Best Nootropics in 2023 - Top 5 Most Energetic Brain Supplements
Nootropics are substances that can improve cognitive function. They affect neurotransmitters in the brain, such as acetylcholine and dopamine. Nootropics have been around for a long time, but they have become increasingly popular in recent years because of their potential to help people maximize brain function and perform better cognitively, as well as help those who suffer from anxiety, depression, and other mental disorders.
Nootropics are a class of drugs that includes "cognitive enhancers", biohackers, and neurohackers. The greater area of nootropics can include anything from caffeine to Ginkgo biloba, which are generally ingredients in other things; however, many people want a nootropic supplement that offers a more precise, specific, and purposeful cognitive boost to brain health. That’s where this list comes in. Our guide offers insight into the best nootropics available on the market today. We’ve done the research and included only top-of-the-line nootropic supplements, cutting out all others who didn’t measure up.
Top 5 Nootropics
- Hunter Evolve - Top Choice: Best All-Around Nootropic Solutions
- Natural Stacks - Blockchain Transparency
- Onnit - Flow-State Fantastic
- Noocube - Award-Winning Excellence
- Neurohacker - Worthy Mention
Best Nootropics - Reviews
1. Hunter Evolve - Top Choice: Best All-Around Nootropic Solutions
Pros
- Proven cognitive boosting effects
- Scientifically formulated supplement
- Three solutions in one
Cons
- Not recommended for senior citizens or teenagers
Product Feature Highlights
Proven through a robustly tested methodological framework, the Hunter Evolve nootropic supplement is formulated for men and women between 30 and 55 years of age. Hunter Evolve harnesses the cutting edge of cognitive performance medicine to help its customers unlock their mind’s potential.
Hunter Evolve brings three strong solutions to the table to improve brain function - specifically concentration, memory, and mood. Six capsules per day of premium ingredients deliver all-in potency with no “extras”, meaning that every one of the 20 natural ingredients of Hunter Evolve’s nootropic supplement is working at full capacity to amp up your cognitive performance in these three solution areas.
Hunter Evolve boosts concentration activity through citicoline, L-tyrosine, L-theanine, Ginkgo Biloba, and Spanish sage. These ingredients work together to strengthen the signals from one neuron in your brain to another and protect key brain cells to maintain performance and increase the longevity of effects without any feelings of “crash”. They also strengthen the building blocks of motivation and focus and boost alertness while maintaining calm.
Memory is the second area that the Hunter Evolve nootropic supplement helps, through lion’s mane mushrooms, maritime pine bark, Rhodiola Rosea, and bacopa. Together, these ingredients improve brain function by sharpening memory function, attention, and overall cognitive ability. They guard against the effects of acute stress to maintain the brain’s ability to remember effectively and counteract the effects of cognitive decline.
Mood benefits from Hunter Evolve nootropic through phosphatidylserine, Panax ginseng, ashwagandha, and caffeine anhydrous. These ingredients synergize to renew the brain’s neurons, axons, and dendrites, reduce fatigue, and lessen the effects of stress and the symptoms of depression. These effects combine to boost brain function as well as overall mood and happiness.
Pricing, Promotions, and Discounts
A one-month supply “starter bottle” of Hunter Evolve is $80 and includes 180 capsules. Two months of supply comes in at $160 as well, but there is also an Ultimate Brain Power Bundle available for $240 that includes a whopping 540 capsules and a bonus of 180 more (the equivalent of an extra month) along with workouts, nutritional e-books, and free global delivery.
Why It Made This List
Hunter Evolve made our list of the best nootropics because of its specialized effectiveness for the middle decades of human biology. We respect a science-based product that knows its limitations and uses them to maximize effectiveness and efficiency to be the best solution it can for its target audience, and Hunter Evolve nails this approach spectacularly.
