety meds like Xanax.

Most report an overall improvement in the sense of well-being and quality of life. And nearly all remark on better quality sleep.

L-Theanine Clinical Research

Green Tea reduces incidence of stroke

Research has found that if L-Theanine is present in the body at the time stroke occurs, brain damage will be significantly reduced.

In this monster study done in China, researchers selected 14,212 subjects from 12 provinces. Ages ranged from 35 ' 60 years old. The study looked at tea drinking status, dose and type of teas.

This study concluded there was a 40% decreased risk of stroke in those who drank green, black or jasmine teas.[xii]

L-Theanine improves memory

In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, the effect of L-Theanine on memory and attention was investigated.

91 subjects with mild cognitive impairment were enrolled in this study. One group received 1,680 mg of L-Theanine daily for 16 weeks. And the control group received a placebo.

The study concluded that L-Theanine increased brain Theta waves associated with cognitive alertness and creativity. And there were improvements in memory. The results of this study suggested that L-Theanine has potential as an intervention for cognitive improvement.[xiii]

And that is an understatement by any stretch. People spend years meditating. With the goal of reaching consistent access to brain wave states like Theta. In this trial, they did it with a dose of L-Theanine. The same type of dose you could get with a few cups of quality green tea.

L-Theanine reduces stress

Considerable research has been dedicated to L-Theanine and its benefits to stress reduction in both animal and human studies. And we have ample documentation that corticosterone and stress exert negative effects on memory.[xiv]

Corticosteroids which are secreted after stress, have a profound impact on long-term potentiation and memory formation.[xv]

In this animal study, rats were fed water containing L-Theanine for 3 weeks and put through some stress inducing exercise. The researchers found that corticosterone levels were lower in the rats who used L-Theanine compared to those who had none.

In fact, stress had no effect on the animals who were fed L-Theanine. Memory was not affected. The researchers concluded that L-Theanine modified corticosterone secretion. And L-Theanine is a strong preventive measure in preventing memory loss otherwise induced by stress.[xvi]

L-Theanine Recommended Dosage

Recommended dosage of L-Theanine is 100 ' 400 mg once or twice per day. With a maximum of 1,200 mg per day according to the Cleveland Clinic.[xvii]

L-Theanine is water soluble so you can take it with water.

Labels on quality green tea often only display the amount of green tea leaf available in each bag in milligrams (mg). But not its L-Theanine content. Green tea that's steeped correctly will offer 1-2% L-Theanine per cup. So 1,500 mg of green tea leaf would be about 30 mg. of L-Theanine (at 2%).

We often say that YMMV, and this is especially applicable to L-Theanine. Find out what works best for you. Start at a lower dose like 100 mg. And work your way up until you achieve the effects you're looking for.

L-Theanine Side Effects

L-Theanine is a naturally occurring amino acid found in plants like tea or one species of mushroom. So it's considered non-toxic and very safe.

Theanine seems to decrease blood pressure. So if you're on meds for high blood pressure, use L-Theanine with caution. Your blood pressure could go too low.

Type of L-Theanine to Buy

L-Theanine is available in green, black and white teas. Green tea contains the most L-Theanine.

A great side benefit for neurohackers is green tea also contains caffeine. A cup of good quality green tea has less caffeine than a cup of coffee. About 10 mg less.

L-Theanine + Caffeine stack

One study done at Unilever in the UK looked at the combined effects of L-Theanine and caffeine on cognitive performance and mood. They compared 50 mg of caffeine with and without 100 mg of L-Theanine.

The research team had 27 volunteers participate. And based measurements on word recognition, rapid visual information processing, critical flicker fusion threshold, attentions switching and mood.

Performance was measured at the beginning, and again 60 minutes and 90 minutes after consumption. Separated by a 7-day washout period.

Caffeine improved alertness at 60 mins. And accuracy on attention-switching at 90 mins. The L-Theanine and caffeine combination improved both speed and accuracy, and reduced susceptibility to distracting information on the memory task.

The research team concluded that, 'L-Theanine and caffeine in combination are beneficial for improving performance on cognitively demanding tasks'.[xviii]

And for an added bonus, L-Theanine takes the jittery-edge off of caffeine consumption.

The best pre-formulated caffeine + L-Theanine stack I've tried, and use is the new Performance Lab® Caffeine 2. It contains Natural Caffeine (from Coffea Robusta seeds) 50 mg, L-Theanine 100 mg,  L-Tyrosine 250 mg, with a balanced NutriGenesis® B-Complex. For alert clean energy without the jitters.

L-Theanine from green tea

Extracting the optimal amount of L-Theanine from green tea is both art and science.

Researchers at the University of Newcastle in Australia set out to determine optimal conditions for water extraction of L-Theanine from green tea. They examined 4 different extraction methods. And learned that temperature, extraction time, ratio of water-to-tea and tea particle size had significant impacts on extraction yield of L-Theanine from green tea.

They concluded, 'The optimal conditions for extracting theanine from green tea using water were found to be extraction at 80 °C for 30 min with a water-to-tea ratio of 20:1 mL/g and a tea particle size of 0.5-1 mm.' [xix]

So to get the most nootropic value when using green tea as your L-Theanine source ' follow the directions. Just sayin''

L-Theanine Supplements

L-Theanine is available in capsule or tablet form from several supplement manufacturers. Japanese company Taiyo is the oldest and most established company in the green tea supplement industry. Taiyo developed and patented a method for L-Theanine extraction from green tea called 'Suntheanine®'.

Suntheanine can be found in some of higher quality pre-formulated nootropic stacks. For example, Mind Lab Pro® contains 11 brain enhancing nootropic compounds including Suntheanine.

Research has shown that some supplement makers using their own extraction method for L-Theanine, contain more than just the 'L' form of Theanine. Turns out if it's not done exactly right, you end up with a 'D' form of Theanine.

D-Theanine may have a very different action in your body than L-Theanine. We're not saying it's dangerous. You just may not get all the benefit of pure L-Theanine.

So read the labels and reviews by people who have tried the product.

I recommend Mind Lab Pro because it uses Suntheanine. And addresses all aspects of anxiety resistance, memory and cognitive enhancement, stabilizes mood, brain repair, and maintenance.

This premium nootropic stack is designed to affect neurotransmitters, cognitive energy, brain waves, neuroprotection, and regeneration. See my Mind Lab Pro review for a detailed report.

If you're frustrated by brain fog, a short attention span, fading memories, or other cognitive difficulties, then nootropics may be worth a try. These 'smart drugs' have been around since the s, but they've only hit the mainstream supplement market within the last decade and have been quickly growing in popularity ever since.1

But while it's easy to get excited about something that may be able to relieve a wide range of cognitive concerns, your brain's needs are unique ' and dedicating the time to sift through dozens of supplements that all make the same claims isn't always an option.

To make your search easier, we researched, investigated, tried, and compared the best nootropic options of to help you make an informed choice. If you're short on time, here's the rundown of our top picks.

