Brain supplements (also known as nootropics) are designed to optimize brain function, boost memory, and improve focus and mental clarity. In a world of increasing stress and anxiety, where more and more attention and brain space is demanded of us, this is nothing to be sniffed at.
We could all benefit from regular brain supplement usage.
But there are plenty out there – an overwhelming number, when you look into it. And not all are created equal. In fact, some are downright terrible. Then again, some are genuinely brilliant. So which do you go with?
Happily, we’ve done the legwork for you. Below, we have a list packed with some of the best brain supplements in today’s marketplace.
Our Favorite Brain Supplement?
NooCube is a top-tier brain supplement made to the highest standard, with an excellent and diverse formula to back it up.
With carefully selected ingredients like Alpha GPC, huperzine A, and bacopa monnieri, it delivers an incredibly comprehensive boost for enhancing memory, focus, and overall cognitive function. Its potent blend of ingredients works synergistically to optimize brain health and unlock cognitive potential.
From improved memory retention to enhanced mental clarity, NooCube delivers remarkable results. It’s the one I always go with, and I suspect it will serve you just as well as it does me.
Our favorite Brain supplements
NooCube
I want to begin with NooCube, my own personal favorite. It’s my nootropic of choice – I keep a stash to hand in my supplement cupboard at all times.
With a unique blend of carefully chosen ingredients, NooCube brings to bear a powerful formula that can have a genuinely transformative effect on your mental capabilities and overall wellbeing.
NooCube’s formula kicks off with its flagship ingredient, Alpha GPC. It’s a formidable source of choline, without which no nootropic formula would be complete. Alpha GPC acts as a precursor to acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter vital for memory, attention, and overall brain health.
This crucial ingredient not only enhances cognitive function, but also offers potential protection against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. With 50 mg per serving, NooCube goes above and beyond by ensuring your brain’s vitality and longevity with just about the best choline kick on the market.
Bacopa Monnieri extract comes next, a natural extract derived from water hyssop which enjoys a long-standing history in traditional medicine for its memory-boosting properties. It’s a bit of a game-changer for memory enhancement in the modern world, too.
The active compounds in bacopa monnieri, bacosides, help to protect brain cells from oxidative stress whilst also promoting neural communication. You get a well-dosed hit of 250 mg per serving, which really should work wonders for you. Extensive research supports its ability to improve memory retention and reduce anxiety, making it an indispensable component of NooCube’s formula.
Stress management is a crucial aspect of maintaining optimal cognitive function, and NooCube addresses this with two powerful amino acids: L-tyrosine and L-theanine, two stalwarts of the nootropic world.
L-tyrosine plays a key role in the production of the stress neurotransmitters, epinephrine and norepinephrine, and preliminary studies suggest that it can enhance memory under stressful situations. Meanwhile, L-theanine, sourced from tea and mushrooms, is renowned for its ability to mitigate the effects of anxiety. By promoting serotonin production, L-theanine offers a natural mood stabilizer, promoting a calm and focused state of mind.
NooCube is not just about cognitive enhancement, of course. Its manufacturers, Wolfson Berg, also prioritize overall wellbeing. The inclusion of cat’s claw concentrate at 175 mg per serving is a testament to this fact. An Amazonian botanical, cat’s claw has a rich history of use in South and Central American traditional medicine forms, where it has been used to treat various health concerns. Its immune boosting properties not only contribute to overall vitality, but also play a role in slowing down brain aging.
NooCube also incorporates oat straw concentrate in order to fuel your brain with the oxygen and nutrients it needs. Sourced from the stems and leaves of the unripened sativa plant, oat straw aids in blood flow regulation to the brain. This increased blood flow results in improved repair, enhanced energy levels, and enhanced cognitive function. By nourishing your brain, oat straw concentrate helps you stay focused and alert, optimizing your overall cognitive performance.
Turning now to a focus on combating stress and aging, NooCube also makes great use of marigold extract and resveratrol, both of which are very rich in antioxidants.
