Start off the new school year in style-Guest Post from bestnootropics.com

Does Your Back to School Shopping List include Brain Supplements?

Back to School season is upon us and students everywhere are gearing up to return to their classes with the necessary amount of preparatory shopping. But this year, besides their fall wardrobe or a fancy new laptop, more and more students are adding an unexpected item to their shopping list: brain supplements. What was once pure science fiction has now become de facto reality and chances are someone in your class is already benefiting from these so-called cognitive enhancers. Known by the technical name of “nootropics”, supplements that bring out your intellectual strengths are rapidly growing in popularity on local campuses across North America.

The explosion of brain supplements is often attributed to the movie ‘Limitless’ where the main character played by Bradley Cooper is seen using fictional pills called “NZT 48”. One of these Clear Pills and you will be able to instantly unlock the full potential of your brain. Want to be able to remember everything you have ever seen or learned? With NZT, you can. Want to learn a new language in a day, have boundless energy, increase your brain’s ability to absorb and process information, and gain the confidence and charisma to sweep women off their feet? With NZT, you can.

It sounds too good to be true… and of course it is. NZT is not real. (This is despite the many mediocre supplements out there now parading around under the name NZT 48.) But the idea of an NZT-like pill is so alluring, so tempting to the human mind that many who have seen the movie find themselves on the pursuit of a real NZT replacement. Students in particular are sensitive to this calling, often utterly seduced by the idea of a drug that enhances their brain function. And while NZT 48 itself is pure fiction, the science behind this type of cognitive augmentation is real and it has led to some concrete successes.

The area of neuroscience that studies cognitive enhancement supplements is called neuropharmacology and, in the literature, these compounds are known as “Nootropics”. This name means “affecting the mind” Greek and it was given to a class of substances that was originated by 2-oxo-1-pyrrolidine acetamide, also known as Piracetam.

Not only was Piracetam the first nootropic ever discovered, it remains to this day the most popular around the world. Piracetam works by modulating neuroreceptors in the brain, making transmissions between neurons more efficient. The result is a higher level of communication activity in the brain as well as better retrieval of stored memories. Individuals who take Piracetam with a choline source experience heightened memory formation and learning capacity, improved logical analysis and reasoning skills, as well as greater concentration and clarity of thought. Piracetam is also non-toxic and incredibly safe; in some research trials, participants given a placebo reported a greater occurrence of side effects compared to those taking Piracetam.

Since the time of Piracetam, nootropics have gotten exponentially stronger and smarter. Newer Piracetam derivatives like Aniracetam, Oxiracetam and Pramiracetam are noted for being 5 – 30x more powerful than Piracetam and for having a wider range of beneficial effects. An even more recent discovery – Noopept – is said to have as much as 1000x the potency of Piracetam. Not only will this supplement optimize your mental performance, it can also stimulate development of new neurons and neurites. Students who have taken this supplement say that it improves memory retention, makes it easier to focus in class, gives them mental stamina for long study sessions and has a positive effect on mood.

While the debate continues to rage around the use of smart drugs in the classroom, most will agree that we should avoid giving amphetamines like Adderall to young people where possible. As much as 50% of the US college student body has admitted to trying these potentially dangerous stimulants. Nootropics are not stimulants and work in a very different way from traditional ADHD drugs. They can optimize some of the underlying ways in which your brain works while offering neuroprotective benefits at the same time. And if these supplements can safely advance conditions that lead to academic success, is there really any reason not to use them?

If you are interested in learning more about nootropic supplements, visit us at here for a beginner’s guide to cognitive enhancement.