Natural Nootropics: Safe Brain Boosters or Just Hype?

If you listen to health podcasts or watch fitness videos on YouTube, you’ve no doubt received targeted ads for supplements. Sweetened coffees with scoops of mushroom powder for “better focus,” or small capsules filled with some scientifically-backed mix of vitamins and minerals that promise to sharpen your memory and productivity.

Natural nootropics are often billed as “smart supplements,” and over the past few years, they’ve moved from niche wellness circles into the mainstream. From Joe Rogan to Andrew Huberman, and even major celebrities like Joe Jonas and Kourtney Kardashian, nootropics are a hot topic.

The question you might have is, “Do they actually work, or are they just another empty promise in the ever-growing supplement market?”

Let’s take a closer look at what natural nootropics are and see if the evidence aligns with the hype.

What are Nootropics?

We can thank Romanian chemist and psychologist Corneliu E. Giurgea for coining the term “nootropic.”

In 1964, he synthesized Piracetam, a drug that showed effectiveness for dyslexia, sickle cell anemia, vertigo, and other cognitive disorders.

Back then, the term only applied to prescription compounds. As we now know, you don’t need a doctor’s note to get your hands on nootropics. They’re pretty much available in any drug store or online health shop.

For a nootropic to be natural, it shouldn’t be synthesized. This means it comes from plant extracts, amino acids, vitamins, and dietary compounds.

Go and open your pantry or medicine cabinet and take a look. You probably already have some natural nootropics lying around in there. Fish oil, green tea, and ginseng, to name a few, are some of the most well-known natural nootropic supplements that have been in use for centuries.

Popular Nootropics and the Science Behind Them

Let’s take a look at a few of the most popular natural nootropics and see how well they hold up under research.

Caffeine + L-theanine

We all know caffeine. Can’t start your day without coffee, right?

If you’re someone who gets the jitters or feels irritable when they take caffeine, it’s worth adding L-theanine to the mix.

For those unaware, L-theanine is the natural amino acid found in green tea. Many studies claim it’s the “ultimate coffee enhancer,” since it can mitigate these negative effects and improve a person’s focus and attention.

Best of all, this brain-boosting combo has some of the best evidence to back it up.

Ginkgo Biloba

You’ll often see gingko marketed for memory support, and just like caffeine and L-theanine, there’s tons of research to go with it. However, the results of the research are mixed. Most meta-analysis studies support the benefits of ginkgo for neuropsychiatric disorders, while others show no changes at all.

Panax Ginseng

Ginseng has quite a history. One of its earliest mentions in written text is “Shen Nong’s Pharmacopoeia,” a medicinal herb guide written in China in 196 AD. Even back then, it was thought to offer stamina and vitality.

Modern studies have linked it to increased mood and reduced mental fatigue, though most of them only look at short-term effects.

Lion’s Mane Mushroom

This shaggy-looking mushroom has become quite a popular specimen in recent years. Several early animal and small human studies suggest potential neuroprotective properties and cognitive benefits. While these sample findings are still relatively small and mixed, the general interest in mushrooms as medicine is growing, and with it, so will research.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3s are found in fish and algae oils. There’s plenty of well-documented support for this popular supplement’s long-term brain health benefits. While Omega-3s aren’t likely to give you an immediate mental boost like some other heavily-marketed nootropics, they may play a role in protecting you against age-related decline.

The Safety, Side Effects, and Regulation Side of Nootropics

One of the most important things to understand as a supplement consumer is that “natural” doesn’t always mean “risk-free.”

For example, ginkgo is a natural blood thinner, which means if you’re taking certain medications, it can be quite dangerous. Ginseng can interfere with blood pressure drugs, caffeine can cause insomnia, and some people have allergic reactions to lion’s mane.

As a consumer, finding a reliable nootropic is made even more difficult by the fact that there’s limited regulation. Supplements are federally regulated as food rather than drugs, meaning they aren’t held to the same high standards.

While FDA regulation is undoubtedly stronger than it has ever been, a notable gray area tends to be nootropic companies that make claims without substantial evidence to support them. A consumer can look for a nootropic that says it’ll help them focus better at work, but that claim also has a big asterisk next to it, noting that the claim wasn’t FDA-evaluated.

In essence, while the substances in the supplements might be regulated, it doesn’t mean their claims are verified.

With the HUGE monetary incentive in the almost $4 billion nootropics market, there’s hardly any reason not to make bold health claims.

The point here is that if you’re interested in trying nootropics, do your research and find a reputable brand to source them from.

It’s also worth remembering that nootropics aren’t meant to be a cure-all. No pack of mood-boosting gummies can be a substitute for daily exercise, good sleep, and nutrition.

Should You Try Nootropics?

The best way to enter the world of natural nootropics is with realistic expectations. Some of the only nootropics with real research behind them are caffeine, L-theanine, and omega-3s, which makes them safer bets if you’re just starting out.

If you’re on any medication, check in with your healthcare provider first.