
Ask HN: Which nootropics actually work? - unclebucknasty
I&#x27;d be interested in hearing about any non-prescription nootropics or supplements that have actually helped people, specifically WRT focus, clarity and creativity.<p>There have been discussions here from time-to-time, but wondering about recent experiences.
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CuriouslyC
The clinical evidence for nootropics in for healthy young people is limited,
but the case is strong for older adults or people with cognitive impairment.
Nicotine, caffeine and provigil are the only things that seem to work for
everyone.

It is worth noting that while nootropics probably aren't going to make you
smarter, there are many compounds that are likely to enhance long term memory
formation. The mechanism for this is stimulation of BDNF secretion, which
plays a role in neural stem cell proliferation in the hippocampus. Short chain
fatty acids from dietary fiber fermentation, niacin, curcumin, green tea
catechins and magnesium have all been shown to be beneficial in this regard.

Of course, probably the best single thing you can do to improve your mind is
get more exercise.

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muzani
Nootropics are nothing magical. The effect is similar to listening to the
right music or working at the right time. Effectiveness drops sharply past
caffeine.

The big ones are exercise, diet, and sleep. These do more than most
nootropics.

Exercise: A run, hike, some cardio at least once a week. Walking in a shopping
mall doesn't count.

Diet: Your brain runs on glucose. Keep your glucose level moderate.

Caffeine is an obvious one, but I find that the side effect of caffeine is
that it makes you more anxious. Personally, I'm already under stress so the
extra kick from caffeine makes it worse. It's suitable if you're feeling
exhausted, but not something to take every day.

L-Theanine is the most effective I found. L-Theanine is both calming and
focusing. It's great during a deadline, or stressful situations like
negotiations and interviews. It's my go to drug for programming as often I
have to calm myself down from getting too energetic.

You can combine L-Theanine with caffeine, as they complement each other. It
depends on how your day is going.

Vitamin E injections (not pills) seem to work very well for me. The effect is
similar to exercise in that it feels better, and it's really obvious when it
wears off. I'm surprised there isn't more documented evidence for this.

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thenomad
Just for clarification - as brisk walking is generally considered to be rather
good moderate exercise - your comment that "Walking in a shopping mall doesn't
count" is because it's expected to be slow rather than brisk walking, I
assume?

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muzani
If you do brisk walking throughout the whole shopping mall, it counts, but if
it's just window browsing where you have a lot of steps but low heart rate it
doesn't.

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michalpt
I have an inattentive type of ADHD and have tried almost everything to help me
be a bit more focused when working. From prescribed Ritalin and Concerta
(basically an extended version of Ritalin) to nootropics such as Pyracetam
etc. Now the Ritalin of course had the biggest effect in terms of focus but
after a while I started to feel like a zombie and junkie (lots of jittering,
bad mood etc). So one day I decided to flush everything into a toilet and
decided to only use available nootropics, not doctor prescribed medications.
After a while I discovered DMAE and after 6 months of using it (350-500mg
daily) I can say it is almost as effective as Ritalin for me without those
nasty side effects and come-downs. The good thing about DMAE is that it helps
me focus, yet it still feels natural without that "speedy feeling" effect of
Ritalin. Now of course everyone is different and I know some people getting
headaches from DMAE and no real results. You really need to test out what
works best for your brain.

~~~
unclebucknasty
DMAE happens to be one that I've just gotten in today. I tend to have a
somewhat exaggerated sensitivity to certain things and, of the supplements I'm
considering, DMAE's potential for side effects is probably the most
concerning. So, I think I will ease into it with much smaller doses than
recommended.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

~~~
michalpt
Yes, as I said everyone is different so you need to test it out. For example I
felt very bad after using Pyracetam. There was no improvement of my focus
ability, in fact I was sleepy and head hurt.

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throwaway100817
Not exactly nootropics but... microdosing LSD/shrooms

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gcoda
Keto diet boosted my brain a bit. And i just recently heard that glucose
metabolism is getting worse with age. Look into exogenous ketones, if you do
not have time for diet. Modafinil kinda works, and with low doses of cannabis
it works for me even better.

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drakonka
It seems like caffeine and creatine are the two nootropics with a substantial
amount of evidence behind them.

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shahbaby
I wouldn't trust bro-science or profit driven companies with my mental health.

Train your body and you will also be training your mind.

