The best nootropics contain ingredients that help boost mental acuity, cognitive function, focus and memory retention. Generally speaking this will be done with ingredients that contain herbal compounds or are rich in essential vitamins and minerals.
Ingredients like L-Theanine and Citicoline being the common amongst all of the best nootropics due to them being the most well researched and clinically evaluated.
Citicoline has been studied and shown to increase brain membrane formation by 26% in healthy adults[1] and increased brain energy by 14% when compared to a placebo group. Brain energy refers to the amount of fuel your brain is able to hold and use throughout the day. Meaning that a 14% increase could lead to increased performance overall, and definitely an increased sustained performance throught the day.
L-Theanine is typically more utilised for mood regulation nootropics, but does make it's way into most of the best ones on this list. It's been studied to promote the production of GABA[2] and other brain calming chemicals, L-theanine elevates levels of GABA, as well as serotonin and dopamine. This was also shown to improve sleep effeciency. Beyond that, it also has been shown to in [3]double blind trials to improve memory, even in those with impared function.
What Are Nootropics? What Do You Need To Know?
Hunter Focus ingredient list is as we've said, excellent ingredients, and where it really shines against other nootropics is the ashwaganda. Typically ashwagandha is used in other supplements, such as testosterone boosters which could lead some people to think that it is a more male focused ingredient, but it is also fantastic at relieving stress and has been clinically proven to reduce cortisol build up[5] (the stress hormone). In fact, outside of the niche supplements industry this is what it was most well known for. Beyond that the formula contains the expected L-Theanine and Citicoline that we would expect from a good nootropic.
Improving Sleep
Improved Memory.
Enhances learning.
Improvements In Brain Health.
Reduces Symptoms Of Stress.
When we tried Hunter Focus we definitely noticed better as the name would suggest focus, even when compared to other nootropics. It sits at our number one on the best nootropics list for a reason and we'd highly recommend taking advantage of the bulk buy options as individual bottles are rather pricey. From our tests and the ingredients list it is hands down the best nootropic for memory and focus that doesn't rely on caffeine.
Brain Pill targets itself as an all round nootropic come energy based multivitamin. There's a lot we like about BrainPill for people who aren't taking any other form of supplements. The addition of Vitamins b12 and b6 which are proven to boost energy levels gives it an edge if you're not already supplementing these vitamins. The body can tolerate huge volumes beyond the RDI although it does have diminishing returns. It also has the usual suspects of L-Theanine and Citicoline (Cognizin) which we come to expect in all good nootropics. The downside of brainpill however, is that the dosage is on the small side. Suggesting that you only need one pill per day does mean that there isn't enough of a lot of the core ingredients. However, you can easily use your brain to figure out how you could get around that problem. However, using it in high enough volumes to be effective could prove costly as it's one pill a day dosage is at a similar price point to even Hunter Focus. That said if money's no object and you'd rather not take other supplements, have an energy problem then it's going to be effective.
Ok, so let's start with the disappointing element, Performance Lab Mind is missing L-Theanine, so it's not great for regulating mood, however, it has one particularly interesting ingredient Sharp-PS Green. Sharp-PS is also referred to as Phosphatidylserine, which is shown to slow mental decline with age. This is the main ingredient in Performance Lab Mind aside from citicoline, which as we've already mentioned helps repair the brain membrane and increases the brains ability to process glucose and increase brain energy. Phosphatidylserine is currently being trailed as a treatment for Alzheimer's[7], Multiple Sclerosis brain fog and several other conditions. This makes Performance Lab Mind great nootropics for brain fog and particularly interesting for people as they age.
Most people turn to a nootropic supplement to boost their mental performance beyond normal levels, whereas some people are simply looking for any help they can get to catch up. Some users described Vyvamind as an alternative to Adderall and they've been using that in their marketing ever since. Is this going to improve mental performance and cognitive abilities as much as an amphetamine, well obviously not, but even being compared to one is a good sign that it can dramatically increase focus. It's heavy on the L-Tyrosine and L-Theanine which as far as we're concerned is good. To be honest it's quite similar to Hunter Focus, but with a bit of caffeine and a bit less of the ingredients you can't get in a cup of coffee. So, we wouldn't recommend it over Hunter, as they're about the same price point. But, if you don't drink coffee and still want the stimulant hit, then it's a good option.
Performance lab vision is designed to protect your eyes as much as your brain cells, making it a good nootropic supplement for a gamer nootropic stacks. It's not going to help with mental energy as much as nootropics that are heavy on ingredients L Carnitine, or L theanine and the like, but it does contain things like Lutein which promote overall eye health[8], and zeaxanthin, which increased processing of visual signals. Whilst these extracts from the marigold flower do improve visual cognition most notably they aren't going to be as effective for memory, focus or cognitive functions. And if you're staring at a screen for long periods of time this becomes increasingly important. To balance this out there's no reason that you couldn't add it in to a nootropics stack with another of our best nootropics more focused towards brain health or mental performance aside from the fact that costs will add up quite quickly.
There are a lot of ingredients that make it into the best nootropics, and not all are as good or as well researched. Here's a bit more information about the ingredients in the products on our best nootropics list.
1- https://cognizin.com/en/studies/cognizin-citicoline-increases-brain-energy-atp-by-14-and-speeds-up-formation-of-brain-membranes-by-26-in-healthy-adults - Citicoline Increase In Brain Energy
2 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6366437/ - L Theanine Gaba And Sleep Regulation
3 - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21303262/ - A combination of green tea extract and l-theanine improves memory and attention in subjects
4 - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18296328/ - L-theanine, a natural constituent in tea, and its effect on mental state
5 - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32201301/ - Ashgawanda and stress relief
6 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4595381/ - The effects of alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine
7 - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1609044/ - Effects of phosphatidylserine in Alzheimer's disease
8 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6164534/ - The Effect of Lutein on Eye and Extra-Eye Health
9 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1863555/ - L-Tyrosine to alleviate the effects of stress?
10 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3679686/ -A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Ginkgo biloba in Neuropsychiatric Disorders: From Ancient Tradition to Modern-Day Medicine
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6262174/ - Resveratrol Brain Delivery for Neurological Disorders Prevention and Treatment