4 ms·

I am a little ambivalent about that. How about coffee, vitamin d, calcium and tyrosine? All of them have proven benefits, nothing fringe: http://www.informati

I am a little ambivalent about that. How about coffee, vitamin d, calcium and tyrosine? All of them have proven benefits, nothing fringe: http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/snake-oil-supplements/ http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/snake-o... That combined with exercise, sleep and eating well is pretty much my "stack." Personally I would rather not risk the possibility of destroying my brain with something unproven. However, for things with proven benefits and little chance of side-effects, well, why not? So, while I would prefer to avoid self-experimentation personally, I am glad others are working to establish what works, what is safe, etc.

scriptkiddy 10y ago
Caffeine, calcium, and Tyrosine can all be found in normal food and beverages. There's no need to supplement them unless you have a terrible diet. You can get vitamin d by going outside every once in a while.
- AstralStorm 10y ago
  If you live in southern US or in Australia, maybe. No way in most of Europe or UK, except during summer. Too low insolation.
- metaphorm 10y ago
  what "normal" food contains caffeine? brewed coffee is a drug preparation. the trace quantities of it you find in things like chocolate are largely below the level of being noticeable or effectual. chocolate itself is essentially a drug preparation also. you aren't eating chocolate purely for nourishment. you eat it because it makes you feel good. so I ask again, what is "normal" food? where do you get your ideas of normal from?
- Practicality 10y ago
  You should check out the research cited on Vitamin D in the first link: "vitamin D supplementation decreases all-cause mortality in adults and older people" While it certainly is possible to "get vitamin D" by going outside, that doesn't mean it's enough. The leading theory as to the advantage of having white skin is that it assists in providing more vitamin D in latitudes without as much direct sunlight. This means the amount you get by "going outside once in a while" is not sufficient (otherwise we wouldn't need the advantage of getting as much as possible) Likewise, drinking coffee removes calcium and vitamin d from your body, so it is wise to replace them, especially if you drink a lot of coffee. Also, while I might not "need" to supplement them because I am getting "enough" that doesn't mean I won't benefit by taking more. Indeed, we're talking about Nootropics here, not just staying alive.

scriptkiddy 10y ago

Caffeine, calcium, and Tyrosine can all be found in normal food and beverages. There's no need to supplement them unless you have a terrible diet. You can get vitamin d by going outside every once in a while.

AstralStorm 10y ago
If you live in southern US or in Australia, maybe. No way in most of Europe or UK, except during summer. Too low insolation.
metaphorm 10y ago
what "normal" food contains caffeine? brewed coffee is a drug preparation. the trace quantities of it you find in things like chocolate are largely below the level of being noticeable or effectual. chocolate itself is essentially a drug preparation also. you aren't eating chocolate purely for nourishment. you eat it because it makes you feel good. so I ask again, what is "normal" food? where do you get your ideas of normal from?
Practicality 10y ago
You should check out the research cited on Vitamin D in the first link: "vitamin D supplementation decreases all-cause mortality in adults and older people" While it certainly is possible to "get vitamin D" by going outside, that doesn't mean it's enough. The leading theory as to the advantage of having white skin is that it assists in providing more vitamin D in latitudes without as much direct sunlight. This means the amount you get by "going outside once in a while" is not sufficient (otherwise we wouldn't need the advantage of getting as much as possible) Likewise, drinking coffee removes calcium and vitamin d from your body, so it is wise to replace them, especially if you drink a lot of coffee. Also, while I might not "need" to supplement them because I am getting "enough" that doesn't mean I won't benefit by taking more. Indeed, we're talking about Nootropics here, not just staying alive.