Welcome! My name is David Tomen, and I am the author of NootropicsExpert.com, my books Head First 2nd Edition – The Complete Guide to Healing & Optimizing Your Brain with Nootropic Supplements and (FREE!) Secrets of the Optimized Brain, and my Nootropics Expert YouTube channel.
I started Nootropics Expert® in January 2016. You can learn more about my story and why I started Nootropics Expert over on my About Page.
You can quickly see the nootropic supplements that I personally use every day on this page: What I Take
And if you’re in a hurry, go to this page to Buy Nootropics.
I also do Personal Consultations if you could use some help choosing the best nootropic supplements for you. You’ll find my calendar here: Nootropics Expert Consultations
How Nootropics Can Help You
You can end your search now. Because here on Nootropics Expert you’ll find the help you have been searching for. No matter the brain health problem that is making your life miserable.
Here you’ll find information on this List of Nootropics which has dozens and dozens of links to nootropic supplement reviews that I’ve written, and update as soon as new science becomes available. In a language that is easy to understand.
You’ll learn where each supplement comes from, how it works, the benefits you can expect, how much you should use and how often, possible side effects, and how to select from dozens of options – which one to buy.
NOTE: Every single word on Nootropics Expert is written by me. It’s not an AI or a contract copywriter.
You will also discover that everything I write about a supplement is supported by peer-reviewed clinical studies. You will not find links to other websites or blogs.
Instead, you will find dozens of clickable links in each supplement review and article to supporting and relevant clinical studies.
So you have the option of reading the same research I found and used to write my reviews and articles.
My hope is that if you’re overwhelmed by the fragmented information for nootropics spread across several websites, you can end your search on what has become the best nootropics website.
Quickly find out how one nootropic may interact with another. Which ones are safe. And which nootropic supplements have side effects. I will cover all that here.
Use my Nootropics Guide to get more familiar with the top nootropics and different types of cognitive enhancers and what they do. Soon you’ll be able to safely build your own nootropic stack.
I’m happy you’re here. Because you should be able to find everything you need to know about nootropics on Nootropics Expert. No need to go anywhere else.
Armed with this knowledge you can choose the best nootropics for you, and finally start experiencing the benefits you’re working to achieve.
Where to Buy Nootropics
Once you’ve decided which nootropic supplements you’d like to try, how do you know which is the best supplement to buy?
I’ve done the homework for you and put together a list of nootropic brands and supplements. Most of which I personally use and highly recommend.
You’ll find the highest quality, purest nootropic supplements on this page.
The Definitive Guide to Nootropics
A nootropic is a substance that enhances cognition and memory and facilitates learning.
Neuro-hacking and the research behind brain modulation, nootropics, and biohacking in general is a constantly evolving and improving science.
We cover all that in The Definitive Guide to Nootropics.
The Big List of Nootropics
Nootropics cover a broad category of compounds with cognitive boosting properties.
They have minimal side-effects and are appropriate for long-term use.
The Big List is a quick reference guide for nootropics. Learn what it’s for, how it’s used, side effects, interactions and dosing suggestions.
The Best Nootropics
Achieving brain optimization comes with a lot of trial and error. Experimenting to see what works best for you. But spend enough time in the nootropics community, and you begin to see patterns develop.
After you try the latest edition to the racetam-family of nootropics. Most biohackers settle into the nootropic that works best for each category of; cognition & focus, memory, energy & motivation, anxiety & depression, and brain repair & maintenance.
The “Best Nootropics” page is a distillation of what I have found to be the best nootropics for each category of brain optimization. You’ll find a list of the best nootropic compounds for each category. And links through to more detailed articles for each category.
Join The Discussion - 1,827 comments
Samuel
June 27, 2019
Hello, how are you?
forgive my english
I suffer from chronic fatigue and hypersomnia since 2015. I am 19 years old, and it has conditioned my life. I suffer from memory problems, I find it hard to learn, and I always feel a mental fog, as if my mind were at rest and I did not wake up
I have gone to the doctor, without effect. I have read from your blogs, and I wanted to start with the nootropics. I do not know where to start, to treat my problem. Take modafinil, but it gives me anxiety and even then I feel weak. Citalopram is the only medicine that has helped me, which, however, has not done it at all. I thought to take a stack of Aniracetam 750 mg in the morning, 300 mg of alpha gpc, 500mg of lion’s mane and a good vitamin.
Do you think it will help?
I have other symptoms, like I have trouble getting out of bed, muscle weakness and I always feel confused.
I admire your work, and I’ve always been aware of thanks!
David Tomen
June 27, 2019
Samuel, start here: https://nootropicsexpert.com/beginners-guide-to-nootropic-stacks/
Paul A. Weber
June 26, 2019
My son is 30 years old and a recovering alcoholic, He suffers from PTSD, mild depression, social anxiety and some energy and sleep issues. He functions and works. I want to start him off with a basic stack. I’m thinking a quality multivitamin, Rhodiola, Bacopa Monnieri, Ashwagandha and Ginseng. I won’t get him to take over five items. Thoughts on this? Thanks so much for your work!
