Learn about brain health and nootropics to boost brain function
Nootropics: How Do Brain Pills Work To Enhance and Simplify Your Life?
How Do Brain Pills Work
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What are brain pills and how do brain pills work? When people speak of brain pills in most cases they are speaking about Nootropic pills.
Nootropics have been proven to measurably increase cognitive abilities when used in most people. In almost all cases Nootropics are synthetic chemicals produced in laboratories.
They are usually not naturally occurring vitamins or minerals and almost never essential to the body’s normal function. That will be an important distinction as we move forward and learn more. For that reason, It is highly unlikely a person would suffer adverse effects from discontinued use of Nootropics.
So, what are brain pills? How do brain boosting pills work? Nootropic drugs are nothing new and have been used for centuries. Cognitive enhancement supplements have been around for a long time and were used as ancient medicine for as long as 5,000 years ago.
Caffeine was the most popular of the ancient Nootropic smart drugs and is still commonly used today. Millions of people, including me, still begin their day with a cup of coffee.
There is a wide spectrum of Nootropics smart drugs available today that claim to produce a variety of different beneficial effects. Unfortunately, it will require trial and error to find a combination to achieve cognitive enhancements for each individual.
Some of the more common uses for Nootropic smart drugs cognitive enhancements include for many hours of studying, for increased mental sharpness, for recovery after a long night of partying and so on . . .
How Do Brain Pills Work?
There seems to be no consensus on what effects classify a drug as a Nootropic Smart Drug. Almost everyone agrees a Nootropic Smart Drug should possess a few basic characteristics.
- Most of all they should enhance cognitive abilities.
- They should have little to no side effect when used as directed.
These requirements may seem broad, simple and vague but they can also be tricky as Nootropic Smart Drugs affect everyone differently. The common effects of a particular Nootropic Smart Drugs are called the “working mechanisms”. This refers to the desired effect.
Just be aware a Nootropic Smart Drug may greatly affect one user and have little to no effect on another using the same dosage. With most Nootropics, the “working mechanisms” are only a strong speculation and can be subjective.
With that said many people swear by the effects and believe the use of these brain pills as a safe way to improve your mental function. Even The U.S. Army Has Calculated How Much Caffeine We Really Need to improve mental function.
What users find intriguing about Nootropic brain pills is everyone reacts differently to each variety. The working mechanism sometimes isn’t 100% agreed upon, but after observing empirical evidence over, and over, and over again, we can come to some pretty consistent conclusions about their effects.
This is common in all drugs. They affect users differently. Trial and error is key to achieving your desired effects. Luckily the effects of Nootropic brain pills are fairly mild and the error portion of “trial and error” will be disappointment or annoyance at most.
Nootropic brain pills are meant to take the users “base level” of cognitive performance and bring it up a few notches. That’s all, no superhuman improvements. Sorry! LOL.
They are said to have the ability to take a person from 100% of cognitive performance to about 110% for a limited period of time. When you think about it that is all a person needs to show vast improvements in their best efforts.
The effects of Nootropic brain pills are subtle but noticeable without the user feeling overstimulated. The transitions up and down are noticeable but very subtle and smooth.
Some users report a tingling feeling as they went from enhanced cognitive abilities back to their baseline mental state. What are brain pills and how do brain pills work? Can they give you the edge, creativity and enhanced cognitive ability you need to secure an edge over your competition? Maybe!
I know, this explanation is somewhat vague and only has piqued your curiosity so far (I hope) but there is more. Let’s look more closely to see how do brain pills work.
The Different Types Of Nootropic Brain Enhancing Pills
Nootropic brain pills are usually categorized in a few groups. Let’s look at the popular Nootropic supplements and the categories they may fall in.
Ampakines Group is the most powerful classification of nootropic supplements. The two most popular ampakines are Sunifiram and Unifiram, but other Nootropics are considered to be hybrid ampakines.
The commonly accepted mechanism of action is an improvement in concentration, attention span, a better comprehension of new information, improved reasoning skills and give you a more powerful memory. Learn More . . .
Racetams Group includes Aniracetam, Coluracetam, Fasoracetam, Oxiracetam, Phenylpiracetam, Pramiracetam, and a few others. There is no commonly accepted mechanism of action for racetams. They generally affect the central nervous system receptors and also modulation of central neurotransmitters. Learn more . . .
Choline Group (usually paired with racetams) includes CDP Choline (Citicoline), Choline Bitartrate and a few other blends. The commonly accepted mechanism of action Choline and it’s different forms can improve memory, provide mental energy / enhanced memory, and is a powerful neuroprotective agent. Some choline sources can even increase human growth hormone secretion as well as power output. Learn More . . .
Natural Group includes these popular nootropics. The commonly accepted mechanism of action of Natural nootropics vary greatly, by and large, they boost brain functions while making it healthier with no side effect. That is a tall order. Learn More . . .
Vitamin B & Vitamin B Derivatives Group. The commonly accepted mechanism of action for Vitamin B & Vitamin B Derivatives are their collective effects to numerous aspects of brain function including but not limited to energy production, DNA/RNA synthesis/repair, genomic and non-genomic methylation, and the synthesis of numerous neurochemicals and signaling molecules. Learn More . . .
Peptides Group Like with all nootropics Peptides can affect each person differently. The commonly accepted mechanism is enhanced memory as well as overall cognitive abilities and brain problems. Learn More . . .
