4 ms·

Ask HN: Which nootropics actually work?

I'd be interested in hearing about any non-prescription nootropics or supplements that have actually helped people, specifically WRT focus, clarity and creativity. There have been discussions here from time-to-time, but wondering about recent experiences.

CuriouslyC 9y ago
The clinical evidence for nootropics in for healthy young people is limited, but the case is strong for older adults or people with cognitive impairment. Nicotine, caffeine and provigil are the only things that seem to work for everyone. It is worth noting that while nootropics probably aren't going to make you smarter, there are many compounds that are likely to enhance long term memory formation. The mechanism for this is stimulation of BDNF secretion, which plays a role in neural stem cell proliferation in the hippocampus. Short chain fatty acids from dietary fiber fermentation, niacin, curcumin, green tea catechins and magnesium have all been shown to be beneficial in this regard. Of course, probably the best single thing you can do to improve your mind is get more exercise.
gcoda 9y ago
Keto diet boosted my brain a bit. And i just recently heard that glucose metabolism is getting worse with age. Look into exogenous ketones, if you do not have time for diet. Modafinil kinda works, and with low doses of cannabis it works for me even better.
muzani 9y ago
Nootropics are nothing magical. The effect is similar to listening to the right music or working at the right time. Effectiveness drops sharply past caffeine. The big ones are exercise, diet, and sleep. These do more than most nootropics. Exercise: A run, hike, some cardio at least once a week. Walking in a shopping mall doesn't count. Diet: Your brain runs on glucose. Keep your glucose level moderate. Caffeine is an obvious one, but I find that the side effect of caffeine is that it makes you more anxious. Personally, I'm already under stress so the extra kick from caffeine makes it worse. It's suitable if you're feeling exhausted, but not something to take every day. L-Theanine is the most effective I found. L-Theanine is both calming and focusing. It's great during a deadline, or stressful situations like negotiations and interviews. It's my go to drug for programming as often I have to calm myself down from getting too energetic. You can combine L-Theanine with caffeine, as they complement each other. It depends on how your day is going. Vitamin E injections (not pills) seem to work very well for me. The effect is similar to exercise in that it feels better, and it's really obvious when it wears off. I'm surprised there isn't more documented evidence for this.
- thenomad 9y ago
  Just for clarification - as brisk walking is generally considered to be rather good moderate exercise - your comment that "Walking in a shopping mall doesn't count" is because it's expected to be slow rather than brisk walking, I assume?
  - muzani 9y ago
    If you do brisk walking throughout the whole shopping mall, it counts, but if it's just window browsing where you have a lot of steps but low heart rate it doesn't.
- miguelrochefort 9y ago
  > Diet: Your brain runs on glucose. ... or ketones, which are preferred and boost mental performance.
- unclebucknasty 9y ago
  >The big ones are exercise, diet, and sleep. These do more than most nootropics. Thanks. Yeah, I've recently entered a phase where this trifecta has been sub-optimal for me, owed to work. There's been a clear impact from it, so I do need to make some changes there. But, even when I was on top of those, I felt I needed a boost, especially with focus and clarity. Memory too, really. I'll look into the L-Theanine. Also been looking at DMAE, Ginko, CoQ10, Huperzine A, Gotu Kola, and choline.
shahbaby 9y ago
I wouldn't trust bro-science or profit driven companies with my mental health. Train your body and you will also be training your mind.
drakonka 9y ago
It seems like caffeine and creatine are the two nootropics with a substantial amount of evidence behind them.
throwaway100817 9y ago
Not exactly nootropics but... microdosing LSD/shrooms
michalpt 9y ago
I have an inattentive type of ADHD and have tried almost everything to help me be a bit more focused when working. From prescribed Ritalin and Concerta (basically an extended version of Ritalin) to nootropics such as Pyracetam etc. Now the Ritalin of course had the biggest effect in terms of focus but after a while I started to feel like a zombie and junkie (lots of jittering, bad mood etc). So one day I decided to flush everything into a toilet and decided to only use available nootropics, not doctor prescribed medications. After a while I discovered DMAE and after 6 months of using it (350-500mg daily) I can say it is almost as effective as Ritalin for me without those nasty side effects and come-downs. The good thing about DMAE is that it helps me focus, yet it still feels natural without that "speedy feeling" effect of Ritalin. Now of course everyone is different and I know some people getting headaches from DMAE and no real results. You really need to test out what works best for your brain.
- unclebucknasty 9y ago
  DMAE happens to be one that I've just gotten in today. I tend to have a somewhat exaggerated sensitivity to certain things and, of the supplements I'm considering, DMAE's potential for side effects is probably the most concerning. So, I think I will ease into it with much smaller doses than recommended. Thanks for sharing your experience.
  - michalpt 9y ago
    Yes, as I said everyone is different so you need to test it out. For example I felt very bad after using Pyracetam. There was no improvement of my focus ability, in fact I was sleepy and head hurt.

