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.
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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 - 1,793 comments
Coco
April 12, 2022
Cholinergics are giving me brain fog, why is that?
ALCAR, piracetam, aniracetam, any choline source…
David Tomen
April 15, 2022
Coco because too much acetylcholine or too little acetylcholine can cause brain fog.
Jen
May 12, 2022
Really? I have been searching for the science behind this for a long time as my Son becomes confused and his speech becomes slurred-like when he takes any choline supplements. I have tried to give it to him for better speech articulation, intelligence and brain fog but it seems to do the opposite! I’d love to understand why.
David Tomen
May 12, 2022
Jen, some simply cannot use a choline supplement. My wife is a great example of this because when she using something like Alpha GPC or CDP-Choline she goes a little crazy. And she is one of the calmest people I’ve ever known. But I have no idea why some cannot use it. It’s likely genetic but I have not seen any proof that it is.
Larry B.
April 1, 2022
i have questions. 1. should i take choline before I take a racetam and if so
how much should i take and how much time before I take the racetam?
2. which racetams work well in a stack with noopept?
3. which racetams last the longest in your system.
4. is there a racetam or other Nootropic that helps with Spatial intelligence?
5 which Choline works best with racetams, Alpha GPC or CDP Choline and will adding hupperzine help with keeping more Acetylcholoine in my brain in order to avoid racetam headaches?
David Tomen
April 1, 2022
Larry, take either Alpha GPC or CDP-Choline each time you use your racetam and at the same time.
The racetams are detailed in this page: https://nootropicsexpert.com/the-top-7-racetams-which-one-is-best/. Any should work with Noopept. It just depends on what you are trying to achieve.
To double check the half-time of each racetam, do a search like this “what is the half-time of Piracetam?”
And “spatial intelligence” never came up for any of the racetams that I researched. So I suggest another search for “Aniracetam AND “spatial intelligence”“. And see if anything turns up. If anything does it will be a clinical research article posted on one of the online journals. And should show up on the first page of your search results if any of them does support it.
Ken Kovach
March 31, 2022
Hi David,
I’ve been taking quite a few of the drugs on your list including: phenylpiracetam, Alpha-GPC, Ubiquinone, Passionflower, Bacopa, Rhodiola Rosea, ALCAR, N-acetyl L-tyrosine, pine bark extract, Sulbutiamine, and all of the B vitamins at the recommended doses. I also take Wellbutrin 300mg/day, klonopin 2mg/day, and Adderall for anxiety, depression, and ADD.
For the last week and a half I’ve been experiencing anticholinergic effects such as difficulty urinating, blurry vision, dry eyes, dry mouth and constipation. Maybe I’m taking too many nootropics at once, but I’m trying to find a stack which works best for me and hopefully allow me to get off of my prescription medication (safely under the supervision of my doctor). My doctor doesn’t know much about nootropics though. From what I’ve read my acetylchloline should be higher than ever, so why am I experiencing what seems to me like anticholinergic effects? To the best of your knowledge have any of the drugs I’ve listed been known to have a paradoxical effect?
Ken Kovach
March 31, 2022
I’m also taking Lion’s mane, lithium, zinc, magnesium, L-theanine, Lemon Balm, Valerian, and Aniracetam (when I can find it)
David Tomen
April 1, 2022
And you should not be using Lemon Balm or Valerian with Klonopin.
David Tomen
April 1, 2022
Ken, you should not be using Passionflower with Klonopin because they are contraindicated. Both affect GABA and its receptors in your brain.
And excess acetylcholine has similar side effects to not enough acetylcholine. The only way to get to the bottom of this stop the nootropics you are currently using. Then add them back one-at-a-time for a day each. And see what happens. That way you should be able to tell which one is the culprit.
Ken
April 5, 2022
That’s what I did David. For future reference, both Passion Flower and Valerian root have anticholinergic effects even when taken without Klonopin or some other benzodiazepine
David Tomen
April 6, 2022
Ken, both supplements inhibit acetylcholinesterase to some degree.
Bill
March 27, 2022
When it comes to motivation, lethargy, depression, etc it would be helpful to have a questionnaire that defines terms as it asks questions.
For example:
Q: Are you highly motivated?
[ ] Do you wake up feeling excited about working on your task list?
[ ] Do you feel enthusiastic about reviewing your task list for the next day?
[ ] Do you celebrate checking items off you task list?
[ ] Does the prospect of making a task list make you want to lay down until the urge passes?
[ ] When you check off an item on your task list do you dread looking for the next thing to do?
.
By no means is that a comprehensive spectrum of questions for motivation but it illustrates the idea. In the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory they have (or had) a pretty thorough checklist that might be a starting point.
My question is this, do you know of a questionnaire that could help someone get a perspective on their condition?
David Tomen
March 27, 2022
Great question Bill and well said. I do not have access to that type of questionnaire. But let me know please if you are able to locate one.
Keep in mind that I’m not a doctor or licensed medical professional. So do not have access to the type of books to which you are referring.
JustSomeGuy
April 9, 2022
A scientifically validated questionaire would be the BDI:
https://www.ismanet.org/doctoryourspirit/pdfs/Beck-Depression-Inventory-BDI.pdf
Hope that helps
David Tomen
April 9, 2022
Not sure how valid that questionnaire it but is looks like it was developed by the USA Navy.