Why you should trust us

Over the past two decades, Innerbody Research has helped tens of millions of readers make more informed decisions about staying healthy and living healthier lifestyles. As nootropics have emerged across the supplement landscape, we've invested serious time determining which are worth your consideration.

We've spent hundreds of hours researching and testing various nootropics, including specialized formulas, generalized nootropics, and individual ingredients. Throughout our nootropic studies, we've read over 350 clinical studies examining the safety and efficacy of various nootropic ingredients. We also acquired first-hand details on the customer experience by ordering the nootropics ourselves, testing them out, and communicating with the companies' customer service reps.

Additionally, like all health-related content on this website, this review was thoroughly vetted by one or more members of our Medical Review Board for accuracy. To keep things up to date, we'll monitor the nootropics landscape and update this page as information changes.

How we evaluated nootropics

Nootropics are complicated supplements, but that doesn't mean it's impossible for the average person to understand them. To simplify things, we considered four basic criteria when evaluating the top nootropics: safety, efficacy, cost, and convenience.

Safety

Winner: Thesis

Because your brain is a sensitive organ that controls every part of your life, it's critical that nootropic supplements are safe. The more research a product or ingredient has behind it, the more we know about its safety and can make better-informed decisions. We consider the following factors to be critical for our safety scores:

• Clarity around ingredient lists (not hiding dosing information in proprietary blends)
• Well considered formulas and doses
• Transparent testing and manufacturing conditions
• Clear instructions on necessary tasks like cycling

Additionally, we prefer nootropics that have the potential to make a big difference in your mental state without overloading your system with thousands of unnecessary milligrams of botanicals, vitamins, minerals, and other ingredients. If 100mg works just as well as 10,000mg, it's likely smarter to take 100mg.

Both Thesis and Mind Lab Pro are among the safer nootropic supplements. Neither contains hazardous ingredients you'd need to cycle (take time off from) ' even though Thesis still recommends taking at least one day off a week from its nootropics, just in case. Both companies also make their nootropics in GMP-certified, FDA-registered facilities, but Thesis is more transparent about its use of third-party testing for ingredient and formula purity.

More importantly, out of the two options, Thesis uses shorter lists of ingredients in doses that more closely align with scientific studies.

Effectiveness

Winner: Thesis

Despite having been around since the s in some form, nootropics still often use a fair amount of ingredients with varying quantities and quality of research to back up their purported positive effects on cognition.

To establish the effectiveness of a given product, our team compared their ingredient bills and doses to the doses and, when available, combinations used in pertinent research. More often than not, we found ingredients to be underdosed, with several companies apparently hoping the combination of underdosed individual ingredients would create something greater than the sum of its parts. And without research into these specific formulations, it's impossible to predict effectiveness.

Fortunately, some companies use proper doses of at least some of their ingredients. Thesis is one of those companies, and it focuses mostly on ingredients with a significant amount of research behind them.

What's more, where most other nootropics provide one formula, Thesis has six different formulas, each created to tackle a specific cognitive concern (Clarity, Creativity, Logic, Energy, Motivation, or Confidence). These categories aren't exact; there aren't research studies into how certain ingredients affect a person's confidence, for example. But there are plenty of studies looking at how these ingredients work to combat the things that stand in the way of confidence, logical thinking, and motivation, and those are the ingredients Thesis uses.

With each monthly Thesis box you customize, you can select up to four of these formulas to try. And at around the midway point through trying your Thesis formulas of choice, one of the company's coaches will check in to see what did and didn't work for you, then offer feedback to help optimize your box according to your needs.

Here's a short video showing the sort of package you'll receive in the mail if you order from Thesis, as well as sharing summary details about its effectiveness from our team who tested it:

TruBrain's drinkable nootropics come in multiple formulas, too (Sleep, Mellow, Matcha, Mushrooms, Medium Strong, and Extra Strong), but a majority of them have the same ingredients and generalized focus, just at different strengths or doses. And the drinkable liquid means more 'filler' ingredients are included for a good flavor ' like agave syrup, xylitol, citric acid, and cane sugar ' that you won't see in a capsule nootropic like Thesis or Mind Lab Pro.

It's nearly impossible to find a pre-formulated nootropic with the perfect doses of all ingredients. Generally, a few may hit the mark, while others fall short. However, there are some nootropics, like Thesis, that manage to remain reasonably close to what studies suggest may be beneficial. For example:

• Thesis Confidence contains 28mg of saffron and 120mg of Shoden ashwagandha, both of which have been shown to mitigate stress and anxiety that could hamper confidence.58 59
• Thesis Clarity contains 500mg of alpha-GPC, a precursor to acetylcholine, an increase in which can improve cognitive function. Studies have been successful with as little as 200mg.4

In comparison, something like Mind Lab Pro is mostly underdosed (only three ingredients are present at the same doses found in clinical research). And even though the company's self-funded studies found the nootropic had great success matching, if not exceeding, the results of said clinical research, this research does come with the potential for bias.

Cost

Winner: Revive Brain+

Similar to technology, newcomers to the supplement market with novel ingredients are often much more expensive than those that are simpler or have been around for longer. For the most part, nootropics follow this trend. Prices can range considerably depending on the manufacturer, ingredient list, and other factors, but they generally fit into one of two categories:

• $35 or below and lower quality: often generalized, lower doses, less effective ingredients, little or no reported manufacturing testing, etc.
• $60 or above and higher quality: more likely specialized, adequate dosing of more beneficial ingredients, in-house or third-party testing, occasional company-funded studies, and so on

Among the group of nootropics that provide a potential effective formula, Revive Brain+ is our least expensive top pick. The company doesn't offer additional savings for subscribers, and there are no bulk purchasing options, but the base price of $59 undercuts everything else in its class. The closest thing to it is Mind Lab Pro's $52/bottle price point you can reach by purchasing a four-month supply. But that requires a $208 up-front investment and comes with a considerably weaker formula.

While some of the biggest nootropic companies make one product and others make dozens, here's a breakdown of the costs and money-saving opportunities for our top picks in as close to a 30-day supply as possible.

Note: The following chart only shows one-time purchase prices, so potential savings from applicable subscription or bulk purchase discounts aren't considered.

In general, the return policies are pretty strict for most of these products, but this isn't exactly uncommon for the supplement market. Many companies that sell supplements, nootropics included, don't accept returns for safety reasons ' this is why those that do accept returns often require the product to be entirely unopened.

Convenience

Winner: Thesis

Nootropics aren't the most convenient supplements. Most of the time, they require taking several medium-to-large pills with food in the morning. Depending on their ingredients, some will ask you to cycle your use. Cycling means taking a few days, weeks, or months off to keep yourself from developing a tolerance or building up too much of a substance that could harm you in high enough doses. And while nootropics hopefully improve your memory enough to remember when you need a refill, subscription autoship services that are easy to modify or cancel improve a nootropic's convenience score.

Thankfully, the majority of our top picks in this guide offer a subscription option. Only Mind Lab Pro and Nootropics Depot lack an autoship option at this time. We hope to see these companies add it in the future to improve the customer experience.

