Memory Enhancement Supplements

Most people take nootropics for one of two reasons: they want to improve cognition or enhance memory (or both).

Nootropics Brain Enhancers

All nootropics enhance cognition or improve memory in some form or another. “Cognition” is one of those catch-all terms that refers to the overall power of your brain. Some people refer to “cognition” as the ability for your brain to focus on the task at hand, while others use it to describe intelligence, logic, or other difficult-to-define qualities.

Okay, so you want to improve cognition or enhance memory. Where do you start? Today, I’m going to explain the risks, rewards, and other factors you need to know when deciding which cognitive enhancer to try.

What Are Cognitive Enhancers?

Cognitive enhancers are supplements that increase the performance or function of your brain. Some people call cognitive enhancers ‘nootropics’ or ‘smart drugs’ – although they all achieve basically the same thing.

Some cognitive enhancers require a medical prescription, but many are available online and can be ordered just like you would order any nutritional supplement.

How Do Cognitive Enhancers Work?

There are many different cognitive enhancers on the market. They all work in similar but slightly different ways. Many cognitive enhancers work simply by improving neurotransmission in your brain. They do this by either increasing the production of neurotransmitters or increasing the reception of neurotransmitters.

Neurotransmitters are simply communication signals in your brain that tell your brain to do certain things – like remember a name, focus on a task, or feel good.

Most cognitive enhancers affect neurotransmitters like acetylcholine, glutamate, or dopamine. By raising the levels of these neurotransmitters, users can improve their memory, attention, reasoning, and ability to learn.

Benefits of Cognitive Enhancers

We’ve already hinted at these benefits up above, but they’re listed below as well. Cognitive enhancers have powerful beneficial effects on the brain. Here are some of the advantages you can expect when taking a cognitive enhancing supplement:

Focus: Are you having trouble focusing? Popular focus-enhancing cognitive supplements stacks include caffeine and L-Theanine, which improves your attention while sharpening your focus.

Memory: Cognitive enhancers are often used to treat the symptoms of those who are suffering from dementia, Alzheimer’s, and other degenerative conditions. Piracetam and choline are excellent memory enhancers and have been clinically proven to help students effectively recall information they learned.

Reasoning: Reasoning refers to your ability to think logically. Many people find cognitive enhancers improve the “clarity” of their mind, allowing them to solve problems more efficiently.

Mood: A select few cognitive enhancers actually improve your mood by targeting dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitters. These nootropics have been used to treat anxiety and depression.

Are Cognitive Enhancers Safe to Use?

Whether you’re eating a new food, drinking a new drink, or trying a new supplement, it’s always important to look at the risks and potential side-effects. This is particularly important if you have existing heart defects, health complications, or are currently taking any type of medication. If you’re ever in doubt about the safety of cognitive enhancers, talk to your doctor.

With that warning in mind, cognitive enhancers are typically very safe to use. One important thing to know about nootropics is that they are, by definition, non-toxic, which makes them safe. However, not all cognitive enhancers are nootropics. Cognitive enhancers that contain stimulants, for example, are not considered nootropics, nor are Ritalin and Adderall.

Ultimately, nootropics are considered to be some of the safest supplements on the market. In addition to being safe, they offer powerful benefits with limited side-effects. The most common side-effects of nootropic usage include headaches. Some users also experience fatigue or insomnia. However, most nootropic users will tell you that you can mitigate these side effects by stacking the right nootropics together.

If you take a racetam, for example, your brain demands higher levels of acetylcholine. But if your diet doesn’t contain enough choline, then you won’t be able to produce that acetylcholine. By stacking a racetam with a choline supplement like Alpha GPC, you can avoid headaches and achieve powerful cognitive benefits.

What Are the Best Cognitive Enhancers Available Today?

When people ask me what the “best” cognitive enhancer available is, it’s tough to give a direct answer. It’s like asking “what’s the best food?” The answer depends on your goals and what you like.

Do you want better memory? Better focus? Better everything?

Below, you’ll find detailed descriptions of how some of the world’s most popular cognitive enhancers work – along with their individual pros and cons.

Piracetam

Piracetam is the original cognitive enhancer. It was first synthetized by the doctor who coined the term “nootropics”. Developed in the 1960s, Piracetam has been studied more than any other cognitive enhancer on the market today.

All those studies have given us some important knowledge about Piracetam. We know that Piracetam isn’t the most powerful cognitive supplement on the market today, which is why it’s the perfect option for beginner and intermediate users.