Marigold extract, high in lutein and zeaxanthin, aids in memory and cognitive function, whilst also possessing anti-inflammatory properties, protecting the brain from stress-induced damage. Resveratrol, typically found in grape, blueberry, mulberry, raspberry, and peanut skins, offers further brain protection, enhances clarity, aids focus, and reduces the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.
NooCube’s dedication to holistic brain health extends to the inclusion of vitamin B7, or biotin. Amongst numerous other roles it plays within the body, biotin supports a healthy nervous system. Research suggests that it has the potential to improve sleep quality, deliver sustained energy levels, and reduce anxiety. By nurturing your nervous system, NooCube ensures a solid foundation for optimal cognitive function.
NooCube represents a turning point in the field of nootropics, offering a comprehensive and well-researched combination of ingredients that can significantly enhance your cognitive performance. It’s about the highest-quality supplement I’ve ever come across and, as above, it’s my go-to supplement for brain health.
Hunter Focus
NooCube is far from the only game in town, however. It faces stiff competition, in no small part from the likes of Hunter Focus, a premium brain supplement specifically formulated to enhance focus, concentration, and overall mental clarity. By combining a carefully crafted blend of high-quality ingredients, Hunter Focus represents an incredibly rich resource for anybody looking to unlock their full cognitive potential.
Lion’s Mane Mushroom sits at the heart of Hunter Focus’ formula with a 500 mg serving. It’s a natural ingredient known for its cognitive-enhancing properties. The compounds found in Lion’s Mane Mushroom promote the growth and regeneration of nerve cells, leading to improved cognitive function. Studies have shown that supplementing with Lion’s Mane Mushroom extract can enhance memory retention, mental clarity, and overall brain health.
Hunter Focus also makes use of bacopa monnieri extract, which we have seen is a time-tested herb known for its memory-boosting capabilities. It comes in the tune of 300 mg, a very healthy helping. By bolstering choline levels in the brain, it should help to improve memory whilst also reducing anxiety and stress, enabling you to maintain better concentration and mental performance.
Ashwagandha comes into play here, too, also dosed at 300 mg per serving. It’s one of my favorite ingredients – I rarely live without it. It’s an adaptogenic herb known for its stress-reducing properties, and Hunter Focus makes use of a potent extract to bring you these benefits.
Ashwagandha helps to regulate the levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, in the body. In so doing, it promotes a sense of calm and mental clarity. By reducing stress and anxiety, Ashwagandha should empower you to experience improved focus, concentration, and productivity, even in high-pressure situations.
You get 800mg of Acetyl-L-Carnitine, a naturally occurring amino acid that provides numerous cognitive benefits. It supports the production of acetylcholine, which as we have seen is a neurotransmitter essential for memory and learning. Acetyl-L-Carnitine also helps to increase energy production in brain cells, enhancing cognitive function and mental clarity.
This is backed up by a full 250 mg of choline, which helps support brain health by increasing the availability of acetylcholine. This, in turn, enhances memory, focus, and overall cognitive function.
Then there is the almost obligatory inclusion of L-tyrosine and L-theanine, which as we have seen bring plenty of health benefits, including to focus, attention, and cognitive performance, especially when stressed or fatigued, alongside improved overall relaxation and reduced anxiety levels.
Ginko Biloba is derived from the leaves of the Ginkgo tree and has been used for centuries to support brain health. It improves cognitive function by increasing blood flow to the brain, aiding memory, concentration, and overall mental performance, and Hunter Focus gives you 120 mg per serving.
You also get 100 mg of caffeine anhydrous, which should give you a kick start, improving energy and alertness, as well as acting as a nootropic in its own right.
This is a far from exhaustive list. There is much more to celebrate in Hunter Focus, including a rich array of antioxidants, whose importance in maintaining brain health and healthy function we’ve already seen.
As well as this, Hunter Focus contains a significant dose of vitamins, including vitamin B6 to support optimal brain function and cognitive performance. It combines Vitamin B9 and Vitamin B12 for brain health and cognitive function. With its powerful antioxidant properties, Vitamin C supports brain health by combating oxidative stress.