Learn more at HunterEvolve.com
2. Natural Stacks - Blockchain Transparency
Pros
- Huge product selection with specific nootropics category
- Select products by intended benefit
- Ingredient transparency backed by blockchain technology
Cons
- Free standard shipping only applies to orders in the U.S.
Product Feature Highlights
Natural Stacks offers a wide range of excellent nootropic products, but the company truly differentiates itself by ingredient transparency on an entirely new level: with blockchain technology.
Natural Stacks uses a blockchain tech partner called HealthLoq to create a fully transparent and auditable trail of ingredients from sourcing to bottling. This ensures you know exactly what goes into every Natural Stacks supplement and never need to question quality, composition, or source.
The Natural Stacks Smart Caffeine nootropic supplement combines caffeine with L-theanine to bolster mental energy and attention span while evening out the effects to avoid the steep comedown generally associated with caffeine in other forms, like coffee.
The MagTech Magnesium nootropic works to boost brain function, supports healthy sleep, and improves absorption of three key types of magnesium: taurate, glycinate, and L-threonate. Together, increased absorption of these elements improves the density of brain synapses, promotes healthy sleep and relaxed states, improves learning and memory, and even works to stave off cognitive decline by promoting healthy aging of cognitive function.
Serotonin Brain Food is the award-winning feel-good mood booster of the Natural Stacks lineup. This nootropic supplement provides stress relief and augmented mental well-being while supporting healthy serotonin production with natural cofactor ingredients.
The Natural Stacks GABA Brain Food supports calm, reduces stress, and increases sleep quality. It accomplishes this by boosting the healthy creation of gamma-aminobutyric acid (or GABA), which inhibits nerve cells in your brain by slowing signals from your nervous system that communicate stress. In essence, this nootropic supplement helps you stay calm in the face of anxiety by supporting the natural mental processing that evens these feelings out.
Dopamine Brain Food is the nootropic responsible for boosting pleasure, focus, clarity, and reduction of brain fog. Packed with natural ingredients, this supplement increases attention, promotes physical balance, and increases motivation and drive.
Pricing, Promotions, and Discounts
To start, you can get an easy 20 percent off your first order by signing up for email and text messages with Natural Stacks. They also have an excellent rewards program with easy-to-earn Genius Points, specialized VIP deals, and “secret benefits” so juicy they don’t even list them on the website!
Natural Stacks also has a subscription discount service that saves you 20 percent on all orders and adds free shipping in the US. The Natural Stacks product bundles are called “stacks” and every stack saves 15 percent on a variety of bundled products.
Why It Made This List
As the world’s only “open source” provider of blockchain-backed ingredient transparency, it doesn’t get more trustworthy than Natural Stacks. This level of transparency is a big deal, as dietary supplements, much less natural nootropics, have limited regulation, and many of the lesser brands (none of which made this list) may take liberties with how they market their products. Natural Stacks is on this list for a great product line, unparalleled transparency, great pricing and deals, and a 30-day money-back guarantee to boot.
Learn more at NaturalStacks.com
3. Onnit - Flow-State Fantastic
Pros
- Promotes “flow-state” cognitive performance
- Clinically-tested mental boosting action
- Encourages alpha waves and neurotransmitter production
Cons
- Free shipping only applies to U.S. orders and does not include fitness or digital product lines
Product Feature Highlights
Onnit, as a company, subscribes to the notion of total human optimization (THO). This THO mindset asserts that improvement anywhere in your life is improvement everywhere in your life, as it is all connected. That’s why Onnit’s Alpha BRAIN product is a key piece of the self-improvement puzzle.
Alpha BRAIN is a cognitive function boosting all-star, which uniquely helps those who take it to achieve and remain within the key alpha wave levels of “flow state.” This state of firing on all cylinders in a cognitive sense means you are “in the zone” and operating at an optimal level of brain function, in which you can decimate deadlines, flourish under fire, and crush complexities.