Are Nootropic Brain Pills For You?
I can say it enough nootropic brain pills affect everyone differently. That is common with any drug or frankly anything that is to react with the body and mind.
How do brain pills work? very differently with every individual. Every nootropic brain pill has a commonly accepted mechanism of action and that is where you should begin your journey to enhancement.
Here is what I found to be some of the most popular nootropic brain pills in use today:
Adrafinil Powder & Capsules – Adrafinil for alertness, wakefulness, focus, and concentration. Adrafinil is a precursor to modafinil, the body converts the adrafinil to modafinil; also are often discussed together for this reason. Adrafinil is a mild stimulant designed to fight off sleepiness and fatigue. Adrafinil is banned by the world doping association.
Alpha GPC 50% Capsules & Powder – Alpha GPC is converted in the body to acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter responsible for learning and memory. Also known as Withania Somnifera, there are many benefits of Ashwagandha, it is an adaptogen (an herb that helps the body deal with physical and chemical processes associated with stress and anxiety).
It has been studied and shown to reduced Cortisol (a chemical released in the brain as a response to stress) in the brain (another reference, in pdf). There have been several studies showing that Ashwagandha can reduce anxiety (reference, and ref).
In several studies, Ashwagandha was shown to increase power output (ref). Derived only from the roots of the plant, KSM-66® Ashwagandha is standardized to the highest percentage of with anolides in the world, 5% by HPLC. KSM-66® Ashwagandha operates on a systemic level
Aniracetam Capsules & Powder – Aniracetam is a nootropic drug that can help promote increased learning and enhance cognitive abilities. The benefits of aniracetam are manifold. First, it can promote synaptic formation in the brain (required for memory and learning). Also, aniracetam enhances neuroprotection and neuroplasticity.
Young adults with anxiety, depression or sleep irregularities can utilize aniracetam as can healthy individuals desiring enhanced cognitive abilities.
Bacopa Monnieri Capsules – Bacopa Monnieri Extract for enhanced memory, focus and attention. Bacopa has been noted to reduce anxiety and depression and increased overall cognitive performance. Also known as Brahmi, there are many benefits of Bacopa Monnieri (“Bacopa”), it is no wonder that Bacopa is contained in many popular nootropic stacks.
Bacopa was studied and shown to improve memory in older adults (ref). In addition to improving memory, Bacopa was studied and has been noted to reduce anxiety and depression and increased overall cognitive performance.
In randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover human trial, administration of a proprietary extract of Bacopa monnieri (Bacognize, 300mg/day) to medical students significantly improved several parameters of the cognitive function, including memory, focus, and attention. Kumar et al. Effects of Bacopa monnieri (Bacognize) on memory in medical students.
Ashwagandha Powder & Capsules – Ashwagandha Extract for enhanced mood and reduction of stress. Also known as Withania Somnifera, there are many benefits of Ashwagandha, it is an adaptogen (an herb that helps the body deal with physical and chemical processes associated with stress and anxiety).
It has been studied and shown to reduced Cortisol (a chemical released in the brain as a response to stress) in the brain (another reference, in pdf). There have been several studies showing that Ashwagandha can reduce anxiety (reference, and ref). In several studies, Ashwagandha was shown to increase power output (ref). Derived only from the roots of the plant, KSM-66® Ashwagandha is standardized to the highest percentage of withanolides in the world, 5% by HPLC. KSM-66® Ashwagandha operates on a systemic level
Noopept Powder, Capsules, & Sublingual Solution – The benefits of noopept are not fully studied in humans, but animals show tremendous promise. Noopept is incredibly fast-acting compared with similar smart drugs like piracetam. It can cross the blood-brain barrier well and is considered even faster than potent racetams like aniracetam and oxiracetam.
Optimal Choline Complex – There are many benefits of the Optimal Choline Complex that go beyond acetylcholine synthesis. While the two main ingredients, CDP choline, and alpha GPC choline, provide adequate acetylcholine support, there are other advantages of using these prodrugs.
CDP choline (aka citicholine) is known to improve focus and attention in students with learning disabilities or ADD. For people that do not consume enough eggs or organ meats, CDP choline and alpha GPC choline both prevent memory impairment and neurological degradation common in Alzheimer’s patients and those with senile dementia.
Oxiracetam Capsules & Powder – Oxiracetam has many beneficial properties that can improve memory and learn within certain individuals. Numerous studies have shown oxiracetam to prevent damage to the brain from injury or natural neuro degradation. For example, a study on post-concussion syndrome showed that oxiracetam was more effective than piracetam in preventing memory loss.
Phenylpiracetam Powder & Capsules – Phenylpiracetam was developed in 1983 and has shown great promise as it is a more powerful analog to the well-known piracetam. There are two primary benefits of phenylpiracetam.
The first are those benefits of piracetam like enhanced learning and memory in short-term tests. Experiments also show that phenylpiracetam can help to protect against neurological degradation, which is useful for those with trauma (like stroke patients) or age-related neuronal loss.
Conclusion
How do brain pills work? There are speculation and even promising studies but no one really knows. If you are interested in giving Nootropic Smart Drugs a try Pure Nootropics, Nootropics.com and BULLETPROOF have great selections at great prices. They also offer great educational information.
If your experiments with Nootropic supplements lead to enhance supper human abilities or just a slight edge at work or play comment below. I hope you never have to ask the question how do brain pills work ever again.
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