David Tomen
June 26, 2019
Paul, you’ll get some ideas here: https://nootropicsexpert.com/beginners-guide-to-nootropic-stacks/. Spend some time on the rest of this site because you’ll find hundreds of pages of suggestions the deeper you get into this. But that page will get you started.
Matheus
June 26, 2019
Hi David, first I would like to apreciate you for your great job and information provided by this website!
Sorry for taking your time, but if you don’t mind losing 1 minute in helping me, its gonna be a great help for my brain because here in Brazil we don’t have any medical experts on nootropics.
Short story, I’m a 25 old student, with crazy Tourette tics and some degree of Bipolar Disorder comorbid with Anxiety and ADHD.. actually in a straight 12hour-a-day studying session aiming to pass into a Medical School entrance exam
I have really messed up with my neurochemistry during teenage years, with heavy duty LSD and MDMA usage every weekends for 10 years, plus hashish and marijuana consistent daily usage…before that I had always great school notes
Now that I’m totally free from illicit drug abuse (thank’s god), I’m trying to fix my poor fucked up brain with nootropics… my religious daily stack (no cycling) consists of:
– Modafinil 100mg
– Desvenlafaxine 50mg
– EPA/DHA 300mg
– Tadalafil 5mg ( to increase cAMP) and improve overall blood flow
– FDC ALL 26 Geriatric Multivitamin and Multiminerals
———-NOOTROPIC STACK————–
– Bacopa Monnieri 150mg
– Rhodiola Rosea 150mg
– Ashwagandha 200mg
– L Theanine 150mg
– Gingko Biloba 60mg
– 5HTP 100mg
– L Tyrosine 200mg
– Choline Bitartrate 300mg
– Huperzine A 50mcg
– Melatonin 1mg at night to induce a peaceful sleep
This natural nootropic stack is divided into 3 capsules a dose, and I take 1 capsule at morning with the pharmaceutical meds, another capsule after lunch, and the other capsule around 18pm
Do you think this stack is properly balanced or I’m messing with something?
Is there anything I should adjust like the 5htp and Tyrosine doses?
Please leave your comment, sorry for the relatively long text and thank you! Best wishes…
David Tomen
June 26, 2019
Mattheus, I’d increase L-Tyrosine dosage according to dosage recommendations in the review here: https://nootropicsexpert.com/tyrosine/.
Check other dosages by scrolling through the list here: https://nootropicsexpert.com/nootropics-list/
And Huperzine-A should only be used every 2nd or 3rd day because of a long half-life.
Matheus
June 27, 2019
Thank you very much for replying Dave…yeah, gonna make some adjusts into my self-made stack…I’ll change L Theanine for CoQ10 100mg, increase Tyrosine to 300mg, HupA to 100mcg and reduce 5HTP to 50mg…Theanine is great for calmness and relaxation but I’m feeling kinda spacey and zoned out with it (maybe some kind of interaction with the adaptogens or the pharma meds)…ashwa, bacopa and rhodiola already does the trick for anxiety ;P…
Do you think I should take the entire dose (3caps) at morning or spreading them on 1 at morning/ 1 at lunch/ 1 at evenning is ok?
David Tomen
June 29, 2019
Mattheus, I’ve found it best to split dosages when possible and taken 2 or 3 times during the day. Just make sure you are not using something Tyrosine too late in the day or you’ll interfere with sleep.
Blade
September 11, 2020
I’ve been following along here on your site and found some cool info about NAC.
In the past 3 weeks, after having a dental visit, I’ve been noticing a lot of mental changes with me, like vertigo, zoning out, feeling as if my brain is detached or disassociated from my body, brain fog to the extreme, and lack of concentration.. I also notice I feel waves of pulsating vibrations in my brain… I haven’t been the same ever since. Before that dental visit, I was actually normal, and I’m not sure if it was the drilling or the 2-3 hours of me laying down or anesthesia that got to my brain for me to feel this way, it’s an uncomfortable feeling. I was wondering what brain supplements would you recommend for me to be able to concentrate better and for me to get rid of this brain fogginess that I’ve been feeling for 3 weeks? I have actually tried to work out, eat right but still the brain fog is still there.. what supplements would you recommend?
David Tomen
September 14, 2020
Blade, you need to find out what kind of meds the dentist used that may have caused your symptoms. Otherwise, it’s purely speculation.
This is how to get rid of brain fog: https://nootropicsexpert.com/best-supplements-for-brain-fog/
Szymon Maślanka-Jagielski
June 23, 2019
Can i take piperine with:
-Symbiotics
-Omega 3
-Vit E
-Phosphatidylserine
-All B vitamins
-PQQ
-CoQ10
-Lion’s mane
-Green tea extract
-NAC
-Alcar
-Vit D
-Lithium orotate
-Gotu Kola
-GABA
-Magnesium
David Tomen
June 23, 2019
Yes
Szymon Maślanka-Jagielski
June 24, 2019
Thanks a lot. I’m asking because i’ve heard that it can block some enzymes and i was worried that some of supplements that i’ve chose won’t work.