Vitamin D3 plays a crucial role in maintaining brain health and cognitive function. Vitamin K2 is crucial for brain health and activates proteins that help maintain and support healthy brain tissue.
Hunter Focus combines a wide array of scientifically justified ingredients to deliver a comprehensive brain supplement designed to optimize cognitive performance. From essential vitamins like B6, B9, B12, and C to powerful botanical extracts like Lion’s Mane Mushroom and bacopa, each ingredient plays a vital role in enhancing memory, focus, and overall mental clarity.
It is a brilliant supplement and a genuine credit to the nootropic and brain optimization industry.
NooCeptin
Next, we come onto NooCeptin, another top-shelf brain supplement that gives its competitors a run for their money. As with its competitors, it is formulated to enhance cognitive performance, increase mental clarity, and unlock your full potential. By making use of a precise blend of high-quality ingredients, it represents a great boost to your memory, focus, and overall brain health.
It begins as NooCube does, with Alpha-GPC, a highly bioavailable form of choline. It plays a vital role in enhancing cognitive function by crossing the blood-brain barrier and increasing the acetylcholine levels in the brain. As we have seen, acetylcholine is a vital neurotransmitter essential for learning, memory, and overall cognitive performance.
NooCeptin also makes great use of the power of bacopa monnieri which, as we know, aids in improving memory, boosting cognitive function, and providing greater mental resilience.
This is backed up incredibly well by huperzine A, a natural compound derived from the Chinese club moss plant, traditionally used for cognitive enhancement.
Huperzine A inhibits the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, which breaks down acetylcholine. By blocking this enzyme, Huperzine A increases the availability of acetylcholine in the brain, leading to improved memory, focus, and overall cognitive function.
Panax ginseng, a herbal adaptogen, plays a large part in NooCeptin’s success. It is an ancient herb with a centuries’ long history of use in supporting cognitive function and promoting overall wellbeing. Panax ginseng enhances mental clarity, alertness, and focus by stimulating the production of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine. As well as this, it helps in reducing mental fatigue and enhancing energy levels, allowing individuals to maintain concentration and high-performance mental tasks.
NooCeptin also incorporates ginkgo biloba extract into its formula, derived from one of the oldest-living tree species on Earth. Ginkgo biloba can enhance cognitive function by improving blood circulation to the brain. By increasing blood flow, it supports oxygen and vital nutrient delivery, necessary for optimal brain performance.
NooCeptin integrates mucuna pruriens extract into all of this. It’s a natural source of L-Dopa, the precursor to dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter responsible for motivation, focus, and overall cognitive agility. By optimizing dopamine levels in the brain, mucuna pruriens extract enhances focus, mental alertness, and motivation. It should play a key role in keeping your motivation up whilst balancing out your mental wellbeing quite nicely.
Finally, NooCeptin includes phosphatidylserine to help protect and nourish brain cells. Phosphatidylserine is a vital phospholipid found in abundance in neural tissue. It supports cognitive function and memory by enhancing cell signaling, promoting the formation and maintenance of healthy brain cells, and reducing age-related cognitive decline. By including phosphatidylserine, NooCeptin ensures your brain’s long-term health, protecting your brain cells from harm and the effects of aging.
NooCeptin is a wonderful nootropic supplement that really should help you to live your best life when you take it regularly. Its meticulously selected blend of ingredients, including hard hitters like alpha-GPC, bacopa monnieri extract, huperzine A, panax ginseng, and ginkgo biloba extract, should work in synergy to provide a comprehensive brain boost, improving memory, focus, and overall brain health. I really, really like it, and am happy to bet that you would, too.
Mind Lab Pro
Let’s end on a high, with the only other nootropic that I have personally and consistently used to great effect over the years – Mind Lab Pro.
Mind Lab Pro is an incredibly well-made, high-quality addition to the nootropic sphere. By combining a carefully selected blend of high-quality ingredients, Mind Lab Pro offers a multi-pronged solution for enhancing focus, memory, and overall mental performance.
