Nootropics: The Newest Trend in Brain Health

What are Nootropics?

Simply put, Nootropics are brain health boosters. Often labeled for their specific benefits, from memory recall and attention span to mood stability and stress relief, they all still fall under the buzzy catchphrase of ‘Nootropics’.

The word stems from the Greek ‘nous’ and ‘trepein’ to become a literal translation of ‘mind turning’.1 Our minds certainly do turn, working through problems, situations, and emotions, sometimes all at once.

Lucky for us, Nootropics are the supplements that welcome that work and make it easier.

Why they're so popular

Nootropics are defined as any substance enhancing cognitive function but typically refer to executive functions, like memory, alertness, and stress management. We are all familiar with stimulant Nootropics: caffeine, nicotine, and sugar, as well as the pharmaceuticals Adderall and Ritalin.

These substances can, unfortunately, pose significant hazards to short and long-term health.

Today’s Nootropics are more ‘bioscience meets holistic health’. By isolating active, beneficial compounds of little risk, the option to try something Noo is gaining popularity as the better choice.1

How do they work?

Cognitive improvement can seem like a worthy but vague accomplishment, so how does it work and what exactly is happening? Let’s discuss the most sought after and well-researched Nootropics below:

1. Neuro-protective agents

Beyond increasing mental performance, brain health longevity is important to reduce the risk of cognitive decline.2 Staying mentally sharp means maintaining blood flow to surrounding areas of the brain and increasing neural activity.3

Certain disease states become onset with age and with no known cures, these supplements are topping lists as the best prevention.4

B Vitamins are a common inclusion for multivitamins, but deserve standout credit for their effects on brain health. They are known to maintain optimal levels of circulating neurotransmitters like glutamate, GABA, and acetylcholine.

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Neurotransmitters are the chemicals that jump across brain synapses relaying messages between nerve fibers. More neurotransmitters means faster messages sent and received, reducing brain fog, easing anxiety, and improving concentration.5

DMAE is another naturally occurring compound believed to positively enhance mood, memory, and overall brain function. It is bountiful in fatty fish oils and produced within the body in lesser amounts.

Studies show it is an effective brain and memory booster due to its phospholipid content that rapidly builds cell membranes. Found throughout all parts of the body, phospholipids are most concentrated in the brain’s cerebral cortex and necessary to maintain areas of concentration, language, and communication. Protecting against mental decline involves abundant neurotransmitters, but equally a well-structured matrix for them to thrive within.6

2. Adaptogens for stress response

Adaptogens refer to any compound that facilitates natural relaxation and equilibrium under stress.

Nootropics are an excellent form of adaptogens, as stress affects so many bodily systems, from the brain and its messaging to the nervous system, or the adrenal glands and their impact on hormone production. Maintaining a balanced stress response can impact whole-body health and what better place to reign it in than the brain.7

L-Theanine is an organically occurring amino acid found in green tea and matcha powder. It’s long been known to impart mental and physical calming effects that improve sleep quality, but theanine’s succinct role in brain chemistry is now becoming more understood.

By binding to excitatory receptors and increasing the production of inhibitory neurotransmitters, theanine effectively switches an overactive, anxious mindset to the off position and relays that message downward.8

Antioxidant compound ALA is a fatty acid able to cross the blood-brain barrier. Although production declines with age, its presence remains essential throughout life.

This do-it-all adaptogen boosts the production of neurotransmitters in the brain, regenerates depleted antioxidants, and rids tissues of heavy metal build up.

While still just some of its many offerings, these few tasks are a revival for sluggish cellular brain chemistry and impart an amazing mood-lifting benefit.5

3. Mental processing boosters

Multi-tasking is something we all strive to be great at, but science tells us that no one really is.9 Regardless, we try to utilize this skill every day.

Mental processing refers to organizing information taken in, as well as recalling stored information. Nootropics that increase neurotransmitter presence in the brain and improve the ability to increase focus both fall under mental processing boosters, AKA multitasking fuel.10

Choline is a dietary element and the precursor to acetylcholine, an essential neurotransmitter for memory function.11 VitaCholine is a choline salt engineered for maximum bioavailability and a preferable source available to consumers.12

In long-term studies, higher choline intake correlated with stronger verbal and visual memory. Choline intake during early years was also associated with less white brain matter, a sign of healthy nerve connectivity essential for faster processing.11

The herb Bacopa is used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine, and also a highly praised Nootropic. It is documented to provide clean, jitter-free brain boosts without crashes or dependence.

In double-blind placebo-controlled trials, Bacopa significantly improved working memory and focus. Both learning rate and increased visual processing are skills we need ready in an instant, making bacopa a great option for those who need to stay sharp the entire day through.13

Pro tips: synergy and stacking

Most people are familiar with Nootropic supplements that offer a synergistic approach to improved cognition.

The growing trend is in supplements that provide multiple benefits, to get brain function as flexible as it is robust in specific areas. Choosing a combination supplement is known as ‘stacking’ and includes neuroprotective agents, antioxidants, and adaptogenic neurotransmitter boosters all-in-one.14

Ideally all of the above are valuable aspects of mental health and cognitive function, so many prefer individual Nootropics to custom design their own regimen.

One issue with this is that the amounts of each component may not provide an optimal balance of benefits, potentially causing gastric distress or ingesting redundant options. The price can also become prohibitory, as each nutrient is purchased separately.14

In this new brain training realm, the same adages for diet and lifestyle still apply: balance is key and moderation in everything. As important as reviving brain function and inciting potential is, rest and recovery are assurances towards sustaining those benefits.

Reparative sleep is crucial to hormone function, memory recall, and energy levels just the same. Turn to reputable supplement companies for the most synergistically balanced and thoroughly tested Nootropic stacks to ensure reliable, stable results.14

Final word

Nootropics are here to stay, mainly because they’ve always been here.

We may not identify with every new trendy term or niche product, but self-improvement comprises a bevy of substances to choose from. So whatever your specific interest in Nootropics, now you know some of the safest, best-researched compounds available.

As they say, knowing is half the battle and if that’s the case, then increasing your learning and recall rate so you can prove it--has got to be the other half.