There’s time when life can feel pretty overwhelming.
Work, studying and even just regular day-to-day issues can really drain your mental energy.
A growing class of natural and synthetic brain-enhancers is perfect for combating that – we call them “nootropics”.
Not much has changed since 2016, but before we reveal the top nootropic supplements for this year, let’s go over the fundamentals.
» See the #1 Nootropic This Year «
What is a Nootropic?
Put simply, nootropics are brain-boosters.
They can be anything from vitamins or minerals, to herbs or supplemental compounds that improve cognition. Their specific effects can include improvements to focus, mood, memory, reaction time, and more.
Although each nootropic ingredient tends to assist with just a single area of function, they can be combined with others synergistically to boost multiple aspects of cognition.
Nootropic supplements are somewhat overlooked by the majority of regulating agencies, including those in Australia and New Zealand. As a consequence, many of the concerned compounds are readily available, but not officially classed as nootropics.
How to Pick a Good Nootropic Supplement
Since a whole assortment of nootropic ingredients and combinations are available, you’ll want to make sure your choices are all three of these things:
- Good-quality ingredients
- Effective
- Safe to take
Making sure your supplements check off everything on this list will ensure that you get the best effects possible, with little to no side effects.
Natural Nootropics
A whole bunch of the best nootropics for both effectiveness and safety are those that come from nature itself.
These include some of the more well-known herbs and amino acids, such as bacopa monieri, ginkgo biloba, tyrosine, and theanine – just to name a few.
Many of these natural herbs are complementary to other ingredients, and can be combined with many others for exceptional synergistic effects.
Some popular examples are:
- Stress and fatigue reduction with bacopa monnieri and rhodiola rosea
- Enhancement of other nootropic effects with citicoline
- Pairing l-theanine with caffeine to take the “edge” and jitters out of caffeine.
Most naturally-occurring nootropics can be found in your typical health and nutrition stores, and can be purchased without a prescription.
Importing them into Australasia and New Zealand is also legal and straightforward, with the exception of only a few like ephedra (1).
Synthetic Nootropics
Another class of nootropics are the man-made, synthetic compounds.
One major group of these is the “racetam” family of nootropics, which all share similar structures and functions.
Examples of popular racetams are aniracetam, which can improve creativity and mood, and pramiracetam, which has been linked to improved memory formation.
Although they are generally not readily available in Australia and New Zealand due to certain regulations, it is legal to import them for personal use. You can import up to a three-month supply without any problems.
One exception to this rule is piracetam, which is only available via prescription in both countries. This is somewhat ironic, though, due to the fact that it’s on the much weaker end of the spectrum.
You’ll need a prescription to import it, too.
Play it Safe
To stay on the safe side, it’s a good idea to stay away from the stronger “smart drugs”.
These are those medications made to treat more serious conditions, and include drugs like Ritalin or Modafinil,
These can often be accompanied by significant side effects or addiction when used improperly or in the long-term (2).
Some worrying surveys in Australia have discovered a widespread improper use of such drugs, with users ranging from CEOs to stressed mothers and students.
In fact, one Australian survey found that a whole 8% of students have reported using them for boosting either mood or concentration while studying (3).
Unless you’re using these under the recommendation of a professional, you should probably steer clear from them.
BEST NOOTROPIC STACKS TO BUY in 2017
Now that you know a bit more about nootropics – here’s the section you’ve been waiting for!
Our top nootropic stack recommendations for 2017 are:
#1st Place: Mind Lab Pro
Mind Lab Pro bottle with box.
Mind Lab Pro is truly the most beneficial nootropic supplement overall, available to both Australia and New Zealand.
It’s the perfect combination of quality, effectiveness, and safety – the epitome of what a good nootropic product should be.
It provides an open-label formula, disclosing each of its 11 ingredients and their doses, with nothing hidden in proprietary blends.
This is an instant sign of confidence in their formula – which they have every right to have. They use clinically effective doses of all the ingredients, so you know it’s going to provide the benefits you’re looking for.
Mind Lab Pro is remarkable in the sense it provides multiple benefits, with multiple ingredients for each effect:
Memory Improvement:
- Vitamin B6 (P-5-P): Promotes the creation of neurons, which can improve memory
- Bacopa Monnieri: An antioxidant, that improves brain circulation and memory formation
- Huperzine A: Increases amounts of the “learning transmitter”, acetylcholine
- Phosphatidylserine: Helps in creating neurons and boosting memory formation.
Stress and Fatigue Reduction:
- Rhodiola Rosea: Anti-stress and anti-fatigue
- Phosphatidylserine: As well as its memory-boosting properties above, it can also combat stress.
Attention and Focus:
- L-Theanine: Promotes relaxation and focus, without sedation
- N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine: Improves production of neurotransmitters to improve your attention span.
Cognitive Protection and Anti-Ageing:
- Lion’s Mane Mushroom: Regenerates neurons and prevents cognitive decline
- Vinpocetine: Protects cognitive ability by improving blood flow to the brain
- Pterostilbene: Fights the ageing of brain cells.
Extra Marks For:
Using a smart combination of nootropic ingredients that work synergistically to achieve a variety of effects.
Thumbs Up for Quality:
In addition to using clinically effective doses of their ingredients, Mind Lab Pro makes sure to choose the premium forms where possible.
This includes n-acetyl-l-tyrosine which trumps the more common l-tyrosine for brain health, an extra-concentrated form of bacopa monnieri, and a patented form of citicoline called Cognizin.
What Makes it Unique:
It’s an all-purpose nootropic which covers all bases for any day-to-day issues.
Best For:
All-round improvement across the board of cognitive functions. Whether you’re tired, having trouble concentrating, or want to improve your learning ability, Mind Lab Pro has something to support you.
Where To Buy:
Grab it now with international shipping on their official website: www.mindlabpro.com.
Our Rating: 5 out of 5
#2nd Place: Alpha Brain
Bottle of Alpha Brain
Second to only Mind Lab Pro is the well-known Alpha Brain.
Thumbs Up For:
Alpha Brain uses a very similar ingredient profile as Mind Lab Pro. An interesting feature is that the supplement itself has been the subject of two successful human studies.
Thumbs Down For:
Unfortunately a few of the ingredients are included in inferior forms, such as vitamin B6, tyrosine, and choline.
Another slight let-down is the listing of proprietary blends, rather than an open-label formula. This makes it difficult to know precisely how much of each ingredient is in the mix, nor how effective it will be.
What Makes it Unique:
A special ingredient in Alpha Brain is a form of the cat’s claw herb, dubbed “AC-11”.
Cat’s claw has been studied as an immunity enhancer, which provides an all-round improvement in brain health.
This particular form (AC-11) is also claimed to be a revolutionary ingredient for DNA repair – recovery from cell damage.
More research may need to be done on this.
Best For:
A solid ingredient profile, and proven effectiveness via clinical trials done on the entire combination of ingredients. In a similar way to Mind Lab Pro, it works well across the board for all aspects of brain function.
Where To Buy:
You can purchase it from a range of online retailers, who offer worldwide shipping.
Our Rating: 4 out of 5