The 7 Best Nootropics (Smart Drugs) in the market of 2018

By Erik Bredemeyer

So what are Nootropics?

I’m glad you asked! They’re fancy-sounding, but “nootropic” is just a term for a broad range of supplements, drugs, or other substances that may have the ability to enhance cognitive function.

Also referred to as smart drugs, the goal of nootropics is to improve memory and cognitive performance in otherwise healthy individuals—hence the nickname. They have also been praised for their neuroprotective benefits. In other words, they not only claim to boost brain power, but they also may protect your brain from deterioration over time.

Natural nootropics versus pharmaceutical nootropics!

Nootropics can be natural, synthetic, or prescription. In fact, the commonly prescribed Ritalin and Adderall are considered nootropics. There are also many synthetic options hitting the market now, but research surrounding their long-term effects is still developing. So while synthetic options like Modafinil, Adrafinil, and Piracetam can seem tempting for those struggling with severe brain fog or fatigue, in functional medicine we strive to uncover and treat the underlying cause and try natural solutions before synthetic ones. Luckily, there is also a wide range of natural nootropics—many of which you might already be familiar with—that have been used in alternative medicine for years.

These natural smart drugs include herbs, like adaptogens, as well as compounds that are commonly found in healthy foods. The biggest difference between these natural nootropics and synthetic and prescription options is how quickly they take effect. So while medications and synthetic drugs offer a quicker reaction time, they also have more intense side effects and require a prescription.

The free market for Nootropics!

In recent years, the market for nootropics has grown . Many substances have only a temporary approval or their effect has not been proven. Sometimes long-term studies on side effects are missing. There is a clear distinction between drugs and other substances. By definition, any substance that positively affects the brain’s performance is a nootropic agent if it has a neuroprotective effect and is non-toxic. In this sense, substances such as amphetamine are not among the nootropics as it is toxic.

A common feature of nootropics is that they all support and enhance the neurotransmitters in the brain and their orbits. The “energy of the brain” is the adenosine triphosphate (abk. ATP), which forms the brain cells themselves from sugar and oxygen. For example, piracetam simplifies and boosts the production of ATP under a condition of lack of oxygen. It also increases the blood flow to the brain, the oxygen consumption and the sugar metabolism.

The 7 Best Nootropics (Smart Drugs) in the market of 2018!

1. Armodafinil

Armodafinil is a drug from the group of psychostimulants, which differs significantly in its molecular structure from the amphetamine. 

Indication:
Used for narcolepsy, depression, idiopathic sleepiness or narcolepsy with excessive sleep during the day.

Contraindication:
1. Disabled for allergic to this product.

2. Left ventricular hypertrophy, ischemic electrocardiographic changes, chest pain, arrhythmia or clinical manifestations of mitral valve prolapse and recent myocardial infarction, unstable angina patients disabled.

Precautions:
1. The drug should be started from a small dose (50 ~ 100mg daily), 50mg every 4 ~ 5 days, until the optimal dose (200 ~ 400mg daily).
2. The dose of patients with severe liver damage is halved, renal insufficiency and dosage of elderly patients should be reduced.
3. Overdose can cause insomnia, central nervous system symptoms, such as restlessness, disorientation, confusion, excitement, hallucinations, digestive system can occur nausea, diarrhea, cardiovascular system can occur tachycardia, bradycardia, high blood pressure, Chest pain. This product has no specific antidote, and it should be supported by overdose.
4. Avoid taking alcoholic beverages while using this product.
5. Those with a history of mental illness should be used with caution.
6. Reproductive toxicity is classified as C, and the use of pregnant women should weigh the pros and cons.
7. The safety of medication for children under 16 years of age has not been evaluated.

2. Modafinil

Modafinil is an awakening accelerator used to treat disorders such as narcolepsy, shift work sleep disturbances, and daytime excessive sleepiness associated with obstructive sleep apnea. Modafinil is also widely used outside of indications as a cognitive enhancer.

Clinical application:
1. Treatment of narcolepsy: narcolepsy is a central nervous system disease whose cause is unknown. The main symptoms are that it can’t stay awake or alert during the day, and there are unstoppable sleep episodes and trips. Patients often cannot make self-made diseases. Sleeping and unable to live normally. As a new kind of awakening drug, Modafinil can make patients get rid of drowsiness during the day and maintain normal work, but there will be no adverse reactions such as abnormal excitement. The most ideal drug for sleep disorders. Studies have shown that modafinil can effectively improve symptoms and significantly reduce the amount of sleep and the number of days during the day without affecting the time and quality of sleep at night. Oral modafinil was administered to 18 patients with spontaneous narcolepsy and 24 patients with narcolepsy at a daily dose of 200-500 mg/day. The results showed that sleep and fatigue were observed in patients with spontaneous narcolepsy and narcolepsy. Sleep was significantly reduced, with a total effective rate of 83% and 71%, respectively. Modafinil can also prevent mental dyskinesia caused by sleep deprivation, improve cognitive function, and has no effect on the beginning, maintenance, awakening and sleep composition of nighttime sleep, nor does it affect the behavior of the morning and the daytime sputum.

2. Treatment of alcoholic organic encephalopathy syndrome: Modafinil can also be used to treat alcoholic organic encephalopathy syndrome. Some people used modafinil to treat alcoholic organic encephalopathy syndrome, and conducted clinical psychological tests and neurophysiological studies. The results showed that modafinil increased excitability after taking the drug daily, and the clinical treatment effective rate was 85%. The effective dose of this product is 200 ~ 400 mg per day, taken twice in the morning and in the middle.

3. Enhance the therapeutic effect of anti-depressant drugs: due to the low addictive nature of modafinil makes it promising as a substitute for other stimulants, is a promising anti-depressant drug enhancer.

