Do you sometimes feel like you lack focus and lose your concentration? Does this frustrate you especially when you are in the middle of a conversation, important task or in your athletic pursuit?
Maybe you struggle with memory recall when you are in the weekly meetings at work or studying for an exam. Perhaps you want to be able to better retain information for a presentation or performance you are going to give.
Do you give yourself a hard time thinking you should be able to perform at your best mentally in any situation? Do you wonder if there is anything you can do to help your situation?
You must have heard that brain supplements can help, otherwise you would not be here wanting to find out more. You maybe wondering how beneficial they are, if there are any side effects and how to decide which are the best brain supplements on the market today.
So maybe you are wondering what brain supplements are, well they are usually referred to as nootropics.
What are nootropics?
Broadly speaking a Nootropic is any type of neuro enhancing drug that have very few side effects and low toxicity. Only the best brain supplements will stick to this principle.
In 1972 Corneliu E Giurgea a Romanian psychologist and chemist synthesized a drug called Piracetam, which he called a nootropic.
He noted that the characteristics of a nootropic should be that they:
- enhance memory and learning
- provide resistance to learned memories and behaviours of conditions that tend to disturb them
- provide protection from physical or chemical injuries of the brain
- control the mechanisms that increase the efficacy of the cortical/subcorticalmechanisms
- produce very few side effects and have very low toxicity and not contain any pharmacology of other psychotropic drugs
The word nootropic is a combination of two Greeks words noos meaning ‘mind’ and tropic meaning ‘turning’. So the two together basically translate as ‘turning towards the mind’.
What do nootropics do?
To start let’s mention what nootropics will not do! They will not give you a better intellect or a higher IQ so if you are looking for that outcome you may need to do some research into what improves your IQ and intellect.
However if you are looking for something to give your brain a boost or support the outcome of having more focus, less memory loss and better productivity then you are on the right track.
The way the brain works is because of a network of neurons connected by synapses. These neurons work together and communicate via a chemical called neurotransmitters.
When there are more neurotransmitters available in the brain you experience longer attentions spans, more focus, mood elevation, better concentration and improved memory.
Basically a nootropic increases the neurotransmitters in your brain. When taken it on a regular basis you can improve the ongoing levels of neurotransmitters, which can improve the health of your brain over time.
Another effect that the best brain supplements have is that they supplies the brain with more oxygen, and nutrients by increasing the blood flow to your brain. With the extra blood flow and oxygenation you can experience a boost to your focus and memory recall.
Neuro protection and preservation is also another benefit of nootropics. It is recognised that some nootropics help to slow down the destruction of and aids the production of brains cells.
What are the main benefits of nootropics?
Nootropics were originally made to treat the cognitive function of older people with alzheimer’s, dementia and memory loss. However today healthy people such as students, executives and athletes use them to increase their focus, productivity and output.
Now that we know what nootropics are, let’s get into some of the benefits.
Some of the key advantages of taking nootropics include:
- Enhanced focus and longer attention span
- Quicker short term and long term memory recovery
- Improved mental drive and physical energy levels
- Increased concentration and clearer thought processing
There is sound scientific evidence supporting how nootropics can help improve your overall mental health, sleep and clarity of thought.
As you can see nootropics have been around for a while and are growing in popularity as a natural way to improve brain function.
You may have been thinking about adding nootropics to your supplements line-up for a while or maybe it has only recently come to your attention (excuse the pun) and you would like to know how the best brain supplements could help you.
8 reasons why you might like to try a nootropic
1. Enhance Concentration In study and work it is twice as hard to focus on what needs to be done when your concentration levels are low. The best brain supplements help to keep the mind sharp and improve its performance when concentration is required.
When you need to focus on a difficult task or are taking in lots of new information such in a new job or studying it helps to be at your optimum.
2. Improve Memory If you are a professional or a student it is important to be able to recall information when you need it. It also helps in everyday life when you forgot where you put your glasses or keys.
One of the key finding of nootropics is that it has the ability to protect and regenerate cells that keep your mind and memory sharp. Improved memory is beneficial for everyone no matter what your age.
3. Reduce Mental Cloud Brain fog can reduce your creativity and keep you from performing at your best. We all have those moments when clarity evades us or we struggle with finding the right word in a conversation.
By replenishing key neurotransmitters in the brain nootropics help to reduce these moments of mental cloudiness. This would be helpful in important meetings or in everyday conversations with others.
4. Stress Reduction Stress is a part of modern life it seems these days. It is hard to avoid and can invade our family life, work and when relating with others.
Stress can’t be eliminated in your life but by taking a nootropic it can help with the fatigue and tension you feel that comes from stress. It would feel nice to be a bit more relaxed during stressful moments.
5. Mood Enhancement We all need a boost in our mood from time to time and sometimes during stressful situations it is not uncommon for feeling of anxiety to occur.
One of the main features of nootropics is to aid the supply of neurotransmitters. These Neurotransmitters help to influence mood and improve the nervous system. A boost to our mood would sure make a difference at times.
6. Increase Athletic Performance Weather you are a professional athlete or a just trying to improve your weekend game it is beneficial to be able to perform at your best. Quick mental reflexes and mental clarity give you an edge over your competition.
Because nootropics are a natural substance there is no concern of taking an illegal drug or harming your body. Having that edge could make the difference in winning in your game or physical pursuit.