We also know that Piracetam has a direct effect on acetylcholine receptors and improves their ability to process acetylcholine neurotransmitters. That means it optimizes the way your brain processes new memories, boosting memory retention and enhancing learning. Many also report feeling more alert after taking Piracetam.

Since Piracetam is weaker than other racetams, many people simply increase their dosage. Depending on the exact Piracetam brand you buy, recommended daily dosage ranges between 1 and 4 grams. Beginners should start with a small dose before working their way up.

Keep in mind that Piracetam takes approximately half an hour to “kick in”. The chemical is water-soluble, so many people mix Piracetam powder with a glass of water and drink it on an empty stomach – like the moment you wake up in the morning. Alternatively, you can purchase Piracetam capsules.

Pramiracetam

You know how I said Piracetam wasn’t the most potent cognitive enhancer? Pramiracetam is 30 times more potent than Piracetam on average. It also has a few features which make it unique from other racetams.

Pramiracetam, for example, is best taken on a full stomach. Some products even recommend taking Pramiracetam with fish oil or milk because the compound is fat soluble.

Many people call Pramiracetam the most “well rounded” cognitive enhancer on the market today. It delivers many of the same effects as other racetams, but it distributes its effects evenly among each benefit.

For example, while Piracetam is often associated with better memory retention, Pramiracetam is associated with focus, alertness, cognition, memory, productivity, and logical thinking. The powerful effects are popular among everyone from stockbrokers to college students.

Since Pramiracetam is so powerful, it has a much lower recommended dosage: typically around 500mg, twice per day. Pramiracetam typically lasts for about five hours and I strongly recommend starting with one dose per day: two doses can be overwhelmingly powerful.

If you do plan on taking Pramiracetam, I strongly recommend adding a choline source to your stack. On its own, Pramiracetam has been known to cause headaches. You can easily reduce those headaches by stacking with choline.

Aniracetam

Aniracetam features many of the same benefits as other racetams. The one major difference between Aniracetam and other racetams is its mood enhancing capabilities. While other racetams focus solely on your cognitive abilities, Aniracetam does all that while also increasing dopamine and serotonin levels – making you feel better and more motivated to complete the task at hand.

Like other racetams, Aniracetam also influences neuroplasticity, which means you can more easily form new memories. It’s sad to be five times as powerful as Piracetam when it comes to cognitive benefits. Unlike Piracetam, Aniracetam also affects your brain’s glutamate receptors, which are associated with better focus and motivation.

The main reason you would take Aniracetam is to enjoy all of the benefits of racetams – with the added benefit of improving your mood. It’s popular among individuals who are depressed, lack motivation, or have anxiety.

The recommended starting dosage of Aniracetam is 1000mg, although you can gradually increase that dosage to 2000mg. Take Aniracetam on a full stomach (although it’s not fat soluble, so don’t bother taking it with milk). The effects are often described as “short and sweet”: they don’t last long, but they provide a nice quick burst of energy and mental focus.

Noopept

Noopept is the first cognitive enhancer on our list that isn’t a racetam. Although racetams are popular, some people prefer the added strength of Noopept and other peptides, which come with their own powerful advantages.

The first advantage of Noopept is that some people claim it’s 1000 times more effective than any racetam on the market today. That statistic partly comes from the fact that Noopept has the best bioavailability out of all cognitive enhancers on the market, which means it can more easily cross the blood-brain barrier. That means you enjoy faster, more powerful cognitive enhancing effects.

Like racetams, Noopept targets your brain’s memory and focus, improving these areas while also promoting the natural growth of new neurons. Noopept and similar compounds have actually been used to treat stroke patients and Alzheimer’s.

Ultimately, you only need a small dose of Noopept to feel the effects – especially if you’re trying it for the first time. Most people feel like 10mg is sufficient for a beginner. As you get more experience, you may want to increase your dosage up to 40mg two to three times per day.

Phenylpiracetam

This is one of the lesser known racetams on the market today – mostly because it’s so new. Despite being discovered over 20 years ago, Phenylpiracetam has only recently become mainstream.

One of the major advantages of Phenylpiracetam is its potency: it’s often described as having 60 times the strength of Piracetam in terms of improving mental clarity and increasing focus. Many users also report feeling physically and mentally energized after using Phenylpiracetam.

The recommended dosage for beginners in 200mg.

Buy Cognitive Enhancers Online

Today, it’s easier than ever to buy cognitive enhancers online. Thanks to the internet, you can enjoy free shipping around the world. Online cognitive enhancer stores also avoid the high overhead costs of retail space, which helps them pass the savings onto you.