Nootropics: Uses, Benefits, Side Effects, Safety & More

At this point, striving for health and well-being doesn't just mean avoiding health concerns; it means supporting our bodies in ways that help them thrive. And in a society continually motivated by productivity and striving for superb mental performance, it's no wonder why brain-boosting nootropics are on (or, quite literally in) everyone's minds as of late. 

"As a neuroscientist and working mother, I'm deeply interested in how nutrients, botanicals, and bioactives with nootropic actions impact cognitive health," says cognitive health scientist Milene Brownlow, Ph.D. And Brownlow isn't alone—nootropics are popular with myriad demographics, from students and entrepreneurs to working professionals and, yes, mothers trying to keep up with their kids. 

Despite the word "nootropics" becoming more mainstream recently, some of these compounds have been called upon for centuries in ancient medicine, and others are consumed regularly in our modern society (looking at you, caffeine!). 

Nootropic is a category used to describe a variety of unique compounds that support diverse facets of brain health and cognitive function—things like mental clarity and sharpness, memory, neuronal function, neurotransmitter balance, and cognitive performance. In the supplement space, nootropics can be nutrients, botanical phytonutrients, other bioactives, and even things like peptides, probiotic strains, and more. 

At mbg, when we discuss nootropics, we're talking about brain-supporting ingredients found in high-quality dietary supplement formulas. This realm of nootropics features a wide variety of some pretty amazing plants—including roots like ginseng, berries like guarana and coffee cherry fruit, fungi like adaptogenic mushrooms, lesser-known (yet ancient) succulents like kanna, and even brain-essential neuronutrients like citicoline.*

So, now that you know these compounds are famed for generating Jimmy Neutron–like brain-blasting abilities, let's talk about their exact mechanisms and how they affect the brain.

Each nootropic—whether a nutrient, botanical, or bioactive—imparts unique nootropic mechanisms and actions in our body and brain. For example, some nootropics affect neuronal health and neurotransmitter balance, while others increase concentration and mental sharpness. Some literally increase blood flow to your brain1 (think resveratrol), allowing for nutrients and oxygen to flow throughout your central nervous system and maintain adequate energy.*

Nootropics have also been shown to exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and adaptogenic properties, which are neuroprotective at their core. Other neurocentric actives help protect the brain against toxins, improve executive functions like cognitive flexibility, enhance memory, and nurture neuroplasticity and brain span (aka brain longevity).

There are a variety of adaptogenic herbs, plants, mushrooms, bioactives, and phytonutrients that act as nootropic superchargers for your brain. 

Adaptogens have taken the spotlight recently—and for good reason! These stimulating plants and herbs help enhance our resilience to stressors. Thanks to their effects on the central nervous system and neurotransmitters, certain adaptogens are also nootropics. 

That means the same compounds that help you manage your mental and physical stress will also enhance your cognitive function. (I don't know about you, but that mix of relaxation and focus is exactly what I need when I'm working on a challenging task.) Some examples of plants, fungi, and herbs lucky enough to exist in this epic crossover are ashwagandha, Ginkgo biloba, lion's mane mushroom, Panax ginseng, kanna (Sceletium tortuosum), and Rhodiola rosea.*

Phytonutrients, aka phytochemicals, are natural compounds found in plants that benefit human health. Many phytochemicals have intrinsic antioxidant properties (which, as we know, support whole-body health and longevity) but many also promote other areas of health—such as immune resilience, hormone balance, and how well your brain functions.

As with adaptogens, some phytonutrients act as nootropics by stimulating the central nervous system and optimizing cognitive performance.

For example, L-theanine is a phytochemical found in green tea that's both a nootropic and an adaptogen, thanks to its ability to generate a relaxed, focused mental state2. Antioxidant powerhouse resveratrol is a polyphenol with anti-inflammatory properties found in a variety of foods (e.g., grapes, blueberries, cranberries, peanuts, pistachios, and even chocolate) that promotes brain blood flow3 and cognitive task performance4.* As it turns out, L-theanine and resveratrol are also found in certain nootropic supplements, too.

And, of course, there's ever-energizing caffeine, which can be found in chocolate, tea, and coffee and is known for its ability to enhance mental performance5 (i.e., focus, attention, executive function skills, and more).

As we've begun to cover already, nootropics can help support a range of cognitive tasks and functions. 