Bill
April 17, 2022
It is a good inventory for depressive states and may be good to include in a comprehensive mental state inventory. I am confident that there exists a method for assessing depression, anxiety, lack of motivation, being over-motivated, etc. If someone spends a majority of their day unmotivated then supplementing to raise dopamine would be a first step. If brain fog was the next most indicated need then… Well you get the idea. The Pareto Principle observes that 80% of a benefit will come from 20% of our effort. An inventory could be retaken after a month of supplementing to see what has changed and supplement for the now most troublesome symptoms. I’ll ask around my counselling community about an inventory.
Kenneth Neal
March 25, 2022
Hi David,
Do you have an opinion on the quality of Weyland Brain nutrition products?
Thanks,
Kenneth
David Tomen
March 25, 2022
Kenneth, I do not know that brain well. But just looking at their labels tell me that they often use synthetic vitamins instead of the bioactive form. And some of their supplements contain “other ingredients” like silicon dioxide for no good reason. Some of which have been proven to be toxic.
This is why a promote supplement brands like Performance Lab and Mind Lab Pro because the ingredients they use are often patented, are always pure, and contain zero toxic “other ingredients”.
Kenneth
March 25, 2022
Thanks David, much appreciated!
Godspeed,
Kenneth
Jonathan Cavalcant
March 25, 2022
I am interested in your take on a recent article published on how the elevated cytokines IFN-Y and IL-12 are associated with decreases in cognitive decline. The original study, which I can provide you with, claims that most research on inflammation and cognitive decline detects for inflammatory markers in the periphery not in the brain (CSF). In fact, they found no association with decline with the classic periphery biomarkers such as IL-1beta and IL-6. This is a quite depressing finding for those, including myself, that believe in phytochemicals’ ability to decrease pertinent inflammation with pro-cognitive results.
“These results illustrate the importance of measuring a comprehensive panel of cytokines and interpret-in the data with a more nuanced pathway-specific framework rather than relying on a simplified pro- or anti-inflammatory classification.
David Tomen
March 25, 2022
Jonathan, I’d love to see the study you are referring to. Common sense tells me that if there is inflammation in the body there is likely inflammation in the brain as well.
Jonathan Cavalcant
March 25, 2022
I rented the original research article for 48-hrs as the purchase price was too expensive to warrant the PDF. I did this after I read the following article: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/06/210623091307.htm. I suspect that the relationship between inflammation and cognitive decline is quite complex. This reminds me of the simple logic we used in nutrition that since white potatoes are “complex” carbs that they impact blood glucose levels slowly. It turns out that they have a glycemic index than sugar does.
This original research article stresses that the details matter and that, against our intuition, the pro-inflammatory cytokine IFN-Y was actually protective. The study used CSF samples instead of blood. I could give you more information, but it is not practical to do so through this medium.
Jonathan
March 25, 2022
I read that article in haste. There is a correction that I need to make. They actually took blood plasma levels of pretty much all possible cytokines, not CSF. I read into that incorrectly. They instead are claiming that peripheral levels of cytokines “don’t necessarily correlate with the same cytokine in the brain”. So increases in certain cytokines in the body may end up upregulating or down regulating completely different pathways in the brain. They are basically saying that IL-12 induces the release of IFN-Y in a positive feedback mechanism, priming the body for infection. But they claim despite the conventional model saying that TNF-a and IL-1b is related to dementia, they did not see an association in this study with cognitive decline. This is but one study though.
David Tomen
March 25, 2022
That is a good find Jonathan. Thank you. I think it should be noted however that only one pro-inflammatory cytokine showed protection against developing Alzheimer’s – interleukin-12 (IL-12). No mention of the others including elevated tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1b), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-8 (IL-8).
Coco
March 24, 2022
Hi David, what are the most effective nootropics to increse blood flow to the brain?
David Tomen
March 24, 2022
Vinpocetine and Maritime Pine Bark Extract are the most effective. There are others that increase brain blood flow as well but those are the best.
Giorgi
March 21, 2022
Hi, I want to try mind lab pro and I’m interested in what effect does it have in long term, should I take it only for one or few months or it can be taken all the time even for years?
David Tomen
March 23, 2022
Giorgi, I have been using Mind Lab Pro every day for over 6 years and it is still very effective. Once you stop using it you’ll no longer get the benefit. Because the ingredients in Mind Lab Pro are used every day by your body and brain.
Giorgi
March 23, 2022
Thanks! Could you tell me which supplements increase dopamine receptors count, if there are such? Also is dopamine fast effective for it?
David Tomen
March 24, 2022
Giorgi, Sulbutiamine and Myo-inositol increase dopamine receptor density. But I do not understand “is dopamine fast effective for it”. What do you mean?
Giorgi
March 24, 2022
I have heard that dopamine fast increases dopamine receptor count. It means that at least one day you abstain from all activities that release dopamine, no talking to people, no food, no screens and etc. only taking water. Just want to know if it’s really effective for D receptors
David Tomen
March 25, 2022
Giorgi, please do not believe everything you read. Point to a peer-reviewed clinical study supporting this and I’ll seriously consider it.