Here are the 16 best brain supplements & best nootropics backed by scientific studies!

You want to perform better at your job, become smarter, think faster, remember more, and maintain clarity and focus throughout the day.

Maybe you feel like you’ve plateaued in your mental development and think that you are deficient in something that your body is lacking – a vitamin, amino acid, something.  You feel like you’re not as sharp as before.

If you have seen the movie, Limitless, with Bradley Cooper, you know what I’m talking about.  Now, these supplements aren’t going to be like that, but will definitely give you an edge on the competition.  Plus, it’s always better to be safe than endangering your health with dangerous drugs with high side effects.

I have used most of these supplements, still trying out a lot.  Some are incredible, while others are hard to tell if they’re making a difference – and makes you think if you’re just wasting money. I will give you my opinions on each and tell you which ones that I had the most success with.

I have backed all of the claims of these brain supplements with scientific studies.  They are interesting and worthwhile to read.

Supplements are great HOWEVER, I believe in looking for foods first whenever possible. So next to the supplements, I’ll ALSO list foods that are rich in that nutrient.

Remember  – Everyone is different, if something didn’t work for me, it still might work for you.

Please remember that you should address your nutrient deficiencies first before moving on to the these supplements. Not many people know that they are deficient in a lot of vitamins.

  • 70% of people have Folate (b9) deficiency – caused by THIS common gene defect!
  • 40% of people have Vitamin B12 deficiency
  • 75% of people have Magnesium deficiency
  • 90% of people have Vitamin D deficiency

ALSO, a GOOD gut flora is a must for any healthy individual.  Our gut is considered our “2nd Brain” and DIRECTLY affects your mood and cognitive abilities!  If you ever took an antibiotic, it has killed your healthy gut bacteria.  Taking in foods rich in probiotics is an absolute must.

What You Should Look For in a Brain Supplement

  1. Is it backed by Scientific Studies?
  2. Does it work? How does it make you feel?
  3. Do you notice any negative side effects?
  4. Is it made from quality ingredients?
  5. Is it Safe?
  6. What are other customers saying?

 

First, we’ll display a comparison table of the best ALL-IN-ONE Nootropic supplements.  Hopefully this gives you a good visual comparison and will help you in your decision process.

Second, we’ll go into detail with each individual ingredient and go over their scientific studies and why they make the best brain supplements.

 

Best All-in-One Nootropic / Smart Drug

 

 
#1#2#3#4
NameMind Pro LabsOptimindCILTEPSure Focus
Price$ 65Free 10 day Supply
Test it out before you buy		$ 42$ 14
Servings30302030
Pills / Serving2131
Price/ Servings$ 2.16 / Serving$ 0 / Serving$ 2.10/ Serving$ 0.46 / Serving
Price / Pill$ 1.08 / Pill$ 0 / Pill$ 0.70 / Pill$ 0.46 / Pill
---
Quality IngredientsHIGHHIGH / AVERAGEHIGHAVERAGE/ LOW
Soy FreeyesUnknownyesno
Silicon Dioxide Freeyesyesyesno
Full Label Disclosureyesnoyesno
---
Caffeinenoyes-yes
Bacopa Moniera150 mg
(45% active)		yes--
Citicoline250 mg
(Cognizin)		--Choline Bitartrate
L-Theanine100 mg
(Suntheanine)		---
L-Tyrosine175 mg
(NALT)		yes-yes
Phosphatidylserine (PS)100 mgyes--
Lion's Mane Mushroom500 mcg---
Vinpocetine6 mg---
Pterostilbene complex500 mcg---
Rhodiola Rosea Root Extract50 mg---
Vitamin B127.5 mcg
(Methylcobalamin)		500 mcg
(Methylcobalamin)		--
Vitamin B62.5 mg
(P-5-P)		-5mg
(Pyridoxine HCl)		5mg
(Pyridoxine HCl)
Noopept---yes
Huperzine A-yes-yes
Pramiracetam-yes-yes
Taurineyes--
L-Phenylalanine--500 mg-
Forskolin
(Coleus Forskohlii)		--4 mg
(20 mg)		-
Artichoke Extract--900 mg-
N-Acetyl L-Carnitine--750 mg-
Full ReviewSee our
Mind Lab Pro review		Our Review
Coming Soon		Our Review
Coming Soon		Our Review
Coming Soon
Our Rating4.5/54.0/54.3/53.5/5
Available Here
$65		Available Here
**FREE 10 Days**		Available Here
$42		Available Here
$14

Qualia reviewHere is a brand new supplement for your brain that I found that is extremely promising, I haven’t tried it out yet but people are raving about it.  People like Ben Greenfield have hailed this as “The God Pill” (not trying to be blasphemous here).  It’s called Qualia by NeuroHacker and I highly encourage you to check them out.  I didn’t include it in the list above because… well it’s pretty expensive and is in a class above the rest.  Qualia literally has EVERYTHING – 42 ingredients. It is the creme de la creme, the Cadillac of smart supplements.

Use code “flexyourbrain” for a 10% discount.

Individual Supplements & Studies

Ginkgo Biloba - Best Brain Supplements and Best Nootropics

Ginkgo Biloba

Everybody has heard of ginkgo biloba at some point in their life. Ginkgo biloba benefits are incredible and have stood the test of time in prescription medication in Europe and traditional Chinese medicine.

Ginkgo biloba benefits are:

  • Decreasing Stress
  • Decreasing Anxiety
  • Improving Depression
  • increases brain circulation
  • balances neurotransmitter levels such as dopamine, serotonin, GABA
  • protects the brain from free radical damage
  • Sources

However, there have been some recent scientific criticism about the benefits of ginkgo biloba.