Alpha BRAIN has sold more than 1 million bottles to people looking to take advantage of its clinically-tested natural nootropic ingredients for focus, memory, and cognitive processing. It helps you achieve such cognitive heights through the unique combination of three proprietary blends of Onnit ingredients: the Onnit Flow Blend, Focus Blend, and Fuel Blend.
The Onnit Flow Blend consists of L-theanine, L-tyrosine, phosphatidylserine, and oat straw extract. L-theanine stimulates serotonin and dopamine to boost both relaxation and alpha wave production and increase reaction time and focus.
L-tyrosine assists the body with dopamine and adrenaline production, which increases mental output during stress. Phosphatidylserine is a cell membrane lipid that is key to brain cell function. Oat straw extract boosts cognitive function, and the entire blend combines with Cat’s Claw extract to promote healthy brain cells and increase fortitude and mental performance.
The Onnit Focus Blend includes alpha-gpc, huperzia serrata, and bacopa. Alpha-gpc is a precursor to the neurotransmitter known as acetylcholine. A precursor helps amp up the production of a neurotransmitter by saturating it with its activating features more than it would be in a normal state. In this case, alpha-gpc, paired with huperzia serrata, boosts the performance of acetylcholine, which is responsible for muscle control and cognitive activities related to memory, attention, and learning.
Bacopa rounds out the Focus Blend along with vitamin B6 to stimulate the production of neurotransmitters and facilitate signal reception and nerve cell growth—especially the aspects of nerve cells that send and receive messages, helping your brain cells to fire on all cylinders and maximize output.
The Onnit Fuel Blend consists of pterostilbene and L-leucine, which work together to optimize communication among the nervous system overall. Pterostilbene strengthens brain cells and protects those cells along with nerve endings to increase mental performance. L-leucine is an amino acid that aids in protein synthesizing to facilitate communications among neurotransmitters.
Pricing, Promotions, and Discounts
Earn free shipping on orders above $150 and 15 percent off by joining the Onnit email list.
Why It Made This List
Onnit’s Alpha BRAIN nootropic is focused on achieving and maintaining the key flow state of the brain to help you operate at high mental performance levels for extended periods of time. The product’s natural ingredients are well-regarded, and its effects are aligned with the core goals of brain-boosting supplements, so it was a no-brainer for our list of the best nootropics.
4. Noocube - Award-Winning Excellence
Pros
- Award-winning Lutemax 2020 ingredient
- Guaranteed results
- Backed by clinical research
Cons
- Up to 10 business days for delivery to Europe, Canada, or Australia
Product Feature Highlights
One of the main keys to Noocube’s Brain Productivity formula is the inclusion of the award-winning Lutemax 2020 as one of its prime ingredients. The effectiveness of Lutemax 2020 is backed by research, including a double-blind, randomized placebo study in which participants took Lutemax 2020 for a full year. The study found that participants experienced increased memory, less stress, better attention spans, and better mental processing speed leading to improved mental performance. These are precisely the kinds of outcomes our review team were seeking in the best nootropics products we chose to highlight on this list.
A product of the marigold flower, Lutemax 2020 brings three nutrient-rich elements to the cognitive performance table: lutein, RR-zeaxanthin, and RS[meso]-zeaxanthin. These three key eye-brain ingredients help Lutemax 2020 improve memory, boost listening, and rev up visual acuity.
Every bottle of Brain Productivity contains a one-month supply of 60 capsules for daily use in a dosage of two per day with water. Brain Productivity is effective for men and women of all ages and results in no known side effects at all.
The company stands so firmly behind its product that Noocube offers a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee that offers your full 60-day money-back guarantee. This is the kind of confidence in a product that our review team highly values.
Pricing, Promotions, and Discounts
Noocube’s bundled pricing is excellent for Brain Productivity. A single month’s supply of one bottle runs $59.99, while a three-month supply is instead only $119.99, saving a whopping $104.98. This is impressive savings until you look at the six-month supply and realize that it offers 360 capsules for only $179.99, saving a full $269.95.
