The brain is one of the body’s most powerful organs. Outside of controlling every function in our body, it holds our memories—good and bad, helps us concentrate to knock out important exams and presentations and narrows down our focus to achieve our life goals.
But as we get older, essential nutrients crucial to cognitive health naturally decline, forcing our brains to work harder to keep us up and running. Luckily, we have nootropics to give us a little boost and replenish those important vitamins and minerals needed to keep us sharp.
What is a Nootropic?
Nootropics are natural or man-made substances that can help improve overall brain health and functions including memory, focus, creativity, motivation concentration and even a healthy stress response [1].
Now that you what they can do, let’s talk about the ingredients you should be looking for when choosing a quality nootropic.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms are well known in traditional Chinese medicine and have been used for centuries to provide beneficial results to many natural functions within the body. New studies show those beneficial results also extend to brain health. Research published in The Journal of Alzheimer's Disease found compounds in mushrooms can help encourage cognitive performance and promote mental clarity and focus [2]. Lion’s mane mushrooms have been a stand-out in studies for its properties in supporting brain and nerve health [3].
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha, a proven adaptogen and natural herb, is most known for helping the body manage and cope with stress and anxiety — but its brain boosting benefits shouldn’t be overlooked. A 2017 study shows Ashwagandha not only helped improve memory and concentration, it was also effective in improving executive function, attention, and how fast we process information [4].
L-Theanine.
Noise, technology, and even our own thoughts can be easy distractions that keep us off track and unfocused. That’s where some researchers believe L-theanine can help. A naturally occurring amino acid found in tea leaves, studies show not only can L-theanine promote a balanced mood and sense of calm, it can also help fight mental fatigue and encourage concentration [5].
B-Vitamins
From red blood cell production to converting our food into energy and fuel, B- vitamins play a major role in almost every function of our daily health — and that includes giving your brain power a little boost. A series of studies found adding folic acid, B12, and B6 to your daily diet can help improve cognitive function such as immediate and delayed memory and information processing speed [6].
Looking for some brain food? Both BioSchwartz Broad Spectrum Nootropic Brain Boost and 8 Mushroom Complex formulas include neuroprotective ingredients to help improve cognitive abilities and help your brain function at its best.