7. A Healthy and Natural Option Once you take some time researching nootropics you will find that the majority of them are made up from substances that occur naturally in the body and from plant extracts.
Also many of the compounds have been used by traditional cultures over the centuries and studied and tested on humans in clinical trials in recent years. This means you can feel safe about taking a nootropic that has been tried and tested and is made of natural substances.
8. Non Addictive As we have already mentioned the best brain supplements should produce very few side effects and have very low toxicity. As a supplement it is made up from a selection of natural compounds that are non habit-forming.
There are prescription drugs (often referred to as smart drugs) on the market that improve focus which are highly addictive and have some serious side effects. These are drugs that we want to avoid especially when a natural nootropic can be just as effective.
What are the best brain supplements?
When I first started looking into nootropics, I didn’t know where to start. But after taking some time looking at what was available, I think I’ve narrowed down the three best nootopics available online.
#3: Mind Boost
#2: SmartX
#1: Alpha Brain
Before we go into the review there are a few more things you may want to know about nootropics like Alpha Brain and smart drugs as mentioned above. What is the difference between them and why choose a nootropic over a ‘smart drug’ (prescription drugs that have commonly become known as smart drugs).
We will also dive deeper into details about my top three choices, as listed above, and why I think that Alpha Brain is one of the best nootopics available on the market today.
However, if you already know that this supplement is the right fit for you then you may want to claim your risk-free 3 month trial of Alpha Brain right now. You can do so by clicking the link below which will take you to the Onnit website where you can buy Alpha Brain.
Health is the most important thing in life. This includes health of our brain – one of the vital organs in our body that is crucial for our optimal daily performance.
What to do if you notice your brain is not functioning properly? Maybe the problem hides in your diet. Diet of an average person that consists mostly of precessed foods, does not meet daily requirements for the vitamins that body needs. One of the studies even showed that 40 – 60 percent of adults are not getting enough vitamins trough their diet.
Suboptimal brain functioning from vitamin deficiency is usually subtle and goes undetected for a long time. Changes in a diet can improve the problem, but often just a healthy diet is not enough to supply the brain with all the vitamins it needs. In this case adding supplements for brain is an option that can help to maintain brain healthy, prevent possible damage caused by free radicals or stress and improve memory and cognitive performance. Some of the best vitamins for brain, that can help preserve and improve your intellectual and emotional health are:
- B Vitaminsare especially important in preserving aging brains, protecting against memory loss and brain diseases. The most important vitamins for brain from this group are vitamins B6, B12 and B9 (Folic Acid). They protect neurons in brain, improve memory, help in brain development and are very important for people under stress. B vitamins can be found in vegetables such as spinach and other dark leafy green vegetables, broccoli, asparagus, black beans, soybeans, fruits such as strawberries, melons, oranges, meat, fish, cereals, algae such as Spirulina and are often taken as supplements.
- Folic acid improves memory, alertness, cognition and protects brain from excessive amino acid homocystein, that can damage brain cells. Low levels of folic acid can increase risk of depression. It is found in spinach, broccoli, bananas, strawberries, whole wheat bread, asparagus, peas and in supplements.
- Vitamin B12 helps maintain health of nerve cells, increases mental alertness, protects against some mental problems such as depression, prevents senility, memory loss and enhances brain power.
- Vitamin B6 helps to improve memory.
- Antioxidantsprotect brain tissue from free radicals that can damage brain structures. Vitamins C and E are one of the most important antioxidants for brain. The best foods rich in antioxidants are prunes, blueberries and other berries, garlic, raisins and spinach. You can also find them in green tea, nuts, seeds and in supplements. Multivitamins that include vitamins C, B complex and E are one of popular choices.
- Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects brain and nerve cells against damage caused by free radicals. It is a powerful vitamin that can protect against Alzheimer’s disease delay its progress. If boosts blood circulation that influences good brain functioning.You can find it in cereals, vegetable oils, vegetables, nuts, grains and different supplements.
- Vitamin C is another antioxidant that protects against free radicals that can damage brain cells. You can find it in fruits such as lemons, oranges, grapefruits, berries or kiwi, vegetables such as legumes, chili and in supplements.
- Other vitamins for brain that improve its functioning and vitality are:
- Vitamin D protects pathways in the brain and improves memory. One of the studies also showed that there is a link between vitamin D deficiency and depression in older people. The best way to receive daily dose of vitamin D is by exposure to the sunlight and by taking supplements.
- Vitamin A enhances the ability to learn by improving communication between brain cells in the hippocampus- part of the brain associated with memory and learning. It is also needed in development of the nervous system in an embryo. You can find it in carrots, spinach, egg yolks, cantaloupe, liver and in supplements.
Brain also requires other nutrients besides vitamins. Omega-3 fatty acids are one of the essential nutrients for brain, found in fish, walnuts, flax seed oil and are often taken as supplements. They protect brain cells from inflammation, improve memory, moodiness, brain functions and even influence IQ in children.
These findings show that you have to eat right for the optimal brain performance. Look into your diet to find out if you consume enough of the vitamins for brain and omega-3 fatty acids. If your diet consists mostly of processed foods like white flour, sweets and pre-prepared meals, there is a good chance that you do not get all the nutrients you need. In this case try to include more fruits, vegetables and fish (at least 2-3 times per week) on your menu or consider taking supplements for brain to keep it healthy and fit for a long time.