4. For the treatment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: clinical evidence suggests that modafinil can improve children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

3. Noopept

Noopept is a nootropic peptide. Noopept increases the ability to learn, improves memory, while providing an impact on all phases of the process: processing, consolidation and retrieval of information. The drug prevents the development of anemia due to electric shock, the absence of a paradoxical phase of sleep, as well as the blockade of glutamatergic and central cholinergic receptor structures.

The neuroprotective effect of the drug Noopept is realized by increasing the resistance of tissues to hypoxia, toxic and traumatic lesions. On the thrombotic model of stroke, Noopept reduces the volume of the lesion, and also prevents the death of the cells of the cerebellum and the cerebral cortex, which are exposed to neurotoxic doses of glutamate and free radical oxygen. In addition, noopept reduces the severity of excess calcium, promotes the normalization of the rheological properties of the blood (due to fibrinolytic, anticoagulant and antiaggregatory action).

4. J147

J147 CAS 1146963-51-0 is an experimental drug is used in the treatment of Alzheimer’s and dementia. An experimental drug called J147 may be a modern elixir. Studies have shown that it can effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease and reverse the aging of mice. Scientists are also ready to use the drug for human clinical trials. Recently, in a research report published in the international magazine Aging Cell , researchers from the Salk Institute unveiled the molecular mechanism by which J147 works. They found that J147 can be a protein in mitochondria. Combines to promote aging cells, mice, and fruit flies that look younger.

Researcher Dave Schubert said that in this study we found a link between the experimental drug J147 and the body’s aging, Alzheimer’s disease; the search for J147 targets may be crucial for the clinical treatment of aging. As early as 2011 , we developed the drug J147 , a modified version of the curry spice turmeric. Since the development of J147, researchers have found that it can effectively reverse the individual’s memory defects and potentially promote new brain cells. At the same time, it can slow or reverse the Alzheimer’s disease in the mouse body, but researchers have not been clear how J147 works at the molecular level.

Many studies have already looked at the effect of hyperzine on Alzheimer’s therapies. Unfortunately, these test results are not very meaningful , as in most cases only a small number of participants was present, or questionable test methods were used.

In a meta-analysis of several research papers, improvements were seen (in Alzheimer’s patients) in the following areas: cognitive skills, general condition, and daily activities. Unfortunately, there is generally little research on pramiracetam, but in the last 10 years, not a single study on the substance has been published.

5. Phenylpiracetam

Phenylpiracetam is a nootropic agent that positively affects mental ability and is considered a mild stimulant. As the name suggests, it is a modification of piracetam , which has an additional phenyl group. Allegedly, it is 20-60 times as strong (on a gram basis) as its parent substance. In a study comparing the two substances, phenylpiracetam was considered more potent than piracetam in the following areas:

Neuroprotection, anti-amnesia, and stimulation. Other names: Font racetam, ( RS ) -2- (4-phenyl-2-oxopyrrolidin-1-yl) acetamide, phenotropil, carphedone

Operation: Due to the structural similarity with the substance phenethylamine, whose molecular structure has stimulatory properties , it can be assumed that there is a connection to the adrenaline and dopamine receptors.

According to the developers of Phenotropil increases the following levels in the brain: blood flow, epinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. However, it has no influence or binding affinity with GABA . In an American research paper (with rodents) there are indications of increased levels of the acetylcholine and NMDA receptors, and a reduced concentration of serotonin and dopamine receptors. 

6. Sunifiram

Sunifiram is closely related to the Racetamen in its chemical structure , and shares many of its nootropic properties. It is advertised as 1000 times as strong as piracetam (gram-based), paying attention to a precise dosage, and it should not be taken with other nootropics together. It was developed mainly as a cheap alternative to Unifiram. It aims to promote memory, learning, clear thinking, concentration, motivation, vision and mood.

Dosage: There are no meaningful studies, but it was decided that 5 – 10mg per day is optimal for most people. Sunifiram should not be overdosed or mixed with other nootropics. Long-term users report tolerance formation, which is why it should only be consumed sporadically or in cycles. It acts as an AMPA agonist and increases the production of glutamine, moreover releases acetylcholine in the cerebral cortex. Although no side effects have been identified through research, Sunifiram may cause severe side effects such as drowsiness, insomnia and headache in case of overdose.

7. Bromantane

Bromantane is a stimulant that helps improve athletic performance. When used once a week , the body should not develop greater tolerance to it, and remain sensitive to the drug. It appears to suppress sleep-induced side effects without compromising cognitive ability. In addition, under normal circumstances (when there is no lack of sleep) it may increase alertness and work capacity. The mechanism of action of modafinil is not fully understood. It is believed to increase the concentration of various neurotransmitters in the brain. Bromantane improves performance in some cognitive areas, such as the working memory, long term memory and thinking ability. Bromantane can reduce the effects of some medications by speeding their breakdown. These include: itraconazole, ciclosporin, temazepam, amitriptyline, erythromycin. If blood-thinning agents such as aspirin or warfarin are taken, you should regularly check your blood clotting.

How to use Nootropics!

The amazing thing about natural nootropics is that you can easily add them to your daily wellness routine. Most of these herbs and compounds can be found in supplement form from any natural food or vitamin store and even online. You can also find adaptogens and turmeric in powder form, which you can add to various smoothies, elixirs, or recipes.

While these natural smart drugs are considered generally safe, it’s still important to remember that the research surrounding them as nootropics is limited and still developing. Since everyone is different, depending on your health case, you may be more sensitive to certain nootropics, such as L-theanine or caffeine. Some people, for example, have specific gene mutations that make metabolizing caffeine more difficult. My advice is to start slow, listen to your body, adjust accordingly, and always tell your doctor about your supplement use.