You can also obtain 20 percent off with code SALE20 and take full advantage of Noocube’s excellent 60-day money-back guarantee, whichever bundle you choose.
Why It Made This List
As of the time of publishing, Noocube had sold more than half a million bottles (509,389), and it’s easy to see why. Nutraceutical Business Review awarded Lutemax 2020 with a 2018 NutrAward for best functional ingredient. That kind of endorsement is among the many reasons Noocube made our list of the best nootropics.
5. Neurohacker - Worthy Mention
Pros
- Full product line of nootropic solutions
- Formulations based on complex systems science
- 28 natural ingredients
Cons
- Some may not be as open-minded to citizen science-based products as others
Product Feature Highlights
Neurohacker Collective bases its product formulations on a combination of complex systems science and citizen science. The Neurohacker Collectives products, like Qualia Mind, are part of a shift in scientific approaches, rooted in formal science but expanded by the work of scientists outside of “big pharma” to create solutions attuned to the human body’s natural processes.
Flowing from natural synergies of nutrients and the ways that they tag-team positive effects on the body, Qualia Mind and others within the Neurohacker Collective product line place an important focus on dosage and ingredients, ensuring they remain within the “Goldilocks zone” of just-right amounts.
The Neurohacker Collective’s Qualia Mind is its flagship product. Qualia Mind is a brain-hacking nootropic supplement that improves overall brain health, sharpens focus and mental clarity while boosting memory and cognitive performance across multiple neurological systems. In essence, Qualia Mind boosts your own body’s mental function. It takes what your brain already does and augments its performance and output by supporting it with synergistic elements. Qualia Mind increases the production of important neurotransmitters and pathways that promote and support healthy brain function.
Qualia Mind is the result of thousands of hours of research by scientists across the neurobiology and chemistry fields, including complex systems modeling. It is formulated from 28 natural ingredients selected for the synergies they produce when used together.
Qualia is a nootropic supplement that also helps with sustaining brain health over a long period of time. Beyond the immediate effects of the Qualia Mind supplement, it also supports long-term mental function and forestall cognitive decline. People of all ages should be looking to optimize their memory and brain health throughout the lifecycle, but especially as they age. Qualia helps with this by:
- Augmenting the formation of synaptic neurons
- Boosting acetylcholine signals
- Supporting function of mitochondria in brain cells
In addition to Qualia Mind, the Neurohacker Collective consists of research publishing as well as a wide variety of other nootropic supplements: Qualia Focus, Qualia Resilience, Qualia Life, Qualia Senolytic, Qualia Nootropic Energy, Qualia Night, Qualia Skin, and Qualia Vision.
Pricing, Promotions, and Discounts
Earn a full 50 percent off your first purchase by joining the Neurohacker email list or explore the availability of the bundles at drastically reduced rates.
Why It Made This List
Neurohacker made this list due to its unique complex systems science approach to brain supplements and a massive product line of nootropics.
Learn more at NeuroHacker.com
What Was Our Process for Choosing the Best Nootropics
Our review team for these nootropics consists of a panel of experts on smart drugs and nootropics the world over. Individuals versed in citizen science, natural and synthetic supplements, and a wide variety of nutraceuticals make up our team of product reviewers and testers. You can trust that we’ve done the research and dug deep into each of our candidates for this best-of-breed list to bring you only the best nootropics. A large number of competitors’ nootropic supplements did not make this list due to the review team’s parameters, which consisted of everything from ingredient grades to scientific processes to third-party testing.
What are Nootropics?
Nootropics are drugs that improve cognitive function, particularly mental processing functions, memory, creativity, and motivation. Nootropics are used to improve memory and concentration, boost intelligence, increase learning capacity, and to better overall brain health. They also have a variety of potential uses in the treatment of some forms of dementia.