Every formula from Thesis contains multiple capsules, which is a little inconvenient but standard for nootropics. However, its serving sizes are on the smaller side for nootropics ' the formulas are 2-4 capsules compared to the six for Hunter Focus or 14 daily pills for BrainMD's Brain & Body Power Max.

Thesis also lets you opt in or out of a caffeinated formula whether or not you've purchased either form. Its caffeine pills come as a separate white capsule, so you can identify and skip it if you'd rather not give up your morning coffee. Every day's serving is packaged in an individual plastic bag ' you won't have to count capsules, and you can easily slip the packet into your bag or pocket for on-the-go use.

Except for TruBrain, all other nootropics come in homogenous capsules or tablets in a big bottle, which means a lot of counting and a commitment to either caffeinated or non-caffeinated formulas. Add in the excellent Thesis starter kit so you can try four of the six formulas before committing to your favorite few, and it becomes clear why we consider Thesis to be the most convenient nootropic.

On the other hand, you can drink TruBrain's six nootropic formulas out of pouches (like squeezable applesauce). This is the only liquid nootropic worth its salt right now, providing a convenient option for people who can't swallow pills. Like Thesis' packets, they're easy to carry and take with you, and you won't have to worry about dividing up your daily dose.

How our top picks compare

Some of our favorite nootropic companies center on one formula (like Revive), while others (such as TruBrain and Nootropics Depot) have broad horizons and create multiple lines of products. This can make trying to compare nootropic supplements confusing at best. To simplify things, we've created a few charts:

• Two comparing our top nootropics themselves
• One comparing certain aspects of the companies that make the nootropics (including return policy lengths, money-back guarantees, product testing, and more)

This information isn't exhaustive ' we'll go into more detail later ' but these charts should provide a good starting point in your search for the best nootropic.

First, this chart compares our top nootropics in terms of cost and available discounts:

This next chart covers topics like caffeine content, allergens, and more:

Finally, here are a few important facts about the companies behind our top picks, including product testing and other policies:

What are nootropics, and how do they work?

Broadly speaking, nootropics are substances that improve your cognitive functioning. This definition is generous as it applies equally to supplements, prescription medication, and some recreational drugs. In recent years, the supplement industry has grabbed onto this term to describe products with vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and botanicals that are designed to boost your brain power.

The first nootropic to use the term was a drug developed in the s called piracetam.60 61 It was intended to treat anxiety and provide patients with a soothing experience that might even lull them to sleep.2 The effect was quite different than what its creators intended, as users reported sharper focus, and later testing pointed toward improved memory. (At the time of writing, the FDA still hasn't approved piracetam for use in supplements or as a prescription medication, though many still take it.)3

Nootropics also technically include prescription medications like Adderall (amphetamine salt), Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine), and Ritalin (methylphenidate),62 as well as medications for dementia and Alzheimer's disease (such as memantine).63 Caffeine is also a nootropic substance and an ingredient you'll find in many nootropic supplements.

Nootropic supplements may have one ingredient, or they may have dozens. Some ingredient lists look similar to multivitamins, and others focus more on botanicals and amino acids. Because no two brains are identical, the best nootropic for our team or other people may not work for you, but we'll provide all of the research and information you need in this guide to make the best decision for your needs.

Contemporary nootropics generally have three main goals:

• Protect your brain from damage
• Improve your memory, learning, and attention
• Regulate your mood

As cognitive enhancers, nootropic ingredients alter how your nerve cells and neurons work. This takes place in a variety of ways, including:64

• Affecting circulation to the brain
• Positively impacting signaling pathways
• Combating oxidative stress and decreasing cortisol levels
• Regenerating and strengthening neural connections
• Improving mitochondrial function
• Increasing the expression of neurotransmitters, like acetylcholine and dopamine

Common nootropic ingredients and research behind them

To better understand the potential mechanisms of action in any nootropic, it's essential to take a closer look at its ingredients. Unfortunately, there are several hundred ingredients used in these kinds of supplements, yet manufacturers claim that all of them work equally well. This, perhaps obviously, isn't true. A vast majority of nootropic ingredients have mixed evidence of their benefits, with even fewer research studies outright validating their potential.

That said, there are some nootropic ingredients that research supports wholeheartedly (or close to it). Here are nine of the top ingredients you should consider noteworthy when picking a nootropic supplement.

It's important to note that just because an ingredient works well in one research study, it doesn't mean the ingredient will work exactly like that in your body. Your brain is just as individual as your fingerprints, shaped by both genetics and your lived experiences. Everything from your weight and what you ate for breakfast to your parents' reactions to medications can make individual nootropic ingredients interact differently from person to person.

Likewise, the doses of these ingredients and their interactions with other ingredients can change how they work. Some ingredients might keep others from working, while others might boost another's ability to work. Research on nootropics is still largely in its infancy, so it's hard to predict how a specific nootropic will work without an independent study of the product. (We take a look at the studies that have been done on specific nootropic supplement formulas later in this guide.)

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit L-Theanine for Nootropic.

If you're new to nootropic supplements, we recommend starting with those that have relatively short ingredient lists so you can quickly pinpoint ingredients that do or don't work for you.

Nootropic ingredients for brain health

Some other nootropic ingredients may not directly affect your brain in the ways you might expect from the ingredients mentioned previously. However, they are still essential in supporting your brain's overall health.

Studies on our top nootropics picks

Because nootropic ingredients vary so wildly in their clinical support and almost no research studies look at ingredients in combination with each other, it's always nice to see a company run a study on its product. There are some clear biases possible ' when a company funds a study, the researchers may feel pressured to produce certain results, or the company can repeat a study until it gets favorable results ' but some information is better than none.

A few popular brands tested their nootropics in some capacity, including Mind Lab Pro, Onnit, and Qualia. In general, Mind Lab Pro worked the best on reaction time, anticipation, memory recall, and information processing (particularly among the 30-and-over crowd).33

Onnit's Alpha BRAIN has two studies under its belt, both of which are somewhat mixed but suggest that it may improve verbal memory, and Qualia Mind's findings were disappointing ' while participants reported significant improvements across six cognitive categories, they weren't significant over a placebo.35 36 37 These findings ultimately make a big impact on how we judge these supplements, and while nothing's going to work perfectly for every person, they can provide insight as to the strengths and weaknesses of these products.

You can read more about these studies in the products' full reviews, linked under each product breakdown in this guide.

Are nootropics safe?

Nootropic supplements aren't created equally, so it'd be wrong to make a broad statement that they're all safe. Many should be safe for healthy adults who aren't taking any prescription medication, but that leaves out two-thirds of all U.S. adults, according to Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute.38 And, even if you don't take a regular prescription, nootropics can also interact with other supplements, so it's important to cross-check ingredient lists. As with any supplement, we recommend you talk to your doctor before starting a nootropic to ensure it doesn't interfere with any conditions you have or medications you take.