David Tomen
June 25, 2019
Just keep this in mind. Ask yourself how each supplement will interact with another. If they’re amino acids will the compete for amino acid transporters? Including amino acids as supplements as well as amino acids in food.
gohar ali
June 20, 2019
i m big fan of your website certainly best nootropic info site on whole internet.could you please please send me few nootropics names other then piracetam and vinpocetine that have anticonvulant properties. i shall be very thankful to you for this act of kindness…
David Tomen
June 20, 2019
Gohar, that depends on what the cause is of what you are describing. I have seen reports that some CBD Oil is great for preventing seizures. Is that what you are talking about?
Cy
June 19, 2019
My mom has severe dementia. This current routine im experimenting on her right now seems to be working at the moment. She is starting to come around alittle bit better.. More responsive, less screaming. Memory alittle improved.
Morning
1. Oxyspark = one scoop mixed with one to 3 scoops of microingredients brand organic beetroot powder. Also 300+ mg of pine bark extract from bulk supplements.. 500 mg of vitamin c from bulk supplements. All mixed in together
2. Charles schwabb tebonin/ginko bioboa special extract egb 761= 120 mg
3. Dr Steve Blakes brain and body food.= 3 pills
4. Astaxathin by biotin = 20 mg
5. Solgar natural d alpha tocopherol vitamin E = 800 iu
6. All solar manufacturing ultimate gamma E = 500 mg
7. Memnivia/ sage stemcells = 600 mg
8. Iron= 65mg
9. Huperzine A by double wood= 400 mcg
10. Mushroom wisdom amyloban = 900 mg
11. Berberine advanced nutrition = 500 mg
Mid afternoon
12. Pqq = 20 mg
13. Berberdine = 500 mg
14. Pine bark extract = 300 mg
Evening
15. Tebonin = 120 mg
16. Oxyspark mixed with beetroot and pine bark extract
17. Brain and body food = 3 pills
18. 98% curcumin 1000 mg
19. Berberine = 500 mg
20.pine bark extract 300 mg
21. Huperzine A = 40p mcg
22. Vitmain E 400 to 800 iu d alpha tocopherol
23. Panax notoginseng = 400 mg by healthsmart
24. Mct oil ketones one teaspoon
25. Blue green algae= 500 mg
26. Amyloban= 900 mg
John
June 18, 2019
Hi David
Have you delve into herbs like Kratom? What do you think of it?
David Tomen
June 19, 2019
John, I use Kratom for pain and have for years. It’s on my list of supplements to review this year.
John
June 20, 2019
David
Thanks for your response. I’m a recovering from a long addiction from Kratom. Its somewhat messed up my body and my mood. Do you use it all the time? What are your thoughts on this?
David Tomen
June 20, 2019
John, I do use Kratom sometimes daily. And do not experience any side effects or strong withdrawal symptoms when I stop using it. But a few others claim otherwise. I’m nor sure why that is except that there seems to be a lot of adulterated Kratom on the market. Are you absolutely confident the Kratom you’ve been using is pure Kratom and not mixed with anything else?
John
June 20, 2019
Hi David
I’ve been getting my Kratom from the same online supplier for 3-4 years, so its really hard to know. I’m pretty sure kratom suppliers are sometimes not sure what they are getting, sometimes. It also really depends on how much and long you’ve been doing it. I originally used it to get off pain killers, because it binds to the same receptors. Because it does that, you’d expect some WD with longterm use. I’m on a quittingkratom subreddit, and i hear all the withdrawal stories, some worse than painkiller WD. Some folks are taking 1-3oz daily. I took a (~17 grams per day) tablespoon 3x daily for 3-4 years, and was able to feel significant WD. I’ve recently encountered some neuropathy from longterm usage, which i see that folks have reported very similar symptoms on the boards. That had prompted me to quit. Just wandering what your experience on it was.
David Tomen
June 21, 2019
John, hasn’t been my experience. Of course the most I ever use for pain is about 8 grams. But I know the vendor I use has their own 3rd party testing lab that verifies each batch they sell. They ended up doing that because of a problem with potential contamination.
Darcy
June 18, 2019
I have this, not quite a phobia, about phone calls and skype. Is it possible to do a consultation via email? Possibly send me the questions you need answered and I send you the information I think is relevant. Once you spend 1/2 hour reading and typing, then the consultation would be over as that’s the time I paid for. I know it’s weird, but I’m really weird and I’m really bad off right now and have gotten to the point that I’m here, typing this. I’ve already deleted it once before posting. If there’s a place for a private text chat, that would work too, I guess.
David Tomen
June 19, 2019
Darcy, schedule a regular consultation with me and put in the notes section that you’d like me to correspond by email rather than Skype or phone. You’ll need to schedule a specific time but as long as you put this in your notes I’ll recognize that it’s you and respond accordingly.