Have you heard about Nootropics? In case you haven’t, you’ve certainly heard about the movie ‘Limitless’. Or you’ve even watched it. After watching that movie, almost every person on the planet wanted to be Bradley Cooper, or in other words – Eddie Morra, the main character that shows incredible intellectual power after taking a pill that enhances the concentration and other brain functions.
Being mentally dominant is something that’s been interesting for people since the beginning of time. All the great scientists, polyglot and successful people have one thing in common – unlimited brain functions. But how do we ‘wake up’ our brain, and what actually makes us better at thinking and remembering? Great food, clean eating. A lot of Omega-3 fatty acids. Drinking a lot of water. Exercising on a daily basis. Good night’s sleep, no less than seven hours per night. No bad habits. Healthy lifestyle.
Constant brain engagement, through reading, learning new things and certain intellectual games. You probably know all of this already. But all of these habits are hard to maintain for a longer period of time. Yes, your mind and your body will be thankful if you do succeed in keeping your good habits on point. But what if you need some instant help with your assignment, or your exam, project or a test? That is where Nootropics kick in. Here’s how and why.
What are they anyway?
Nootropic supplements or simply Nootropics are a wide variety of different cognitive enhancers, that can be made of natural ingredients, or can be different substances and drugs. They affect the way a person thinks, creates and memorizes things after consuming them. It has been proven that these supplements show some beneficial effects not only on the brain, but on overall performance of a person, since these nutrients and supplements affect the mood too, making a person feel more confident, more awake and more ready to finish the given tasks and projects.
When the deadlines are close, people usually panic, which oftentimes causes them to work harder, even if it means that they will be sleep deprived or anxious. The problem is that when you are stressed out and sleep deprived, you only work on 60% of your brain capacity. It seems like you work hard, but it’s actually a lot harder than you think. That’s exactly the moment where it’s okay to take advantage of Nootropics. They can keep the person wide awake even after a couple of hours, maintaining the high levels of concentration and performance.
You have probably heard about the most popular ones – caffeine, L-theanine that can be found in peas, before mentioned omega 3 acids that can be found in numerous foods or can be bought as pills and supplements, racetams which are medications that enhance brain power by affecting neurons, ginkgo biloba, ginseng or rhodiola. Did you know that even creatine, the amino acid that people consume after their workouts, affect the brain just like the other Nootropics on the list?
Still, there are supplements that you didn’t hear about, but still work! They contain compounds such as citicoline, folic acid, alpha GPC, certain vitamins, and finally – Afinils. Click here to find out more about the products that are available on the market.
How do they affect us?
These supplements, drugs or ingredients stimulate certain parts of the brain, causing higher or lower levels of activity, which then affects your mood, motivation and concentration. The research showed that consuming them can boost cognitive functioning, through optimization of its functions. It’s important to mention that the brain’s complexity affects how we understand and research the information about it, meaning that the brain is the most complex organ of the body. With billions of neurons and their interactions, it constantly works, even during sleep. While we know that Nootropics affect the brain to have a better focus, a clearer understanding of the data it analyzes, and a sharper memory, scientists have yet to find out exactly how they do it.
One of the things we certainly know is that these ingredients ‘feed’ the brain, which consumes large amounts of energy to be able to function properly. Since the neurons inside the brain are constantly moving, connecting, growing and evolving, it’s logical that there has to be a great source of specific ingredients for maintaining all of these functions. Not only do we need a great memory, but we also need a fast response to information we receive as well as a faster processing of that info. It’s been proven that Nootropics, whether natural or synthetic, have exactly that features and effects. By increasing the oxygen levels in the brain, as well as fueling mitochondria, they enhance the brain’s ability to perform and function, at the same time hitting the hormone receptors. But not any hormones – those are the hormones that affect our mood such as Dopamine and Serotonin.
When the levels of these hormones are high, we are more likely to be successful in what we do, since we experience bursts of motivation. Still, the right combination of ingredients will cause you to feel relaxed, but alert, calm but wide awake. This is why people tend to try Nootropics before they indulge in a stressful situation, where their cognitive abilities have to be on a certain level, without any blockages of adrenaline, anxiety or other effects that can ruin their problem-solving mindset.
Do they make you smarter?
Nootropic supplements don’t make you smarter. But they do help you in certain isolated situations where you need some extra focus and clarity. Therefore, it could be said that these ingredients or drugs affect the way you think and feel – which then results in overall smartness in the given situation. A healthy brain is the brain that is optimized and that works properly, no matter the pressure you are experiencing.
Due to fatigue, anxiety, deadlines or simply – the complexity of the task, we tend to feel helpless in certain circumstances. That’s exactly where we can take advantage of these products. Have you tried some of these? If not, what are you waiting for?
