Should You Be Taking Nootropics for a Brain Boost?

Ask Keri: Do nootropics really work to boost mental health and performance? Keri says: Nootropics are substances that are said to give your brain a boost in ways that may improve focus, creativity, memory, alertness, and even intelligence. They’re suddenly everywhere, and they’re super popular. While some of the substances have been associated with specific results via scientific research, others are promoted for benefits that are largely unproven. The truth is: it’s a really tricky category to evaluate because it encompasses a really wide, often unregulated range of substances—from naturally occurring antioxidants to amino acids to prescription drugs—and people take them in a million combinations that haven’t been tested. Here’s what you need to know. What Are Nootropics and Who’s Taking them? The term nootropic refers to any substance that changes your brain functioning in a way that provides a benefit. Something as prevalent as caffeine, then, is considered a nootropic, as is l-theanine, a compound in green tea. Herbs like ginkgo biloba qualify, so do adaptogens like ashwagandha. There are synthetic nootropics like noopept, piracetim, and phenotropil, and drugs like Ritalin and Adderall are also in the mix. Nootropic enthusiasts, many of whom are Silicon Valley biohackers like Bulletproof founder Dave Asprey, take various combinations of nootropics to increase their performance at work, experimenting with which tighten focus, keep them awake and alert during long meetings, or get creative juices flowing. The process of combining them into different mixes is called stacking, and now, companies have started taking those different mixes and selling them as nootropic cocktails (in supplement form). HVMN makes a few different supplements, like Sprint, that promises to put you in “the ideal mental flow state to get the job done.” TruBrain makes nootropic shots you order in monthly packs that “upgrade working memory” and […]

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