Nootropics

Slims

Well-known member
Hey, I'm looking for a good nootropic/mental supplement to improve my every day life, focus, memory, cognition etc. Preferrably something I can take every day and/or have a build up effect and is low stim/caffeine free.

Thank you
 
I use to use phenibut (I guess mainly for stress relief which increased the things you mentioned) and I liked it but there are a lot of new products out that can aid in this area.
 
Resolve10 said:
SNS Focus XT (they also have a caffeine free version) or Controlled Labs Orange Brainwash (low caffeine and pretty strong Theanine content so it’s not super stimulating outside from the strong mental boosts).

I’d maybe start they to get a feel of how these kind of things work and feel, unless you want to work with individual ingredients.
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I'd rather go with a fully dosed product than individual ingredients. Thank you for the caffeine free Focus XT recommendation. Does anyone know, or can anybody disclose, the amount of Alpha GPC in the Choline Complex?
 
Man Sports BrainBridge
Glaxon Labs Adrinall

those are two fully dosed products that I use in my daily nootropic rotation.
 
Resolve10 said:
SNS Focus XT (they also have a caffeine free version) or Controlled Labs Orange Brainwash (low caffeine and pretty strong Theanine content so it’s not super stimulating outside from the strong mental boosts).

I’d maybe start they to get a feel of how these kind of things work and feel, unless you want to work with individual ingredients.
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Seconded caffeine-free Focus XT if you don’t want much/any caffeine. Ironically, it’s almost harder to find a good comprehensive nootropic supplement that doesn’t have at least a moderate amount of caffeine.
 
Also, since you mentioned you want a buildup of effects, something to use daily, if you do end up going with caffeine free Focus XT, I’d add some Bacognize Bacopa extract. Bacopa is great for memory, but really needs to be taken daily for weeks to work. And a lot of products discussed ITT underdose their Bacopa; you want 300mg/day of a quality extract like Bacognize or Synapsa. It’s only like $6/month, and 1 capsule/day, so it’s a cheap and easy enough addition IMO.
 
Also, again, if you want something that’s best with repeated use, you may want to consider adding piracetam to your choline. Some human research shows acute benefits, but another study noted improved learning at 14 days, but not 7. And rodent research also suggests there’s synergy between Piracetam and choline, and that repeated/regular use is superior to acute use.
 
Aterall ER
Evomuse Clear Edge
Focus XT
Nootropimax

Clear Edge or caffeine free Focus XT would be my top two if you wanted to avoid caffeine
 
determination said:
Aterall ER
Evomuse Clear Edge
Focus XT
Nootropimax

Clear Edge or caffeine free Focus XT would be my top two if you wanted to avoid caffeine
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Solid list. I've actually had success using half-doses of NootropiMax and Clear Edge together when I want a more moderate amount of caffeine (so 1 cap NootropiMax and 2 caps of Clear Edge), but still full-optimal benefits.
 
muscleupcrohn said:
Also, again, if you want something that’s best with repeated use, you may want to consider adding piracetam to your choline. Some human research shows acute benefits, but another study noted improved learning at 14 days, but not 7. And rodent research also suggests there’s synergy between Piracetam and choline, and that repeated/regular use is superior to acute use.
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ergo-log just published a summary of a study where several brands were tested for actual content. While the study was clearly skewed towards discouraging use of supplements, big boys and girls can use this information to make informed decisions.


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StatePlan1425 said:
ergo-log just published a summary of a study where several brands were tested for actual content. While the study was clearly skewed towards discouraging use of supplements, big boys and girls can use this information to make informed decisions.


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I've never seen a multi-ingredient product dose piracetam properly (considering you probably want at least 2.4g, unless you're taking it with a solid dose of choline), so, considering you'd be buying it as a standalone ingredient, opt to buy it from a place that has COAs and test results available. Problem solved?
 
And it looks like 3/4 products there were within 20% of the listed piracetam content, with the fourth apparently not having any? But I've never even heard of that brand, so I'd stay away from them anyway.
 
muscleupcrohn said:
And it looks like 3/4 products there were within 20% of the listed piracetam content, with the fourth apparently not having any? But I've never even heard of that brand, so I'd stay away from them anyway.
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Agreed. To be clear, I posted this as supportive of your recommendations. I find it ironic that the study actually named the brands. If they really wanted to scare people they should have blinded the names and go with “hey, 25% chance you get nothing!” ;-)
 
jameschoi said:
Don't buy the snake oil?
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Yeah, that article really oversimplifies things. Some ingredients suck, some don’t. Bacopa, for example, has multiple studies showing improved memory in healthy young subjects. Tyrosine has shown benefits in studies too. And Rhodiola, ashwagandha, sceletium, CDP choline, sage, etc.
 
Resolve10 said:
That article is pretty poor, sure maybe those particular things won’t help but Crohn already pointed out some ingredients with actual studies. You just have to be aware of the correct doses to look for. 🤷‍♂️
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This. Anyone who says there’s NO evidence for supplements enhancing memory is either being ignorant or disingenuous. You can decide which one the author of that article is haha.
 
From the article:

“Still, this doesn't mean that the brain supplements may not work," says Dr. Marshall. "It's just that there is not much, if any, evidence from randomized clinical trials — the gold standard for research — on isolated vitamins or minerals and brain health."”