Our top recommendations generally use ingredients in safe doses for most people. They err on the side of caution and are more likely to under-dose than overload your system, which is frustrating for efficacy but better for you in the long term. This isn't the case for every supplement ' we'll point out which ones to approach with extra caution in our product breakdowns ' but, in general, you're more likely to experience fewer effects than a laundry list of side effects.

Side effects and contraindications are always a possibility, though. Some ingredients cause more side effects than others. (Since many nootropics have at least 90mg of caffeine, we recommend curtailing your coffee and tea consumption until you know how this new energy source affects you.) Keep an eye out for things like headaches, stomach aches, and dizziness when you're starting a nootropic. If you find these symptoms don't go away after a day or two of use, stop using them and contact your doctor. It may be a poor ingredient fit, or nootropics might just not be a good idea for you.

Nootropic ingredients to limit or avoid

There aren't many common nootropic ingredients that are inherently dangerous, but there are a few with higher risks than most:

• Vinpocetine can induce miscarriages or birth defects if taken while pregnant77
• Huperzine A can cause acetylcholine toxicity if taken in high doses for too long70
• Ashwagandha can also lead to miscarriages78

Some ingredients with little to no evidence still find their way into nootropic supplements and are essentially fillers. Sadly, most nootropics will contain at least one ingredient with questionable research behind it. Here are some of the worst offenders we've found, even in our favorite nootropics:

• Artichoke extract. There's only one mouse study (from ) on this topic.29 It suggests artichoke extract may reduce some biomarkers associated with Alzheimer's disease, but there's no evidence it can otherwise support your brain.
• Oat straw extract. There's no clinical evidence this does much of anything for your brain.
• Dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE). This antioxidant was sold as an alternative to ADHD medication called Deanol between and , but it was recalled due to a lack of scientific evidence on its safety.30 There hasn't been much, if any, research on it since.
• Coleus forskohlii extract. This mint-like plant is advertised as being able to do a lot for an aging brain, but there's no evidence it has any cognitive benefits.
• Glutamine. Despite being the most common amino acid and protein building block in your body, it mostly works on rebuilding muscles post-workout unless you've experienced a lack of oxygen to the brain (and even that finding is tentative).31
• Taurine. Despite how frequently you might see it in energy drinks, and though taurine deficiencies are common in people with cognitive dysfunction, there's no clear evidence taking taurine improves cognition.32

Tolerance and habituation

Some ingredients require a little more care to use properly. Tolerance ' our brains physically adapting to a new situation ' and habituation ' our psychological adaptations ' can both be present while you're using nootropics.

If a nootropic asks you to cycle, or occasionally take a few days off from taking it, it's likely that it contains ingredients that could build up in your system or that you could more easily develop a tolerance to over time. These are often ingredients that affect your brain's acetylcholine levels, like huperzine A.

Cycling nootropics

Some nootropics will require you to cycle (take days off in your dosing routine). It can be inconvenient and a bit of a pain to have to remember, but it's important for your health to follow these instructions. Many nootropics that suggest you cycle have recommendations on how to plan your weeks, which can make things a bit easier.

Taking a few days off keeps nootropic ingredients from building up in your brain, either flooding your body with excess acetylcholine that can't get cleaned up (and can cause problems like muscle twitching or decreased respiration) or causing you to develop a tolerance or dependence.70

Cycling requirements generally depend on a few ingredients ' notably huperzine A and other acetylcholinesterase blockers ' included in a given formula. Other ingredients you might see that mean you should regularly take time off include:

• Caffeine
• Noopept
• Piracetam
• Modafinil
• N-acetyl cysteine (NAC)

Caffeine, for example, is an addictive stimulant (as you may know if you drink a cup of coffee each morning and don't feel right without it), whereas NAC regulates the amount of glutamate released by your body. Cycling NAC prevents building a tolerance, which can have effects on your mood, whereas cycling caffeine can keep you from developing a dependency on it.79

Who are nootropics for?

A nootropic may sound like something we could all use, but some populations would benefit more from adding it to their routine, and others should stay away at all costs. Pregnant people, nursing parents, and children under 18 should all avoid taking standard nootropic supplements. There are a few nootropic supplements specifically designed for children, but we don't know enough about the impact of nootropic supplements on developing brains ' they very well may be negatively impacted.

We always strongly recommend sitting down with your doctor before starting any new supplements, including nootropics. Your situation may be unique, and they'll have the best sense of what might work for you. They may also order lab tests to ensure you don't have any deficiencies, disorders, or other health problems that could be causing your cognitive symptoms.

Psychiatric and neurological medications can cause some of the biggest problems when combined with nootropics. (We'll explore this in more depth momentarily.) You should also avoid nootropic supplements if you're taking:

• Blood thinners like warfarin87
• Levodopa (L-Dopa)88
• Cholinesterase inhibitors like Aricept or Reminyl89
• Insulin or diabetes medication90
• Immunosuppressant medications91

Likewise, several conditions can be exacerbated by nootropic supplements. Not every nootropic will affect all of these conditions, but if you have any of the health concerns listed below, be particularly cautious about starting a nootropic:

• Kidney disease92
• Liver disease93
• Thyroid disorders88
• Heart problems87
• Asthma64
• GI blockages94
• Stomach ulcers94
• Urinary tract blockages94
• High blood pressure64
• Diabetes90
• Cancer95
• Phenylketonuria (PKU)96
• Muscular dystrophy97

Nootropics also don't interact well with drugs or alcohol. Some nootropics may be safe to have alcohol in moderation (such as a glass of wine with dinner) while taking it, but it's generally best not to combine the two for your liver's sake. Ingredients like green tea extract can cause liver inflammation, which is exacerbated by alcohol.39 Recreational drugs generally increase either dopamine, serotonin, or glutamate (inhibiting GABA), so adding nootropic ingredients that do the same thing can lead to side effects like tremors or worse.

Studies on individual products ' such as the self-funded studies on Mind Lab Pro ' regularly find that nootropics work best for the over-30 crowd. This doesn't mean that they can't help college students or young professionals, but because your 20s are generally some of your healthiest years, there's less age-related dysfunction for the nootropics to address. One of our 25-year-old testers who tried Thesis, for example, found that it supported their focus and clear thinking as much as ' if not more than ' a 37-year-old peer tester. Like all other factors, age can make a difference, but your age alone won't guarantee you do or don't find benefit from a nootropic supplement.

Psychiatric and neurological conditions

If you have a psychiatric condition ' even mild depression or generalized anxiety disorder ' you are more likely to experience negative side effects or worsening symptoms by taking a nootropic. This is especially true if you take neurological or psychiatric medications, which act on the same neurotransmitters as nootropics. Having too much of any neurotransmitters is just as bad as not having enough and can lead to unpleasant side effects like headaches, stomach aches, tremors, or serious complications like serotonin syndrome.40

Thesis

Best overall, best for brain health, best for stress and anxiety, best for studying, and best non-stimulant option

Between strong testing measures and even more robust customer service ' along with convenient packets delineating daily doses that are easy to travel with ' Thesis easily ranks as one of our favorite nootropic companies and is our top pick among nootropic supplements in . The company relies on strong science to back its empathetic messaging, emphasizing that having cognitive deficits isn't a cause for shame but that there are ways to improve your brain in a healthy way.