CuriouslyC 9y ago

The clinical evidence for nootropics in for healthy young people is limited, but the case is strong for older adults or people with cognitive impairment. Nicotine, caffeine and provigil are the only things that seem to work for everyone. It is worth noting that while nootropics probably aren't going to make you smarter, there are many compounds that are likely to enhance long term memory formation. The mechanism for this is stimulation of BDNF secretion, which plays a role in neural stem cell proliferation in the hippocampus. Short chain fatty acids from dietary fiber fermentation, niacin, curcumin, green tea catechins and magnesium have all been shown to be beneficial in this regard. Of course, probably the best single thing you can do to improve your mind is get more exercise.

gcoda 9y ago

Keto diet boosted my brain a bit. And i just recently heard that glucose metabolism is getting worse with age. Look into exogenous ketones, if you do not have time for diet. Modafinil kinda works, and with low doses of cannabis it works for me even better.

muzani 9y ago

Nootropics are nothing magical. The effect is similar to listening to the right music or working at the right time. Effectiveness drops sharply past caffeine. The big ones are exercise, diet, and sleep. These do more than most nootropics. Exercise: A run, hike, some cardio at least once a week. Walking in a shopping mall doesn't count. Diet: Your brain runs on glucose. Keep your glucose level moderate. Caffeine is an obvious one, but I find that the side effect of caffeine is that it makes you more anxious. Personally, I'm already under stress so the extra kick from caffeine makes it worse. It's suitable if you're feeling exhausted, but not something to take every day. L-Theanine is the most effective I found. L-Theanine is both calming and focusing. It's great during a deadline, or stressful situations like negotiations and interviews. It's my go to drug for programming as often I have to calm myself down from getting too energetic. You can combine L-Theanine with caffeine, as they complement each other. It depends on how your day is going. Vitamin E injections (not pills) seem to work very well for me. The effect is similar to exercise in that it feels better, and it's really obvious when it wears off. I'm surprised there isn't more documented evidence for this.

thenomad 9y ago
Just for clarification - as brisk walking is generally considered to be rather good moderate exercise - your comment that "Walking in a shopping mall doesn't count" is because it's expected to be slow rather than brisk walking, I assume?
- muzani 9y ago
  If you do brisk walking throughout the whole shopping mall, it counts, but if it's just window browsing where you have a lot of steps but low heart rate it doesn't.
miguelrochefort 9y ago
> Diet: Your brain runs on glucose. ... or ketones, which are preferred and boost mental performance.
unclebucknasty 9y ago
>The big ones are exercise, diet, and sleep. These do more than most nootropics. Thanks. Yeah, I've recently entered a phase where this trifecta has been sub-optimal for me, owed to work. There's been a clear impact from it, so I do need to make some changes there. But, even when I was on top of those, I felt I needed a boost, especially with focus and clarity. Memory too, really. I'll look into the L-Theanine. Also been looking at DMAE, Ginko, CoQ10, Huperzine A, Gotu Kola, and choline.

shahbaby 9y ago

I wouldn't trust bro-science or profit driven companies with my mental health. Train your body and you will also be training your mind.

drakonka 9y ago

It seems like caffeine and creatine are the two nootropics with a substantial amount of evidence behind them.

throwaway100817 9y ago

Not exactly nootropics but... microdosing LSD/shrooms

michalpt 9y ago

I have an inattentive type of ADHD and have tried almost everything to help me be a bit more focused when working. From prescribed Ritalin and Concerta (basically an extended version of Ritalin) to nootropics such as Pyracetam etc. Now the Ritalin of course had the biggest effect in terms of focus but after a while I started to feel like a zombie and junkie (lots of jittering, bad mood etc). So one day I decided to flush everything into a toilet and decided to only use available nootropics, not doctor prescribed medications. After a while I discovered DMAE and after 6 months of using it (350-500mg daily) I can say it is almost as effective as Ritalin for me without those nasty side effects and come-downs. The good thing about DMAE is that it helps me focus, yet it still feels natural without that "speedy feeling" effect of Ritalin. Now of course everyone is different and I know some people getting headaches from DMAE and no real results. You really need to test out what works best for your brain.

unclebucknasty 9y ago
DMAE happens to be one that I've just gotten in today. I tend to have a somewhat exaggerated sensitivity to certain things and, of the supplements I'm considering, DMAE's potential for side effects is probably the most concerning. So, I think I will ease into it with much smaller doses than recommended. Thanks for sharing your experience.
- michalpt 9y ago
  Yes, as I said everyone is different so you need to test it out. For example I felt very bad after using Pyracetam. There was no improvement of my focus ability, in fact I was sleepy and head hurt.