Citicoline lies at the core of Mind Lab Pro’s formula. It’s a highly bioavailable form of choline, whose importance we’ve already seen, increasing acetylcholine levels and enhancing cognitive functions across the board, bolstering areas like memory, focus, and learning.
Mind Lab Pro also uses bacopa monnieri – again, we’ve seen what this can do. Bacopa monnieri has long been used in traditional medicine to support memory, enhance cognitive function, and reduce anxiety and stress. By making use of bacopa monnieri extract, Mind Lab Pro aids in improving memory, mental performance, and overall brain health.
Likewise, Lion’s Mane Mushroom. It, too, contains compounds that stimulate the growth and regeneration of nerve cells, leading to improved cognitive function and brain health, as we have seen. By supporting the production of nerve growth factors, Lion’s Mane Mushroom helps to enhance memory, concentration, and overall mental performance, making it a valuable addition to Mind Lab Pro’s formula.
To nourish and protect brain cells, Mind Lab Pro includes phosphatidylserine. By doing so, Mind Lab Pro ensures the long-term health and protection of brain cells, enabling optimal cognitive performance, as the likes of NooCeptin do. And by incorporating the amino acid L-theanine, Mind Lab Pro helps you to maintain focus, combat distractions, and achieve optimal productivity even in high-pressure situations.
Mind Lab Pro gives you a pretty comprehensive complex of B-vitamins, including B6, B9, and B12, whose benefits we’ve also already seen. These vitamins play a crucial role in brain function and overall mental wellbeing.
Mind Lab Pro prioritizes brain health. To this end, it includes maritime pine bark extract, which is a little novel (and very welcome). It’s a powerful antioxidant source that supports cognitive function and memory by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain.
Clinical studies have shown its ability to enhance blood flow, protect against neurodegenerative diseases, and promote better overall brain circulation. By safeguarding the brain against age-related decline and neurodegeneration, maritime pine bark should help to keep your brain young even as the rest of you ages.
I personally love Mind Lab Pro. There are few supplements that come close to it – there are few that have given me such a potent, fundamental range of benefits (NooCube aside, of course).
Its carefully selected blend of ingredients, including heavy hitters like citicoline, bacopa monnieri extract, Lion’s Mane Mushroom, Phosphatidylserine, and maritime pine bark extract, work incredibly well together to enhance focus, memory, and overall cognitive performance, both in the short and longer term.
Brain Supplement FAQs
After reading about these incredible brain boosters listed above, you may have the same questions I had many moons ago when I first started using them. Here are the answers:
What Exactly are Brain Supplements?
Brain supplements, more commonly known as nootropics or cognitive enhancers, are substances that can improve cognitive function, memory, focus, and overall brain performance.
Are Brain supplements safe to use?
The safety of brain boosting supplements can vary depending on the specific substance and individual factors. It is important to research and consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new supplement or drug regimen.
Are nootropics legal to use?
The legal status of nootropics can vary by country and specific ingredients. It is important to check the local regulations and ensure compliance before using any nootropic substance.
Please note that these answers are pretty general for a vast industry. It is always a good idea to seek professional advice and do thorough research before starting any new supplement regimen. Always remember to consult your healthcare provider before trying any new supplement.
Verdict
For me, the top spot in the nootropic marketplace has always been dominated by Mind Lab Pro and NooCube. Having personally used both products with great success over the years, I can confidently say that they are in a league of their own. While NooCube’s diverse formula and overall quality give it a slight edge in my experience – combined with my own personal experience (it’s terrific) – it’s still a very close call.
If you’re looking for any kind of cognitive boost or enhancement, these are among the best options going. I would highly recommend NooCube to anyone at all, but I also encourage you to give Mind Lab Pro a fair chance if you fancy it. I doubt you’ll be disappointed either way.
James Dixon is one of the key players in the SOMA Analytics’ team. He is a personal trainer and is educated to Masters level in Philosophy. He is a published author and is a keen advocate of high quality nootropic supplements.
James enjoys helping others to reach their peak both physically and mentally and believes that expressing his knowledge through his writing is an effective way to positively impact the wellbeing of others on a larger scale.