The term "nootropic" was coined in 1972 by Dr. Corneliu E. Giurgea, who derived the word from the Greek words "noos" (mind) and tropē (or a turning). as a combination of two words, thus "turning the mind". He first used it to describe a class of drugs that is thought to be able to help prevent cognitive decline, particularly senile dementia. Nootropics are substances that enhance learning, memory, concentration, or mood.
Nootropics are considered by some to be an alternative therapy for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, dementia, and Parkinson's disease. Nootropic supplements are generally considered to be safe in healthy people when used appropriately.
These brain supplements may also be used to improve memory, concentration, mental energy and focus, enhance mood, reduce fatigue, sharpen thinking or increase awareness. Some commonly referred to nootropics are caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, and modafinil.
Nootropics come in three main formats: drugs, supplements, and synthetic compounds. Those seeking the effects of nootropics usually prefer natural nootropics that have little side-effects and that have proven cognitive benefits.
Natural nootropics include extract supplements and herbs like Ginkgo Biloba, creatine, melatonin, piracetam, phenylpiracetam, and others. Some on perhaps the more fringe ends of what is known as “neurohacking” (a way of referring to those who seek to maximize cognitive function) might also prefer biohacking organic compounds such as LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, and ibogaine.
How to Choose Quality Nootropics for Better Mental Performance
How do you know which nootropic supplements are of high quality? There are many parameters that help delineate lesser nootropics from quality, best nootropics. Some of them include the purity of the ingredients, the effectiveness of the ingredients, the dosage, and how well it has been tested in clinical trials. Otherwise, the parameters that make a nootropic supplement high quality are as follows:
- Natural ingredients
- Sourced by a reliable and reputable company
- Effective formulas and dosages
- Safe for long-term use
Benefits of Nootropic Supplements
Nootropics are supplements that improve cognitive function. Nootropics can help with mental tasks such as memory, focus, and attention. They are also used to enhance creativity and mood.
The benefits of nootropics include:
- Improved memory
- Increased focus
- Heightened awareness
- Enhanced creativity
- Improved mood
How Long Do Nootropics Take To Work?
There is no set time frame for how long it takes for nootropic brain supplements to work. It depends on what type of nootropic you take, how much you take, and your metabolism. Some people might start feeling the effects in as little as 20 minutes, whereas others could wait up to two weeks before they notice any effects.
What Are Natural Nootropics?
Natural nootropics are supplements that can improve brain functions and are made from natural ingredients. These ingredients can be anything from vitamins to herbs to minerals. There is a wide variety of nootropics (both legitimate and questionable) on the market, many with different purposes, so it is important to know what you need to know before you buy one. We highly recommend any of the best nootropics listed here, as we’ve researched them each thoroughly.
Are Nootropic Supplements to Improve Brain Health Safe?
Nootropic supplements are unregulated in the United States, but they have been shown to be safe and effective in many cases, although the safety of nootropics is a topic that is still being researched right now.
Some people believe that these brain supplements are not as effective as they seem, while others are firm believers that they can improve your mental processing and functions without side effects and should be made more widely available for purchase. The FDA has not approved any nootropics as drugs yet, but multiple nootropics are in FDA consideration right now.
Research is ongoing on the long-term effects of nootropic supplements on healthy people, but it is hoped that more will be known in the next five years.
FAQ
How do nootropics work to boost cognitive performance?
Nootropic supplements work to improve brain function and mental performance by increasing the number of neurotransmitters in the brain, as well as the performance of the neurotransmitters in and between each other. These neurochemicals can be broken down into three categories: choline, acetylcholine, and glutamate. Nootropics will increase these neurotransmitters in order to make it easier for you to focus on the task at hand.
Neurotransmitters are chemicals that transmit messages from one part of the body to another. When there is a lack of neurotransmitters, it can lead to problems such as depression and anxiety. In the brain, neurotransmitters are formed from amino acids and then used to transmit nerve impulses to muscles. They also play a role in regulating moods and behavior.
What is cognition or cognitive function?
