Sometimes, no matter how much we may want to complete a task, it can be difficult for our brains to cooperate. If you struggle with focusing while you’re doing work, there may very well be a natural remedy that can help you out.
Nootropics, also referred to as “smart drugs” on occasion, have been growing in popularity lately due to their cognitive benefits. There are plenty of over-the-counter nootropics, as well as prescribed medications.
If you’re interested in learning more about nootropics, their benefits, and all the different options, then you’ve come to the right place! Keep reading to learn more about nootropics and whether they might be worth a try.
What are Nootropics?
Simply put, the term “nootropics” refers to a host of substances known to boost cognitive function and enhance brain performance. As mentioned above, they are also sometimes called “smart drugs.”
Nootropics can improve various mental faculties, including your memory, attention-span, motivation, focus, creativity, mood, and more.
This can happen in several different ways depending on the type of nootropic. Some boost energy metabolism and so ensure your brain gets a boost, while others increase neurotransmitter function or blood flow to the brain.
The neuroprotectors in nootropics can also bolster your brain’s defenses. Other nootropics have nutrients that improve regeneration of your brain cells. In addition, nootropics can alter your brainwave frequencies for improved cognition.
There are many different types of nootropics— some sold over the counter, some prescribed for specific medical conditions, and some natural supplements. Depending on the case, they may need to be FDA approved.
Doctor Corneliu E. Giurgea, a chemist and psychologist, was the first person to coin the word “nootropics.” The term stems from the Greek words nous or “mind” and trepien, “to bend.” This name hints at the way that nootropics can impact your mind.
Giurgea devised six qualifying characteristics for nootropics when defining the term. His original definition has expanded a lot since, but his original criteria for “smart drugs” was as follows:
- Enhanced memory and learning
- Better cognitive function when feeling stressed
- Neuroprotective
- Improved communication between cells
- Research-supported, particularly by looking into brain bioactivity
- No symptoms like that of a psychotropic drug
Today, substances and supplements that boost brain activity even by a small margin may be considered nootropics. As a result, there are lots and lots of types of nootropics to choose from, which only seems to increase their popularity.
Interest in nootropics has skyrocketed in recent years, and it’s no wonder why. Better cognitive function is a good thing in and of itself, but it can also positively impact many other aspects of your life!
Why Take Nootropics?
We established above that nootropics have a lot of benefits, but now let’s delve into a more detailed list of why you should be interested.
A lot of positive cognitive functions have been traced back to nootropics. In the past, they were most popular among senior citizens who wanted to improve their memory. Nootropics can certainly help with recalling as well as retaining information, but the list of benefits is far longer than that.
These “smart drugs” are aptly named, because they can help you learn! Nootropics help people store more information, and they also can provide assistance for those who struggle focusing.
When it comes to paying attention to or concentrating on something, nootropics can definitely help. In this way, they inspire more productivity!
Nootropics can also boost your overall mental energy. Our brains can use up to 20% of our body’s total energy, which is more than any of our other organs. If our brains run out of energy, our mental faculties start to suffer, but thankfully nootropics can boost energy as well as our metabolism, so we don’t burn through it as fast.
They can benefit more than just your brain, too! Many people now consider nootropics helpful for sports, since the increase in motivation and focus can help people concentrate on training.
Despite its helpfulness in active spaces, nootropics may also be great for you if you want to be more relaxed. The ones that tune your brain waves will encourage calmer, creative thoughts.
Nootropics can help with your overall mental health in many ways. Boosting your confidence, stabilizing your mood, relieving stress and anxiety— people have experienced all of these benefits from nootropics, and all of them also relate to more positive cognitive function.
On the more technical side of things, there are also plenty of benefits to nootropics for the physical health of your brains. Nootropics can help to slow cognitive decline, and even brain aging through antioxidants.
As you can tell, there are plenty of reasons why someone might want to try out nootropics. However, as with any new medication, it is also important to research what possible negative reactions might look like.
Potential Side Effects
With any type of drug, there’s always the possibility of side effects, and it’s always something you’ll want to be aware of.
Certain stimulant drugs are associated with side effects of headaches, moodswings, trouble sleeping, and changes in appetite. Other types of nootropics may result in heartburn or an upset stomach.
The most important thing to do if you experience any negative side effects is to react accordingly. Luckily, there are steps you can take to avoid danger.