The company offers six different formulas, posed as working well in pairs.

Generally, each product contains fewer than ten ingredients, including the optional caffeine and L-theanine. (You can read more about the individual ingredient breakdowns in our full review of Thesis.) However, there are clear goals for each formula:

• Clarity: increasing blood flow to the brain and stimulating acetylcholine, cutting brain fog
• Logic: improving communication throughout the central nervous system and cell membrane quality
• Energy: boosting cellular energy and blocking adenosine
• Motivation: increasing blood flow to the brain and boosting cellular energy
• Creativity: anti-anxiety and antidepressant
• Confidence: anti-anxiety and boosting dopamine levels

The proposed pairs include:

• Clarity and Logic
• Energy and Motivation
• Creativity and Confidence

Our testers found that Clarity gave them the biggest effects, with a significant boost to their focus great for a several-hour study session, but some experienced a sense of dissociation or a headache as it wore off. Two testers ultimately preferred Logic for a subtler, longer-term sense of clarity and better memory recall, with one of them finding it helped with their ADHD symptoms.

The best mood effects our testers encountered came from Thesis Confidence, the ashwagandha and saffron in which provided noteworthy soothing effects.

If you aren't sure where to start, you can take a short quiz on Thesis' website to determine which one would be best for you. Most quiz results offer more than one formula in the form of a starter kit. This kit allows you to try each blend for a week to see how they affect you, eventually choosing one (or more) to become your daily nootropic. You can also continue to receive the starter kit on a subscription basis and use different nootropics for different situations.

Quite possibly, the best part of using Thesis' is that you can easily toggle caffeine on or off with any formula. Other companies either don't offer a stimulant-free option or have a different formula that may not be as effective. Thesis simply lets you order any of their formulas without stimulant ingredients included. Our testers did find that caffeine enhanced the effects, so if you aren't sensitive to caffeine or are looking for the biggest boost, we still recommend going with the caffeinated form. Plus, if you decide later that you don't want to take caffeine, Thesis keeps each caffeine pill as a separate capsule (the smallest white capsule in each packet) so you can easily ditch it.

Thesis also provides wellness coaching to all subscribers, so you can get the most out of your nootropics and find new ways to improve your life and your brain.

Several companies in this guide take pains to test their products, looking at purity and dosage in particular. However, Thesis is among the few who rely on third-party testing rather than internal testing. One of the reasons the ingredient lists in Thesis nootropics are shorter than some of the competition is that Thesis only uses ingredients that are either Generally Recognized As Safe by the FDA or have undergone phase III clinical trials. The only ingredient that's of any potential concern is ashwagandha, which may not be safe for people who have certain thyroid problems.34

Thesis has a particularly unique ordering structure. If it's your first time ordering from them, you'll have to take a quiz to identify what formulas might fit your needs best. Since nootropics can be such a dense, confusing industry to navigate, it's a definite plus that Thesis helps you select what might work best for you based on real cognitive testing measures and lets you try more than one formula at once (since a test can only reveal so much). Those are two big benefits you won't find with any other nootropic.

Whether you stick with the starter kit or customize your order, the prices for a 28-day supply remain the same:

• One-time purchase: $119
• Monthly subscription: $79

Subscription orders ship every 30 days, and you can't change their frequency, but you can pause or cancel at any time.

If you aren't happy with your Thesis nootropics, you can reach out to the company's customer service team. They'll recommend adjustments to a schedule or suggest other products to try first. When you know you want a refund, you'll need to go to the returns page, which sends you an link to actually process a return. You can send back any unopened box of Thesis for a full refund within seven days of delivery if you have more than you need, or you can refund one month's supply within 30 days of purchase. You'll have to physically mail back whatever you have ' even if the box is empty ' and Thesis doesn't cover the cost of return shipping.

Revive Brain+

Best budget pick and best for memory

While Thesis formulas contain numerous, well-studied ingredients often delivered at clinically relevant doses, no one of the company's six blends is as comprehensive as Revive Brain+ is. Thesis still maintains several advantages, including optional stimulants, portable packaging, and the ability to combine different products into a single month's supply. But if you want something that's simple, effective, and well-priced, Revive is likely your best bet.

Here's a closer look at the product's ingredient list:

• Niacin (as Niacinamide): 100mg NE
• Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate): 20mg
• Folate (as L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate calcium salt): 200mcg DFE
• Vitamin B12 (as methylcobalamin): 500mcg
• L-Alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine 50%: 600mg
• Acetyl-L-Carnitine HCl: 500mg
• L-Tyrosine: 500mg
• Rhodiola rosea (root) Extract (standardized to 3% rosavins, 1% salidrosides): 300mg
• Alpha Lipoic Acid: 250mg
• Citicoline monosodium salt: 250mg
• Phosphatidylserine (as NutriPS'): 100mg
• Saffron (Crocus sativus) [Flower] Extract: 30mg
• Pyrroloquinoline Quinone (as PQQ Disodium Salt): 10mg
• Lithium (from lithium orotate): 400mcg

In some cases, we find doses that align well with numerous studies into potential cognitive benefits. The 30mg of saffron, for example, is the average dose we've seen work well for improved sleep and mood, allowing for greater focus in the face of stressors.83 Other ingredients are either at the low end of effective study ranges or fall just shy of that, like the 100mg phosphatidylserine and the 10mg PQQ.84 85

One ingredient we definitely want to touch on is the 400mcg of lithium included in Revive's formula. This may give some readers pause if they're familiar with lithium as used for psychiatric disorders, namely major depression and bipolar disorder. But those doses are typically around 600-1,200mg, more than 1,000 times stronger than the 400mcg of lithium used here.86 Revive is one of a few companies using lithium microdoses as a way to improve cognition, balance mood, and even promote longevity.

A single bottle of Revive Brain+ costs $59. You can subscribe for added convenience, but subscriptions don't offer any additional savings. Revive also charges shipping based on package weight and distance, with no free shipping threshold.

Revive's return policy isn't great, either. You can only return unopened merchandise within 15 days of purchase. There is no money-back guarantee like you see with Thesis.

TruBrain Personalized Drinks

Easiest to take

Designed by UCLA-trained neuroscientists, TruBrain offers a novel delivery method for their most popular nootropics. Each product is available in liquid form and stored in a small pouch. You can crack one open and drink it in short order, and it doesn't matter if you have any trouble swallowing pills.

