Nootropics - Fad or Here to Stay?
The quest for self-improvement
FUTURE PROOF – BLOG BY FUTURES PLATFORM
The quest for self-improvement and productivity isn't new. We, human beings, have been doing it since the beginning of times, leading to multiple innovations and great technological advancements. However, there's a new player in town - nootropics. Let's have a closer look at this trend.
NOOTROPICS – FAD OR HERE TO STAY?
Put simply, nootropics are things we take in order to improve our cognitive function. They can come in the form of pills, supplements, and other substances. Generally, they are purported to improve executive functions, attention, memory, creativity, along with other cognitive functions.
It isn’t all woo-woo per se. In fact, some classes of nootropics are familiar to us all and most of us take them on a daily basis. The best example? Caffeine. Research has shown that drinking coffee, or consuming caffeine through other methods, can help in keeping the mind alert. It has also been shown to be possibly effective in improving athletic performance, and memory, reducing pain (hence why you may often see painkiller tablets that include caffeine as an ingredient), among other benefits.
But nootropics aren’t restricted to caffeine.
Other examples include Acetyl L-Carnitine (thought to improve memory and alertness;omega-3s; amphetamine, which in low doses has shown to improve cognitive functions in healthy people; Vitamins B6 and B12; Methylphenidate, thought to improve working memory, attention, and even make boring tasks appear essential.
Then there’s one that might surprise you. Nicotine. Indeed, studies have concluded that nicotine (or smoking) caused improved alertness and focus, and improved episodic and working memory. Does that mean you should start smoking (or quit quitting)? No.
However, of the nootropics discussed above (and we didn’t discuss all of them), not all have evidence supporting cognitive benefits.
Of the ones that do we can include amphetamines (you may recognize Adderall), nicotine, and caffeine. However, the first 2, though widespread, come with side effects, including addiction. The latter, caffeine, it’s so widespread that it barely deserves a mention. It does, nevertheless, come out on top, as it is easily accessible, and inexpensive, and its beneficial effects have been shown to be greater than its negative effects in moderation.
Outside of these, with few exceptions, they haven’t really produced any noteworthy evidence of their benefits. A comprehensive review study in 2015 found that dietary supplements such as fatty acids, B vitamins, and vitamin E had no effects on cognition in healthy middle-aged and older adults. For other nutrients, the study concluded that more evidence is needed before ascertaining any possible benefits.
Speaking for Time.com, Dr David Hogan, one of the authors of the 2015 review, said “Supplements cannot replicate the complexity of natural food and provide all its potential benefits,” despite there being mechanisms that link them to better brain function.
However, he also mentions that in order to reap the benefits of these types of nutrients one may have to take them for long and sustained periods of time and that the subjects of the study (middle-aged and older adults) may be beyond the age where they are susceptible to undergo cognitive enhancements.
SO WHAT’S THE VERDICT?
The truth is that, at the moment, there’s not a great deal of evidence that “nootropics” work. Even worse, there are enough companies already promoting ineffective supplements and selling them over the counter, as they don’t always require the approval of a regulator (as it’s the case in the US).
In fact, if you’re looking to improve your cognitive performance, you can stick with your daily cups of coffee and add to it – exercise. As Sharon Sha, a neurology professor at Stanford, is quoted in GQ, “Of all the things that are supposed to be ‘good for the brain’ there is more evidence for exercise than anything else.”
That is not to say that we won’t one day be taking pills or other supplements to make ourselves smarter. As mentioned, some people already do that with some drugs and caffeine.
Though the term “nootropics” was first (medically) coined in 1972 by Romanian psychologies and chemist Corneliu E. Giurgea, we’re still at the early stages of fully understanding how we may enhance our cognitive abilities through the use of supplements. So it is certainly a trend to keep in mind, especially as public interest in it grows.
So, at least for now, we’re better off supplementing it with a healthy diet, plenty of exercise, and our good cup of joe.
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Although wider culinary options are pleasing us, unhealthy diets are inviting chronic illnesses and various health risks. We are urged to eat healthier while the emergence of new technologies and ingredients are rapidly changing our food world. Would you change your diet if your doctor would prescribe the secret ingredient for a healthy life?