Are Smart Drugs an Effective Path to Biohacking?

Today, we live in a new world where our definitions of supplemental drugs have drastically changed due to the unique nature of our societal needs in the 21st century. The need for a focused creative and flexible mind has pushed human ambition to move aggressively toward natural or synthesized substances (i.e. Nootropics, aka “smart drugs”) that can be taken to improve our mental performance — that is the ability to remain focused, motivated, creative, sharp, and memoriouse.

Nootropics are becoming increasingly popular thanks to their diverse applications all the way from counteracting medical conditions to helping students who just want to ace their exams, to all kinds of looking to push the boundaries of their creative mental capacities.

According to the Zion Market Research report, the nootropic market is expanding rapidly with $1.3 Billion in sales just in 2017 and expected to reach a market size of $6 Billion by 2024. That means there are many people like you who are increasingly interested in learning more about these supplements, so let’s get to it.

What are nootropics?

Nootropic means “Mind Bender”. It is derived from two Greek words:
nous: mind.
tropein: to bend or turn.

The term Nootropic refers to a growing category of more than 80 unique chemicals, each very different from the other in its properties and effectiveness.

Nootropics like Noopept and Piracetam are very popular among UK college students and have thousands of anecdotal testimonies from people all over the world; however, more conclusive and comprehensive research on those nootropics are yet to be done.

Although each of the nootropics being sold on the market has diehard fans who’d swear by them, many of these products have shown to be ineffective compared to the placebo. For that reason, we will only discuss Nootropics that have been proven effective in clinical trials and credible published studies.

When looking at the effectiveness of these drugs, it is important to note that all nootropics are stimulants — short-acting chemicals that give you a boost in mental skills for a short period.

We must first note that although most scientists agree on the effectiveness of these substances in dealing with medical conditions such as Alzheimer and ADHD, the use of cognitive enhancers in healthy people is far more questionable.

According to a recent WebMD interview with Barry Gordon, MD, Ph.D., director of the cognitive neurology/neuropsychology division at Johns Hopkins Medicine “If you’re more confident and think you’ll do better, you will do better.” and that is called the placebo effect.

Therefore, getting enough sleep combined with consistent exercise and a healthy diet would offer an edge for those looking to improve mental skills; Afterward, if you still require an extra cognitive boost you should then consider Nootropics as a supplement.

There are prescription Nootropics that are relatively famous and even popular among college students, those include Modafinil, Adderall, etc. Modafinil addresses the sudden drowsiness of narcolepsy and is sometimes prescribed to help patients recover from a coma. Adderall which contains amphetamines is currently being prescribed to treat ADHD.

Most nootropics sold in the market have either no noticeable side effects or have common but usually temporary side effects which may include:

Temporary high blood pressure
Temporary fast heart rate
Temporary insomnia
Temporary trouble with vision
Addiction

Top 4 Most Effective Nootropics Based on Clinical Studies

1. Caffeine

Drinking coffee has always been effective in improving athletic performance. According to an article published in the International Society of Sports Nutrition, “caffeine is effective for enhancing various types of performance when consumed in low-to-moderate doses.”

One research determined caffeine to increase the activity of the prefrontal lobe and improve brain function in this area which is responsible for attention span, concentration, and planning ahead.

2. L-Theanine

According to a 2016 study, L-theanine could help to increase stress tolerance, Within the first hour of taking this nootropic, the stress response to cognitive stressor becomes significantly reduced, in about three hours after consumption, saliva cortisol (a hormone secreted in response to stress) could be significantly lowered. Acta Neuropsychiatrica peer-reviewed medical journal covering research in neuroscience relevant to neurobiology study published in 2017 found that L-theanine has multiple benefits in reducing anxiety, insomnia, and depression-rooted cognitive decline. L-theanine with caffeine combined make for an amazing balance of calmness, motivation, focus, and energy.

3. Creatine

Creatine is a natural brain compound and an amino acid that your body uses to make protein. Creatine improves energy supply to muscle tissues and is significant when it comes to improving cellular energy deficits in brain tissue and increasing neuroprotection. According to the Journal of Neuromolecular Medicine, creatine has shown to be an effective treatment for Parkinson’s disease. One study suggests it would improve short-term memory and “reasoning of healthy individuals” in addition to providing better mental concentration and memory for healthy individuals and in the early stages of Alzheimer’s Disease.

4. Noopept

Noopept is categorized as a nootropic that is believed to be up to 1,000x more potent than piracetam (meaning it has similar effect sizes with 1,000x smaller doses). The effects are similar to those of piracetam, but Noopept has a different chemical structure and is not technically a racetam. Piracetam affects the early stages of memory formation and processing, whereas Noopept does that in addition to improving the consolidation and retrieval stages of memory. Noopept is claimed to protect the brain against certain forms of neurotoxicity; also, it may have mood-enhancing, counteracting oxidizing effects in living organisms, and anti-inflammatory effects, while improving blood flow. According to one preliminary early clinical trial of 53 with who reported cognitive and emotional disturbances following traumatic brain injuries or strokes, 21 of these patients were prescribed with 20mg of Noopept per day and reported reduce general irritability and anxiety, as well as improve in their emotional stability from the first few days of treatment. While there were some additional perceived improvements in their sleep, and some claimed to have fewer headaches. According to another rat study, Noopept administration led to improvements in their learning rate(the ability to learn). Some rats were responsive and saw results on the very first day, and while others took longer to respond and show any changes.

Daniel Safvat