There are seven available flavors:

• Sleep: uses GABA, melatonin, and 5-HTP to relax you
• Mellow: an all-around balanced and low-dose nootropic with Noopept, vitamin C, NALT, centrophenoxine, magnesium, L-theanine, and CBD oil
• Matcha: a green-tea-based drink with magnesium, Noopept, and NALT designed to increase mental clarity
• Mushrooms: a botanical blend with four mushrooms and vitamin C intended to promote cognitive health
• Medium: identical to Mellow, but without the CBD oil
• Strong: a caffeinated version of Medium
• Extra Strong: Strong plus 150mg of Adrafinil, a non-prescription version of modafinil

Mellow, Medium, and Strong are all nearly identical; Mellow adds functional CBD oils, and Strong adds caffeine. While they're easy to take, you'll need to be careful if you can't take CBD or regularly need drug testing since full-spectrum CBD oil does contain a small amount of THC. (Though not enough to provide any psychoactive effects, the full-spectrum CBD oil in TruBrain could potentially cause you to fail a drug test.)

Overall, the doses are okay, and TruBrain picked somewhat unconventional ranges of ingredients. Noopept (or N-phenylacetyl-L-prolylglycine ethyl ester), for example, is a strong, branded nootropic that may come with some more risks than others. Noopept appears to have neuroprotective and cognition-enhancing properties, but it belongs to the nootropic family of drugs known as 'racetams.'98 While there isn't much data on Noopept's safety, specifically, other racetams, like Piracetam, can lead to psychomotor agitation, dysphoria, tiredness, dizziness, forgetfulness, headaches, and digestive upset.99 So, until we know more about Noopept's safety, it may be best to assume that it, too, can lead to similar adverse effects.

There's also very little research supporting most of the mushrooms included in the Mushrooms flavor, despite not having any major known side effects.

Customers generally report that the flavors are pleasant, though there are a significant number of other ingredients added to make these drinks palatable. Overall, we think that TruBrain's unique form makes their drinks interesting and a good option for people who don't like taking pills, but they don't offer as much value on a supplemental level as something like Thesis, which has many similar customizable aspects, starter kits, and more advantageous formulas.

If you aren't crazy about the thought of drinking your nootropic, TruBrain has shifted its capsule offerings to encapsulate all seven formulas as TruBrain Capsules. Now, you can get one bottle of 30 servings in every formula for the same flat price, which varies depending on how you're ordering it.

You can get these drinks with both bulk (from 10 to 60 pouches per order) and subscription deals (10% off every delivery). Uniquely, you can also prepay and save up to a year in advance for 30% savings if you know you like them and will continue to drink these supplements through the subscription program. You can choose exactly how many of which flavors you want, which is a nice bonus.

If you live in the U.S., you can also try 10 drinks for $39 with free shipping, though you won't be able to pick and choose exactly how many of each flavor you'll get. Note, though, that it automatically signs you up for a 20-drink monthly subscription; if you don't cancel within two weeks, you'll be charged $59/month for a box of 20 TruBrain drinks.

The company also has a 'prepay and save' system on select other products that allows you to save up to 30% when you buy in bulk. Here's how it breaks down:

• 3-month supply: 10% off
• 6-month supply: 20% off
• 12-month supply: 30% off

Free shipping is available on orders over $55 (subscriptions don't automatically ship for free).

TruBrain's return policy is quite strict, and the company will only accept a return if you send back an unopened box within seven days of delivery ' not just the products themselves, but the container they're delivered in. You also won't be refunded the cost of shipping.

Other notable TruBrain products

In addition to their signature shots, TruBrain offers a handful of other products, some of which are nootropics. Here's some information on a couple of the more notable products:

Nootropics Depot

Best single-ingredient nootropics

If you're more interested in building your own mixture of nootropic ingredients instead of taking a pre-formulated pill, then Nootropics Depot is our recommendation. This manufacturer offers a vast marketplace of various single- or two-ingredient nootropics ' from ashwagandha and alpha-GPC to L-theanine, caffeine, and pretty much everything in between.

Generally, these supplements are well-dosed. For example, one of our picks from our Best Vitamins for Energy guide, Nootropics Depot's Caffeine + L-Theanine Capsules, combines caffeine and l-theanine in doses of 100mg and 200mg, respectively, which is very close to the 160mg and 200mg noted to be effective in a systematic review.82

With such a wide range of supplements, we'd spend far too long going over the price of each individual product. However, Nootropics Depot supplements are usually priced fairly middle-of-the-road or less than average; the prices range from about $10 to $60. There are no subscription options if you purchase directly, but the company also sells some products on Amazon, meaning you can subscribe there and save 5% on recurring orders (if you're a Prime member and the item you want is available).

If you're interested in testing out a couple of supplements, the company also offers sample packs of complementary products. For example, there's a mushroom extract pack and a traditional Chinese herbs pack, each with 15-count jars of their respective supplements.

Other popular nootropics

Our top nootropics are far from the only ones on the market. In this section, we'll go over some other popular picks that may stick out to you as an ideal choice for one reason or another.

Mind Lab Pro

Mind Lab Pro has the most successful self-funded study out of any nootropic on our list, displaying the best results after three months of taking Mind Lab Pro in the following areas:

• Simple choice and reaction time
• Anticipation (predicting the next step in a structure)
• Information processing (especially for people 30+)
• Immediate and direct recall (memory)

The supplement doesn't use any novel ingredients, and its components all boast research of their own that shows safety and efficacy. These include citicoline, lion's mane mushrooms, and Rhodiola rosea, among others. Notably, though, all but three ' the two B vitamins and lion's mane ' are underdosed compared to the supportive outside research. And the lion's mane is at the very low end of dosing. However, Mind Lab Pro's self-funded study showed positive results, so there may still be enough of these ingredients in the supplement to help you.

They also have one of the lowest allergen profiles of any nootropic, as their formula is:

• Gluten-free
• Soy-free
• Nut-free
• Synthetic additive-free
• Caffeine-free
• Non-irradiated
• Vegan-friendly

You can learn more about its ingredient profile and how it's changed over time in our full review.

Because Mind Lab Pro only offers one product, the pricing structure is simple:

• One Bottle: $69
• Two Bottles: $138
• Three Bottles (plus one free): $207

Shipping on three-bottle orders is free, but smaller orders incur a charge of $9.95 for standard (3- to 10-day) or $14.95 for expedited (2- to 4-day) shipping. Mind Lab Pro has also kept in mind that mail times have slowed substantially in the last few years, extending their delivery windows by a few days.

Their refund policy is confusing, depending on whether you just want a refund or want to use their money-back guarantee.

You can get a refund in full within 14 days of delivery, assuming you haven't opened the bottle. The company's money-back guarantee only applies to the first bottle in your first order, but you can claim a refund through this policy within 60 days, and you'll have to pay shipping both ways. This reduces your expected refund amount to about $40.

Onnit Alpha BRAIN

Onnit is a full-scale fitness brand offering everything from nutritional supplements to workout equipment. They have four Alpha BRAIN nootropic products that are caffeine-, dairy-, nut-, and gluten-free, as well as more than two dozen other supplements designed to optimize your health and wellness. We'll focus mostly on their flagship product, Alpha BRAIN capsules, which also come in a Black Label version (with clearer dosage information, albeit a dissimilar ingredient list), an Instant powder, and Focus Shots, which are premixed caffeine shots with other nootropic ingredients.

