Last updated on December 17th, 2020 at 05:43 pm
There are many common questions regarding nootropics. Below is a list of questions and their respective answers. This page will be continually updated. If you have a question please ask it in the comments section or in the forums.
Table of Contents
Do nootropics actually work?
Yes, not only are there countless anecdotes detailing their effectiveness but research has backed them up. In fact, with each passing day more and more studies are being done on nootropics. Put briefly, there is substantial evidence proving that they indeed do work.
Who uses nootropics?
Almost everyone uses them. This is because caffeine is the world’s number one nootropic. Though, when it comes to enhancing specific areas of cognition, the people most likely to use them are:
- Students
- Workers in the tech industry like Silicon Valley
- Creative workers like writers, artists and even music producers to name a few
- People with minor mental health issues like minor anxiety
- Memory-heavy jobs, like doctors, lawyers
Why take nootropics?
To be honest, this one is entirely up to you. But here are a few common reasons why people take them:
- To enhance cognition in a safe and effective way
- Improve brain health
- Slow and even reverse some aspects of aging
- Curiosity, self-experimentation, or even introspection
- Increase academic performance, job performance, or just performance in general
Will nootropics turn me into a genius?
No, there is currently no nootropic that can strongly enhance intelligence to the point of turning you into a genius. Much like a cup of coffee, nootropics can only enhance certain cognitive functions like focus, memory, learning, and improve energy. However, these effects are often weak, but noticeable. Even combining multiple nootropics will not turn you into a genius.
Why aren’t nootropics more popular?
Simply put, most people are very skeptical of the idea of enhancing their cognition through the use of unregulated and untested pills and powders. Nootropics are largely untested meaning they have had no significant trials done on healthy humans subjects. Regardless, nootropics are often unavailable at the local pharmacy further adding to skepticism. Probably the biggest reason why nootropics aren’t more popular is because of the scare of powders. Powders are often falsely associated with illicit and dangerous drugs.
Is NZT-48 real?
No, the closest drug to NZT-48 according to a number of user reports is modafinil. However, modafinil only reduces fatigue, enhances focus, improves mood, and increases motivation whereas NZT-48 turns the user into a super genius being able to easily see patterns that would take years for others to notice. NZT-48 greatly improves memory and learning and makes the brain work much more efficiently. Modafinil may enhance learning but at best it’s a subtle effect.
Why don’t I respond to X nootropic?
There are a myriad of reasons for not responding to a certain nootropic:
- You can be a non-responder genetically
- You received a bad batch
- Interaction with other nootropics. Combining multiple nootropics can either result in synergistic or an antagonistic effect
- You’ve taken another nootropic that works in a similar mechanism to X nootropic for a long-time and you haven’t had a tolerance break. Certain receptors can downregulate following chronic usage such as dopamine receptors, for example. If you the nootropic you were taking affected this receptor and you didn’t take a tolerance break before starting X nootropic then chances are you’ve developed too much of a tolerance to notice the effects of the new nootropic.
How long should a tolerance break last?
This all depends on the nootropic you took. Generally speaking, a week is often enough to reduce tolerance to a significant degree with 2 weeks to a month resulting in a complete reversal of tolerance. However, some nootropics can take longer to reset tolerance like the irreversible MAO-B inhibitors Selegiline and Rasagiline, in which case a month to two months is required for everything to go back to baseline.