One of the most popular supplement categories today are focused on brain and memory health. These kinds of supplements are called nootropics, and they seek to improve memory, focus, mental energy, and problem-solving skills. For that reason, these cognitive enhancers called nootropics or smart drugs are on the rise. But the real questions here are, do nootropics work? And are they safe?
Throughout the years, college students hoping to get better grades on their exams, business professionals with a hectic schedule, little sleep and high stress daily activity striving to finish projects on time or looking to get a promotion, older adults concerned about their ability to remember things in their daily routine and fearing dementia, and for those that didn’t know any better, have thought that the idea of popping a pill that boosts their brainpower on a regular basis was pretty appealing idea. However those that used synthetic nootropic are slowly and surely paying the price.
Nootropics are any natural or synthetic substances that may have a positive impact on mental skills. In general, nootropics fall into three general categories: dietary supplements, synthetic compounds, and prescription drugs.
Synthetic compounds always have the same end result, they improve one face of your issues while in the long run damaging the rest of the body. Those that care for their health and strive to have a good quality of life should keep away from any synthetic products.
Prescription drugs are always the decision of your doctor, depending on the medical issue that is plaguing your body and mind. The use of any prescribed or not supplement or drug should always be consulted with your physician to determine the safety factor in their use.
Dietary supplements used on a regular basis will improve your health condition without causing future unnecessary damage. While some doctors are skeptical and say that there’s “no strong evidence that any of the supplements now being sold for their supposed memory-boosting powers are helpful nor is there proof that they work.” Other doctors say that they “don’t think nootropics will give you superhuman mental abilities, but they do have the potential to offer some people an edge.”
Keeping in mind that doctors in the 50’s supported cigarette smoking, finding it safe for anyone to enjoy and the fact that in eight to ten years of schooling, a doctor only gets eight hours of nutrition, I would take their resistance against supplements with a grain of salt.
An example of nootropics are supplements that contain herbs, amino acids and other vitamins such as CDP-choline, L-theanine creatine monohydrate, Bacopa monnieri, and huperzine A.
L-theanine: This supplement seems to enhance the mental effects of caffeine and counteract caffeine-induced jitteriness, doctors say. Research has shown that combining caffeine and L-theanine may help you multitask better. The safest way to get this combo is by drinking pure green tea, which contains both caffeine and L-theanine. Certain doctors say that it’s also OK to combine your usual coffee or tea with an L-theanine supplement.
It’s important not to take caffeine in pill or power form, as it’s too easy to overdo it. Caffeine, in excess, can be toxic, causing a racing heartbeat and even leading to seizures or death. Just 1 teaspoon of pure caffeine powder could have as much caffeine as you’d get from 28 cups of coffee. The FDA, which has cracked down on makers of pure and highly concentrated caffeine products, notes that the difference between a safe amount and a toxic amount is exceedingly small.
CDP-choline: Often prescribed in Europe as a drug, CDP-choline has been shown to help memory — at least in people who have dementia caused by vascular problems in the brain. Doctors say that there are no known side effects, so it’s generally considered safe to try.
Creatine monohydrate: Frequently found in body-building supplements, creatine helps build muscle mass. But studies have also found that it may improve reasoning skills and short-term memory in healthy people. It was also found that it increases levels of a molecule called ATP, which leads to more cellular energy.
Bacopa Monnieri : A traditional Indian (ayurvedic) herb, Bacopa monnieri — also known as brahmi — has been suggested by some to help the brain processes information faster and cause the branches of nerve cells (dendrites) to grow.
It’s important to cycle all your supplements. Take nootropics for a period of five days and then stop for a day or two, then back on the five-day cycle. Proper sleep and proper nutrition will allow for quicker results as well as an increase in the positive results of nootropics.
If you’re considering trying nootropic supplements, you should talk it over with your doctor first. As with all supplements, you’ll want your doctor to let you know about any health risks, like effects on any conditions you have or medications you take.
When you first start taking nootropics, there are several things that might occur. 1. Sometimes you’ll feel like nothing is happening. Then, when you quit taking them, you will immediately notice their absence. This is because with the aid of natural nootropics your brain works better, however the feeling feels so natural that it’s hard to notice unless you have a very high degree of self-awareness.
2. Sometimes you’ll feel a great mental boost as soon as you take the nootropics. What you need to be careful of is that nootropics will enhance your natural feelings, emotions and reactions and that can be a good thing or a bad thing. So if you’re quick tempered, nootropics could make you quicker tempered. If you are emotional nootropics may make you more so.
3. After being on nootropics for a long period of time the ability to remember things as well as better multitasking will feel so natural that many people make the mistake of stop taking them. Once you stop taking the nootropic you will immediately feel the difference.
Being aware of the possible results of using any supplement can be helpful to be able to recognize the side effect and help you adjust how much of it to take to your benefit. Abuse of nootropics can bring about negative effects such as depression, irritability, hopelessness, etc. so it’s very important that nootropics be taken as directed and not excessively. Any supplement or medication if taken incorrectly will cause damage. As an example, one aspirin may get rid of your headache, however the whole bottle could kill you.
It also particularly important to check the purity of your nootropics. There are some companies promoting pre-made nootropic stacks that contain ingredients like blue agave (fructose!), food coloring – and other foreign substances. Always read the ingredient labels of any product of packaged food!
© Copyright – Hector Sectzer