Alpha BRAIN has a decent ingredient list as far as nootropics go, with a big focus on boosting your acetylcholine levels as much as possible (which may lead to things like intense lucid dreaming and requires a strict cycling routine).57

However, most of these ingredients are hidden behind a few proprietary blends, meaning Onnit provides the measurement of blend per serving but not each individual ingredient. While it's used to keep competitors from copying an exact formula, it also keeps you from understanding what you're actually taking. Onnit does well with testing measures, but the lack of greater transparency is a disappointment for Alpha BRAIN's overall safety measures. Proprietary blends make it difficult to determine what side effects you'll be more likely to experience, if any. And while proprietary blends are sadly not uncommon in nootropics (and Alpha BRAIN isn't the worst offender, at least breaking down their blend into three separate smaller blends), it isn't something that gives us confidence.

Alpha BRAIN has been subjected to two scientific studies with mixed results, though they both found some evidence that Alpha BRAIN improves verbal memory scores. If you're looking to improve learning and memory overall with a special focus on being able to restate what you know and are able to track a cycling schedule, this might be a good option for you.

You can learn more about Alpha BRAIN and its specific ingredient breakdown in our full review.

Onnit Alpha BRAIN supplements come in various quantities, with larger orders offering higher savings. Here's a look at how the pricing works:

• 1-month supply: $69.91 ($52.43 with subscription; 25% off)
• 2-month supply: $114.90 ($80.43 with subscription; 30% off)
• 3-month supply: $159.90 ($103.94 with subscription; 35% off)

You can also get a 15% discount as a member of the military, first responder, or medical provider, though you'll need to verify your identity at checkout with an ID the first time you want to use this discount.

Shipping from Onnit is free on orders over $150. Otherwise, shipping varies depending on your location; our testers found it averaged between $7 and $11.

If you know where to look, you can also get a free trial of Alpha BRAIN. Onnit will give you a 30-count bottle of Alpha BRAIN for just the cost of shipping and sales tax, though it's slightly hidden on Alpha BRAIN's webpage. Onnit also features the second-best return policy in this guide, with an extra twist ' you have 90 days to return any bottles that are at least half-full for a full refund. If you ordered a 30-count bottle for your first purchase and didn't love it, Onnit will give you a full refund for the bottle without asking you to return it within that same 90-day window.

BrainMD

BrainMD offers both comprehensive nootropics like Brain & Body Power and more targeted combinations like Calm My Brain. The latter supplement provides only magnesium and ashwagandha, whereas Brain & Body Power boasts more than 40 ingredients. Generally speaking, products with shorter ingredient lists tend to be higher in quality ' with doses more in line with scientific research ' than products like Brain & Body Power that contain dozens of ingredients. The company's more targeted supplements tend to deliver higher doses of specific ingredients, and their more comprehensive offerings have relatively low doses of each component.

It can be difficult to know which of the company's vast array of products you should take, so they offer a short quiz about your lifestyle and cognitive performance. After the quiz, an algorithm will identify yours as one of 16 brain types. The site then lets you shop by your brain type to see only the supplements that would provide you with the biggest potential benefit. It's more comprehensive and less prescriptive than Thesis' quiz, which is better for people who want a more hands-on approach to their supplement journey.

BrainMD's prices vary widely depending on their ingredient lists (as do the products' potential efficacy). Subscribing is a good way to save, as you'll take 15% off your order, but the company's supplements are a bit expensive for what they offer. They aren't as high-priced as some other nootropics, like Qualia Mind, but they also don't generally have the same first-time saving discounts. Instead, you can bundle both subscription and bulk deals for extra savings.

Here's a look at a few of their most popular supplements:

Previously, all seven of these supplements were available as part of a free trial program. Now, they only offer Put Me To Sleep Naturally, Happy Saffron Plus, Brain & Body Power, Serotonin Mood Support, and Focus & Energy, but you can still try any one of them for free for up to 14 days. After that, BrainMD will automatically enroll you in a subscription program for that supplement at the products' standard cost.

Shipping with any subscription order is free, and non-subscription orders cost a flat $7.95 unless you order at least $75.

Hunter Focus

Hunter Focus is the nootropic component of Hunter's supplement system. Much like Onnit's range of products, the company's system includes Hunter Burn, a thermogenic fat burner, and Hunter Test, a natural testosterone booster.

Hunter Focus is a relatively straightforward supplement. It contains many of the most popular nootropic ingredients in relatively high doses. Here's a brief look at some of their most effective ingredients:

• Acetyl-L-Carnitine: 800mg
• L-Tyrosine: 500mg
• Lion's Mane: 500mg
• Bacopa: 300mg
• Ashwagandha: 300mg
• Citicoline: 300mg
• Maritime Pine Bark Extract: 75mg

All told, Hunter Focus contains 20 active ingredients that can directly or indirectly improve cognition, memory, and mood. This nootropic is very similar to Mind Lab Pro but contains more ingredients at slightly higher doses. Some of these ingredients are likely to bring positive benefits ' ashwagandha root and ginseng, for example ' while others are still on the newer side in research, such as Spanish sage. Hunter Focus contains 100mg of caffeine, so it's not a good option for people who want a stimulant-free nootropic. (100mg is about 20mg more than what you'll get in a cup of coffee and is very typical to find in nootropics that have caffeine.)

Between the two, we think Mind Lab Pro will be better for more people because some of Hunter Focus' ingredients may inadvertently cancel each other out or cause strange side effects. Combining ashwagandha and caffeine may cause a particularly complicated response, for example. However, there's nothing that stands out as harmful or otherwise strange in this supplement, so it is still a solid option.

Hunter Focus doesn't offer any subscriptions, but you can save a little bit by buying in bulk (though comparatively much less than other products that offer bulk savings). Here's how Hunter Focus' pricing works out:

• One bottle: $90
• Two bottles: $180
• Three bottles (plus one free): $270

You'll get free shipping as long as you buy two or more bottles at a time. Shipping for one bottle costs $7.95. Hunter has some of the widest-reaching international shipping options available with depots in London and Tennessee, and they can ship to all but 17 countries. If you don't like Hunter Focus, you can return your bottle, opened or unopened, within 30 days of delivery; just reach out to their customer service team with your name, , and order number and tell them you'd like to return your bottle of Hunter Focus (and why) to get the ball rolling.

Qualia Mind

Qualia Mind is the nootropic offering from a company called Qualia (formerly Neurohacker Collective). They make other supplements to support skin, sleep, energy levels, longevity, and vision. Qualia Mind is their standard nootropic blend with both common ingredients and some more unique choices. There are 27 different ingredients in Qualia Mind, so you'll have to take seven capsules to get a full serving.

These ingredients include:

It's also important to note that Qualia Mind is generally underdosed in these ingredients compared to clinical studies. You could make the argument that we don't know if the ingredients can all boost each other to sufficient efficacy, but we'd have to turn to the self-funded study on Qualia Mind to determine that. This study was thorough and clinically run, but after measuring six major cognitive performance aspects (executive function, attention and focus, inspiration, perceived stress, work engagement, and mindfulness) as well as self-reported sleep quality, immune health, productivity, and mood, researchers found that there was little difference between Qualia Mind and a placebo.