None of us ITT are talking about vitamins and minerals when we talk about nootropics.
 
jameschoi said:
Don't buy the snake oil?
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I love how they used one large Ginko study to discredit the supplement BUT if we had one large study showing benefits the rhetoric would be,"Well more research is needed." The FDA needs to test effectiveness about as much as it does what processed food tastes good. If a supp sucks people never but it again just like a food that tastes like chit. The FDA can police safety all day and allow us the consumer to decide if we like something.
 
BCseacow83 said:
I love how they used one large Ginko study to discredit the supplement BUT if we had one large study showing benefits the rhetoric would be,"Well more research is needed." The FDA needs to test effectiveness about as much as it does what processed food tastes good. If a supp sucks people never but it again just like a food that tastes like chit. The FDA can police safety all day and allow us the consumer to decide if we like something.
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Not to mention that the GEM Ginkgo study they referenced only found that ginkgo didn't slow/reduce the development of Dementia/Alzheimer's; that in no way suggests it is useless for improving memory period.

But that study was from 2006, and a more recent meta-analysis (from 2016) suggests it may actually help:

Taking a 240-mg daily dose of Ginkgo biloba extract is effective in the treatment of dementia. Ginkgo biloba extract is therefore useful in improving the symptoms of dementia, as found in previous reports of meta-analyses. The evidence for efficacy and safety found in the present meta-analysis of the effects of Ginkgo biloba extract contributes to knowledge of the treatment of dementia.
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And another one:
The interests of the public and the medical profession in the use of GBEs for MCI and dementia have grown considerably in recent years. Our analysis supports the efficacy of GBEs for MCI and dementia of both the Alzheimer type and the vascular type of dementia, and of mixed dementias. In addition, GBEs are generally safe.
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And there are several studies showing benefits in healthy/normal subjects too, so the author of that article clearly just picked out one study to support their view, and also confuses improving memory with slowing the progression of Dementia/Alzheimer's, when they're not inherently the same thing. But they're perhaps not even right about that haha.
 
The more I read it, the more that entire article is nonsensical, and contradictory.

The ending of the article:
So the question remains: with no evidence, why do people still buy in to brain health supplements? "The idea still exists that it's easier to take a pill than to make lasting lifestyle changes," says Dr. Marshall.

Until more is known, Dr. Marshall's advice is to save your money. "Invest more in doing aerobic exercise and following a plant-based diet. These can help with memory and brain health in the long term more than any supplement."
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But earlier it says:
There's strong evidence that certain diets — like the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet, and the MIND diet — can help improve cognitive function, according to Dr. Marshall.
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Thing is, the Mediterranean, DASH, and MIND diets are NOT plant-based. They include fish, poultry, and lean meats. Plants are a key part of the diets, but they're not "plant-based," which almost always means vegetarian/vegan.
 
jameschoi said:
Don't buy the snake oil?
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Oh my God; that entire site has an insane vendetta against dietary supplements. Here's a gem about creatine:

I think there's little, if any, evidence that creatine supplements could help you build or maintain muscle strength at your age, and, because of the lack of regulation of supplements, there is some potential for harm. I wish there were more solid information, but there isn't. For now, to be on the safe side, I'd advise against taking creatine.
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Of course, research and actual science disagrees with that, but, like most of the views on the site, they're a decade or two behind the ball at best:

Accumulating evidence indicates that creatine supplementation, with and without resistance training, has possible anti-sarcopenic and anti-dynapenic effects. Specifically, creatine supplementation increases aging muscle mass and strength (upper- and lower-body), possibly by influencing high-energy phosphate metabolism, muscle protein kinetics and growth factors. Creatine supplementation has shown potential to enhance bone mineral in some but not all studies, and seems to affect the activation of cells involved in both bone formation and resorption. Creatine has the potential to decrease the risk of falls experienced by aging adults which would subsequently reduce the risk of fracture. Finally, preliminary evidence suggests that creatine may have anti-inflammatory effects during times of elevated metabolic stress, such as during extended/intense aerobic exercise. Creatine does not appear to reduce indicators of inflammation during resistance training. Although research is limited, creatine supplementation does not appear to negatively affect markers of liver or kidney function in aging adults.
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Creatine is an inexpensive and safe dietary supplement that has both peripheral and central effects. The benefits afforded to older adults through creatine ingestion are substantial, can improve quality of life, and ultimately may reduce the disease burden associated with sarcopenia and cognitive dysfunction.
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These data indicate that creatine supplementation without associated training in the elderly could potentially delay atrophy of muscle mass, improve endurance and strength, and increase bone strength, and thus may be a safe therapeutic strategy to help decrease loss in functional performance of everyday tasks.
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In summary, creatine supplementation increases lean tissue mass and upper and lower body muscular strength during resistance training of older adults
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From that same article:

In my judgment, there is currently no convincing evidence of adverse effects from doses that the manufacturers recommend, which are typically 2 to 3 grams per day. However, there are very few studies of sufficient size and duration to be confident about this. Note also that the FDA does not regulate the manufacturing of supplements as it does prescription drugs. So even if the creatine itself is fine, the other substances used to create a tablet or capsule could contain impurities.
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Yeah, I'm sure the ingredients they're making tablets and capsules out of contain impurities that are going to make creatine use unsafe. Clearly no agenda or bias here, right?
 
Focus XT (caffeine version or caffeine free, depending on preferences) + Stress & Anxiety Support makes for a great combo.
 
Slims said:
Hey, I'm looking for a good nootropic/mental supplement to improve my every day life, focus, memory, cognition etc. Preferrably something I can take every day and/or have a build up effect and is low stim/caffeine free.

Thank you
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What'd you decide on OP?
 
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