"Specific mechanisms of action of nootropic ingredients vary, and thus support different cognitive benefits," shares Emma Engler, M.S., mbg's nutrition research scientist. "For example, caffeine (arguably the most widely used nootropic) works on adenosine receptors5 supporting mental and physical energy, while citicoline (a potent neuronutrient) supports phospholipid synthesis6 and neuronal health."*

Some of the best nootropics for promoting focus are plant-derived caffeine, citicoline, and L-theanine.* Citicoline, aka CDP-choline, is a natural nutrient-bioactive hybrid found in every cell of the body. In a study published by Food and Nutrition Sciences, citicoline in the clinically researched form Cognizin® was shown to improve focus and attention in healthy women who took it for a month.*

Interestingly, the combination of caffeine and L-theanine has been found to provide a powerful, energized focus superior to the use of caffeine alone. When consumed together—in matcha and other green teas, or a premium, targeted focus supplement like mbg's focus+—this unique duo is found to increase individuals' speed and accuracy of tasks and reduce susceptibility to distractions7.* 

A foundational aspect of executive functioning, cognitive flexibility is the ability to easily adapt to our constantly evolving environment. It also refers to the brain's ability to switch between different tasks or think about multiple concepts at the same time. 

"For a wide range of life essential activities and feelings, cognitive flexibility is at the core," explains mbg's VP of scientific affairs Ferira. "These include things like empathy, debate, impulse control, stress regulation, changing directions, strategic planning, creative writing, problem-solving, and multitasking. Even simply reading a book and understanding what you're reading at the same time requires our brain to tap into our cognitive flexibility skill set." (Talk about a brain function you want to really nurture!)

While a number of nootropics are beneficial for helping our brains accomplish cognitively demanding tasks, their mental health benefits don't end there. Many nootropic botanicals and phytonutrients assist with stress management and mood support.

For example, ginseng (specifically the Panax ginseng variety) acts as a natural actoprotector, meaning it demonstrates an ability to enhance mental work capacity10 (and physical performance, as well!) without increasing oxygen consumption.*

If it's Zen-like relaxation and balance you're looking for, L-theanine might be your guy: According to clinical research, L-theanine modulates alpha brain wave activity, helping us enter a calm yet relaxed state of focus (even when paired with stimulating caffeine11).* 

Kanna also has a powerful impact on calming the mind and mood regulation, via unique brain mechanisms: "Specific to serotonin, kanna has serotonin reuptake inhibition actions in the brain," Engler explains. "This sounds technical, but this basically means that kanna delays the body (neurons, specifically) from reabsorbing serotonin, extending serotonin's availability and activity in our brain and body."* 

In addition to the cerebrovascular actions (blood flowing to your brain!)13 and antioxidant benefits we mentioned earlier, resveratrol also supports learning, memory, and recall.* In a 2014 study from the Journal of Neuroscience, resveratrol supplements were shown to improve memory performance14 and functional connectivity of the hippocampus in healthy older adults ages 50 and 75.* 

"Honing in further on this polyphenol powerhouse, a 150-milligram daily dose of resveratrol in the Veri-Te™ form (a unique fermentation-derived source) has been clinically shown15 via robust research to increase cerebrovascular responsiveness to stimuli and improve verbal memory tasks and overall cognitive performance,"* shares Ferira.

Resveratrol can't steal all the memory-benefit limelight, though. It turns out citicoline is helpful for way more than just focus benefits, as well: It's actually more famous for its significant impact on memory.* For example, in a 2021 clinical study in the Journal of Nutrition, citicoline (as Cognizin®) was found to improve overall memory performance16, especially episodic memory, in healthy older adults.* 

When it comes to working memory (i.e., the brain's ability to hold on to and process multiple pieces of information at once) and speed of memory, guarana seed extract can be of great assistance, according to a 2019 scientific review from Global Psychiatry.

Although nootropics are found in food sources—including coffee, green tea, leafy greens, and even eggs—evidence20 suggests these sources are certainly helpful but not always as targeted (and thus impactful) as supplementation. If you're hoping to holistically support your brain health with nootropics, taking a universal approach that includes both brain-supporting foods and targeted nootropic supplements is your best bet!

According to William Cole, IFMCP, DNM, D.C., functional medicine practitioner, most nootropics are generally considered safe. This assumes you are consuming nootropic ingredients from respected brands and high-quality products, of course. That said, it's important to educate yourself if you're planning on introducing nootropics to your well-being routine. 

Overall, most nootropic ingredients are backed by decades of use and clinical research (or sometimes millenniums of historical use) and well tolerated by healthy adults. These compounds can be incredibly helpful in promoting overall brain health. "Most plant botanicals with high safety profiles at scientifically backed doses don't commonly have significant side effects," shares Engler.