Generally, Qualia Mind isn't going to be the best option for someone who's just getting started with nootropics. If you don't mind taking a lot of pills and are looking for a generalized nootropic with focus- and attention-boosting potential but are sensitive to high ingredient doses, Qualia Mind may be a good fit for you.

Learn more about Qualia Mind's ingredients in depth in our full review.

Qualia offers steep sales on all products when you start a subscription program. You can save $100 by ordering Qualia Mind as a subscription once and then canceling your subscription rather than purchasing a single bottle one time.

Here's a closer look at Qualia's nootropic lineup:

The company used to offer free shipping on most orders but now charges either $7.98 for standard shipping (3-5 days) or $12.98 for priority shipping (2-3 days) only to a restricted list of English-speaking countries. Or, if you order from a third party, you're more likely to get a now-extinct product called Qualia Mind Essentials, which comes in smaller sizes and has a shorter ingredient list. For the greatest chance of effectiveness, we recommend purchasing from the Qualia website specifically.

Qualia has one of the longest money-back guarantees in its category, offering users 100 days to see if the product works (and you'll still get a refund if you open the bottle and test it). But a closer look reveals downsides here:

• The refund will only apply to your initial order or the most recent order within a subscription. You could start a subscription and ask for a refund on day 99, but you'll only get a refund for whatever was part of that last month's order.
• Your entire household will only be eligible once. This means you won't be able to access a refund if someone in your household happened to try Qualia Mind in the past and returned it.

Focus Factor Original

Focus Factor offers a wide range of relatively inexpensive nootropic products ' drinks, gummies, pills, and more ' mixed with ingredients like vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes. Though the brand's Original formula is available at an impressively low price for a nootropic, we no longer recommend this product due to the use of risky ingredients like vinpocetine (which is particularly harmful for those who are pregnant or nursing) and huperzine A (which can lead to acetylcholine toxicity).70 77

The proprietary blend of nootropics in Focus Factor Original is fairly small, at only 640mg total, but ingredients like huperzine A can pose significant risks at relatively low doses. On the plus side, the product is uncaffeinated and it does include a wide range of well-dosed vitamins and minerals. Though we aren't fans of the vinpocetine and huperzine A content ' and we recommend caution if you do decide to try Focus Factor Original ' this nootropic could be an option for those looking for a multivitamin with nootropic ingredients.

Focus Factor Original is available in bottles of 60, 90, and 180 tablets as a one-time purchase or a 'flexible plan' (subscription). Since each serving is four tablets, that means you can get either 15, 22.5, or 45 servings, respectively. Because of the strange half-serving situation with the 90-count bottle, it may be better to stick with either the 60- or 180-count options. Additionally, Focus Factor Original can be purchased as a single bottle, 3-pack, or a 6-pack, the latter two of which can reduce your cost per bottle. Here's how the pricing breaks down:

You can learn more about Focus Factor in our full review.

Alternatives to nootropics

Your brain is the control center of the rest of your body, but there's a two-way connection. What you eat, how you sleep, and hundreds of other small decisions influence how well your brain works. Not every factor is something you can control ' as much as we might like to, there's no stopping aging ' but there are still plenty of things you can control. Improving other areas of your health will also often improve your daily cognitive functioning.

Generally, we first recommend checking in on your daily habits. For instance, are you sleeping and eating enough? Are you getting time outside? Do you exercise? If you're otherwise healthy, making lifestyle changes can lead to improved cognition. Adding supplements like vitamins, minerals, and individual nootropic ingredients is also a good bet if you're struggling without an identifiable cause ' especially B and D vitamins, omega-3s, and ashwagandha. And if things don't get better with nootropics, lifestyle changes, and other vitamins, we encourage you to reach out to your doctor. There may be a more serious underlying cause, and they'll be able to point you in the right direction.

Other supplements

Many of the individual ingredients in nootropics can be purchased on their own as supplements, like ashwagandha, ginseng, vitamins, and minerals, if you're curious about how a particular supplement works but don't want to commit to the full ingredient roster (or price) of a nootropic supplement. However, there are a few other kinds of supplements that improve common complaints also addressed by nootropics.

For anxiety and depression

The best ingredients for anxiety and depression in a nootropic supplement are easy to find on their own. Ashwagandha and ginseng are likely to be your best bets, as they have some of the most reliable clinical backings for stress relief.

You may also find success with a GABA supplement, particularly if you struggle with anxiety. However, if you have low blood pressure, you shouldn't take a GABA supplement. GABA effectively lowers blood pressure, which is situationally great (high anxiety can raise blood pressure, even if you don't have hypertension), but it can be dangerous if your blood pressure is low at the outset. We think Thorne's PharmaGABA is the best GABA supplement on the market because of its high efficacy and flexibility. It comes in two doses: 100mg, which will be better for low-level anxiety, and 250mg, which will be better for more moderate anxiety and insomnia.

There aren't as many non-prescription options for depression as there are for anxiety, and most of them that do exist have some serious problems. 5-HTP, a precursor to serotonin, is one of the bigger names you'll see, but we hesitate to recommend it because 5-HTP can be toxic, causing serotonin syndrome in high doses. Most studies seem to agree that 5-HTP can alleviate depression symptoms, but these studies are also small.

If you're struggling with depression, don't be afraid to reach out to your primary care provider. Most general practitioners will write prescriptions for common SSRI antidepressants like Zoloft, Prozac, and Celexa, so you don't have to wait for a psychiatrist appointment.

Lifestyle changes

We know: this is the last thing you want to hear. But it's always worth re-examining your daily routine to find ways you can naturally improve factors that impact cognition. These steps may make a bigger difference for some people than others ' it may be more practical to fix your sleep cycle as a college junior than as a new parent ' but it's always going to be faster, safer, and generally better to try making lifestyle changes first.

See a doctor

Whether you're struggling with mild depression or the signs of early dementia, nootropics might help, but they aren't a cure. We always recommend talking to a doctor before trying any supplements, especially nootropics, as there may be an underlying cause for your brain fog that needs to be professionally treated.

Depending on your experiences, you may be given:

• Stimulants like Adderall or Ritalin
• Dopaminergic medications like L-dopa
• Antidepressants like Paxil
• Anti-anxiety medications like Xanax
• Sleep medications like Ambien

It can be difficult to identify the root cause of cognitive issues because it's a symptom of hundreds of different conditions, so checking in with a medical professional might help you catch something like hypothyroidism or anemia or, more seriously, something like MS or early-onset Alzheimer's. You could also be experiencing a vitamin B12 deficiency, depression, or long COVID. A doctor will be able to look at your particular cognitive struggles and give you tests to identify the specific underlying problem. (Again, a nootropic supplement cannot, and will not ever, give a diagnosis, nor will it cure or prevent medical concerns.)

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Citicoline Sodium Powder. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.