Cognition is the ability to think, reason, remember, and perceive. Cognition may also be understood as a mental process by which information is interpreted, stored, and retrieved. The main objective of cognitive function is to identify patterns in the input (stimuli) that allows an organism to adapt its behavior accordingly. Learning requires a cognitive strategy that includes memory and understanding. The term is often used to refer to the organization of ideas, memories, intentions, and attention. It includes the overall discipline of study of the same name.
What is Citizen Science?
Citizen science is an activity that involves people who are not professional scientists contributing their time and skills to help with the work of scientists and researchers. These contributions can come in many forms, including collecting data, identifying natural resources or reporting on environmental conditions. Citizen science projects may be based in schools, universities, museums, community groups or online.
There are four main features that delineate a practice as citizen science, including:
- All-inclusive, universally-available opportunity for anyone to participate
- High-quality data collection achieved through a consistent and specific protocol applied by all contributors
- Data collected by the project can be used by the scientific community to reach further conclusions
- A large community of both citizen volunteers and scientists working together to share data and provide universal access to citizens and scientists alike
Citizen science often provides a public service and can be seen as an opportunity to engage communities in scientific research. Citizen science projects are typically not-for-profit, though some sponsors may also offer prizes or other rewards for participants. Some citizen scientists' data is used for scientific research and published as part of the work of other scientists, but most data is made publicly available for use by scientists, educators, and the public the world over.
Citizen science is not limited to scientific data and can encompass any activity that allows members of a community to get involved in research. There are many types of citizen science projects ranging as widely as butterfly counting and birdwatching to the development of full-fledged scientific studies and products.
Citizen Science involves all aspects of society coming together to help with scientific research. As a form of science, citizen science began with the idea of "citizen scientists" who directly participated in scientific investigations as volunteers or through small-scale projects without professional involvement.
Citizen science also includes large-scale projects involving professional scientists and community members that may result in new scientific discoveries and products. The roots of citizen science are traced to the agricultural revolution of the early 19th century, when it became clear that governments and large organizations could not do all of the research needed for a scientific understanding of agriculture.
With technology and access to information becoming more prominent in society, citizen science has grown from smaller-scale projects to initiatives with over 1,000 participants. Citizen Science is a methodology that enables scientists and citizens to collaborate on research projects in the public interest by adopting the methods and approaches of participatory science to engage non-scientists. Citizen Science is facilitated through crowdsourcing, and citizen scientists are given opportunities to take part in a wider range of research that might otherwise be inaccessible or out of reach for them.
One example of Citizen Science contributing massive amounts of data that could not otherwise be collected is NASA's "Astronomy Picture Of the Day" project, where any person with a digital camera could submit pictures of the night sky. Another example is World Water Monitoring Day, during which people can use official testing kits to test and submit data on water temperature, clarity, acidity, and oxygen levels from water sources across the world.
What are some common side effects of nootropics?
The ingredients in nootropics are generally considered safe to consume. That said, common side effects of nootropics can vary by type. For example, the following side effects may be found in prescription nootropics:
- hypertension
- heart rate increases
- insomnia
- vision
- addiction
While some of the prescription level nootropics can be a little more serious, it is far less common to experience side effects with over-the-counter nootropics (OTC), such as the best nootropics on this list. Things like caffeine can lead to jitteriness and, at extreme levels, heart issues. Others, like omega-3 fatty acids, aren’t an issue on their own but can have an effect when paired with blot clot medications. Another OTC nootropic with potential interactions of note with other medicat
ions is Panax ginseng.
As in all things, it is best to consult your physician if you are unsure about your chosen nootropic supplements, especially when it comes to drug interactions with other medications that may be a part of your daily regimen.
Conclusion
Nootropics are powerful, natural ways to boost your brain’s cognitive performance. Any of the best nootropics on our list would be an excellent starting point to try them for yourself, and we recommend reading each product description above to find the one that appeals most to you.