For example, the first thing to do if you’re interested in trying out nootropics would be to talk to your doctor, regardless of whether you need them to sign off on it. Have a conversation about what the right fit is for you, and depending on what you decide together, your doctor can warn you about what to look out for.
You should also be wary if you’re taking any other medications, supplements, or over the counter drugs and mention it to your doctor as well. It’s possible any of these could interact poorly with a nootropic, and you should avoid that risk.
In addition, while nootropics have many mental health benefits, if you have a serious mental health condition you may want to avoid “smart drugs.” Some of them may have the opposite of the desired effect and worsen your symptoms.
You should also always follow the dosage instructions for whatever nootropic you’re taking. Don’t ever use more than the recommended amount— in fact, it may be wise to start with less than the recommended amount when it comes to a new substance.
Nootropics may have some potential side effects, but so does every type of medication. If you exercise caution and do your research into whatever “smart drug” you want to try, odds are you might find it really helpful to you.
Nootropics for Focusing
It would be impossible to list all of the best nootropics for focusing, since so many exist. We’ll go through some of the different types, and what their specific benefits towards cognition are.
For starters, several prescription medications qualify as nootropics. Adderall, the amphetamine often prescribed to people with ADHD, is a good example of this. Other medications that are considered nootropics include Memantine for Alzheimers, Provigil for sleep apnea, and Ritalin for ADHD.
In some cases, these medications may be prescribed “off-label” for their cognitive benefits rather than to treat a specific diagnosis.
Plenty of nootropics are available over the counter, however, such as racetams. These are synthetic compounds that impact your brain’s neurotransmitters, including piracetam, aniracetam, oxiracetam, pramiracetam, and phenylpiracetam.
Other synthetic “smart drugs” like noopept and phenotropil are also very popular.
If you’d prefer to stick with more natural substances, plenty of those are available for you to look into and purchase as well. Caffeine, for example, is consumed by most people at least on occasion. You may not know it, but since it can increase alertness it counts as a nootropic!
Amino acids can also be considered nootropics. Two great nootropics for focusing are L-theanine and Creatine.
The former can be found in black and green teas, but many people choose to take it as a supplement instead. L-theanine can increase alpha-waves in the brain, which produces a calming effect without lowering your energy levels, and inspires creativity.
Creatine, on the other hand, benefits your short-term memory and logical reasoning. It’s an important amino acid for protein, so it has physical benefits as well.
Omega-3 fatty acids are another popular nootropic, and for good reason. These polyunsaturated fats are often contained in supplements, but also occur naturally in fatty fish— salmon, sardines, cod, et cetera.
You need Omega-3 fatty acids to repair and renew brain cells. Phospholipids and medium-chain triglycerides are also super important for this.
Last— but certainly not least —let’s talk about plants! If you’re looking for natural nootropics, you’ll definitely want to hear about all the places in nature.
Ginkgo biloba, for example, is a tree native to Japan, Korea, and China. Believed to boost blood flow to the brain, supplements made from the leaves have shown to assist people with brain fog and other symptoms of dementia.
Another nootropic plant, this time hailing from China or Siberia, is Panax ginseng. This shrub’s roots can act as preventative medicine for diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. It also boosts overall brain function, most likely due to the anti-inflammatory properties.
Bacopa monnieri has been used in Ayurvedic medicine since ancient times to speed up brain function and information processing. The active compounds in this herb, bacosides, can shield your brain against oxidative stress.
Native to Europe and Asia, Rhodiola rosea can help you adjust to and cope with stress since it’s an adaptogen. This herb is also referred to as roseroot or simply rhodiola, and a little can go a long way in reducing mental fatigue and anxiety.
One more plant that may boost your cognitive function— the Lion’s Mane mushroom. In a supplement, this mushroom has been found to raise your nerve-growth factor as well as your mood.
Lion’s Mane mushrooms promote overall brain wellness, and can reduce cognitive problems associated with aging. If you’re interested in checking out this particular nootropic, you should try Dr. Emil’s Lion's Mane Mushroom Capsules.
Lots and lots of nootropics are out there, all growing in popularity as of late, and we encourage you to think carefully before giving one a go. Chances are, however, that no matter what type you go with you’ll notice a boost in brain activity.