Two major studies have concluded that ginkgo biloba has no “noticeable” benefits in enhancing the brain’s ability to memorize and execute functions – Study 1 and Study 2

I wouldn’t be too concerned with the recent studies, I believe that there’s a reason that ginkgo biloba has stood the test of time in many civilizations and why it’s even a prescription in Europe – it’s because it works.  It has easily made it on our list of best brain supplements & best nootropics.

Ginkgo Biloba Supplements to Try out:

 

Looking for a convenient All-In-One supplement for your brain?

Jeopardy Champion Ken Jennings takes this supplement.  And it has a lot of these science backed supplements in it.

 

 

Vinpocetine - THe Best Brain Supplements and Best Nootropics

Vinpocetine

Vinpocetine is a synthetic form of vincamine, which is a natural occurring compound found in the periwinkle plant.

This is a relatively new brain supplement that straddles the line between smart drug and brain supplements.

In other countries like Europe and Japan, Vinpocetine is only available by prescription, but in the US it is an over-the-counter supplement that you can get easily especially on Amazon.

Doctors in Europe believe that this supplement is more effective than ginkgo biloba which has a very good reputation as one of the best brain supplements.

Vinpocetine does the following:

  • improves reaction time
  • improves overall mental well-being
  • improves memory
  • protects the brain from degrading, making it a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease
  • decreases brain inflammation
  • protects against free radical damage
  • balances out your neurotransmitter levels

Sources:

My Experience:

I really liked Vinpocetine.  You definitely receive a mental clarity different from caffeine. It’s not a HUGE difference but you can definitely tell… you have to take it for a week to notice a difference.  Sadly, after awhile I began to have huge headaches and so I stopped taking it. This could be from that specific brand I was taking, source naturals.  I also was taking a little bit too much. So if you decide to try this out, note that it takes a couple days to a week to feel anything and that you need to pay attention to the dose and not overdue it.

While I didn’t find much luck with this, I still added it to the list of It has easily made it on our list of best brain supplements & best nootropics.  Other people have received great results with this, and it’s worth a shot.

Items to Try out:

Bacopa Monnieri - increase focus - best brain supplements - herbs for brain

Bacopa Monnieri

Bacopa Monnieri is now included in my best brain supplements list – It is a traditional herbal brain elixir that has been used for THOUSANDS of years to enhance learning, memory, and focus.

It’s used in chinese and Aravedic medicine and is touted by some to be extremely powerful – Source

It works by balancing out your levels of serotonin, dopamine, and GABA, and while decreasing the levels of cortisol, which is your stress hormone.

Bacopa Monnieri also:

  • Promotes better sleep
  • Allows you to deal with stress better
  • Treat anxiety

Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18611150

If you’re stressed out, this is an excellent choice if you have problems with your memory, learning, and concentration because you’re stressed out.

Bacopa Monnieri Supplements to try out:

Soy Beans - improve memory with Phosphatidyl Serine (PS)

Phosphatidyl Serine (PS)

Phosphatidyl Serine is a phospholipid (a key part in every cell membrane of the human body) and is found in high concentrations in the brain. PS supplements are usually derived from soybeans.

Phosphatidylserine acts as the gatekeeper to your brain by regulating which nutrients get delivered to the brain and what the brain decides to waste.

It’s awesome for boosting your memory, concentration, overall learning, and overall brain cognition.

It helps with attention deficit disorders such as ADD and ADHD –  Source

Some large studies have shown that phosphatidylserine could be an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive diseases.

It reduces stress by regulating the levels of cortisol, your stress hormone – Source

It can improve your mood, help with overall depression (especially in seniors) – Source 1 &  Source 2

Guess what, it can even improve your golf game!  Check out the study here.

It’s commonly used to increase memory by students to improve exam performance.

Phosphatidylserine Supplements to check out

Best Selling Author Dr Parris Kidd explains more below:

 

 

Rhodiola Rosea - Herbs for Brain

Rhodiola Rosea

Rhodiola rosea is another herb that is derived from the Rhodiola plant.

It’s traditional usage has been use to:

  • Prevent altitude sickness
  • Help cope with cold climates
  • Enhances mood
  • Helps with fighting fatigue
  • Improves reasoning skills

Source:  Adaptogen, A. P. P. (2001). Rhodiola rosea: a possible plant adaptogen. Alternative Medicine Review, 6(3), 293-302.

Rhodiola Supplements to Try Out:

 

Reduce brain fog - Acetyl-l-Carnitine (ALC)

Acetyl-l-Carnitine (ALC)

Acetyl l-carnitine is an amino acid that possesses some very powerful antioxidant properties that protect your brain from free radical damage – Source

It helps by reducing brain fog while increasing clarity, focus, processing speed, better moods, and memory and also keeps your brain young.

One study found that acetyl l-carnitine stabilizes tau proteins that entangle the brain and possibly cause Alzheimer’s.

It is also a antidepressant that usually brings relief within about a week of using it every day.

It helps utilize glucose in the blood by the brain more efficiently by increasing insulin sensitivity of the brain cells.

If you consume too much alcohol, it may also prevent brain damage.

 

Acetyl L-Carnitine Supplements

Avoid the cheap inexpensive l-carnitine supplement on the market and don’t confuse it with acetyl l-carnitine. ALC is highly bioavailable in crosses the blood brain barrier more readily compared to l-carnitine that you want to avoid.

Ken Hassen explains more on Acetyl-l-Carnitine (ALC) below: