Nootropics Are a Trendy Wellness Category That Promises to Boost Productivity and Focus

They can also supposedly enhance alertness and help with stress management. Sakara Nootropic Chocolates, $45, available here . Photo: Courtesy of Sakara The wellness industry’s latest obsession isn’t a soothing, crystal-infused facial or a calming CBD gummy — but actually quite the opposite: Meet nootropics, a somewhat vaguely defined category of supplements created to increase cognitive function, boost energy, enhance alertness and help manage stress. During a time when most of us are always plugged in and logged on, when the notion of work/life balance is especially elusive and when the " cult of busyness " seems ever-present, the appeal of these energizing, mind-sharpening products is obvious. "Nootropics are supplements which enhance your brain’s performance output and have the potential to improve memory, focus and in turn, productivity," says Jules Miller, the founder of The Nue Co. , a supplement brand which recently launched Nootro-Focus , its own nootropic supplement. Unknowingly, plenty of people already rely on the most common, well-researched substances that fall into the category of nootropics on a daily basis — a morning cup of coffee, for example. "Currently the only scientifically proven nootropics are caffeine, nicotine, amphetamine (Adderall), methylphenidate (Ritalin) and eurogenics (wakefulness promoting drugs used for narcolepsy)," explains nutritionist Gabriela Peacock . Those substances may not seem exactly in line with the natural-obsessed wellness industry, and that’s where the latest crop of alternatives to them — from brands like Plant People, Sakara and Goop — comes in. The new nootropics are, for many in the wellness realm, more appealing than chugging coffee or taking stimulants, which Peacock notes, "are fast-acting, but as we all know, can also come with side effects." They rely on herbs like schisandra, eleuthero and goji berriesbacopa, rhodiola, L-theanine and lion’s mane — many of which are also sometimes referred […]

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