Everything You Need To Know About Nootropics
Everyone hopes to age like fine wine – to live long and live well, especially when it comes to brain health. No one wants to lose their faculties as they get older, and maintaining proper cognitive functioning ranks near the top of most people’s long-term health wish lists. While the way our brain ages is not completely under our control, what we do in our younger and mid-life years can majorly impact how we enjoy our senior years.
This is where nootropics are beneficial. Simply put, nootropics are herbs and plants that improve cognitive performance and brain wellness. Nootropic herbs enhance focus, memory, attention, motivation, mood, relaxation, alertness, and resistance to stress. When nootropics are combined with a healthy, active lifestyle, they work to strengthen and nurture the mind, not just in the present moment but also in the long run.
The Origin of Nootropics
Dr. Corneliu E. Giurgea, a Romanian chemist and psychologist, is the founding father of nootropics. He developed six key criteria to qualify a substance as a true nootropic.
Enhances memory and learning
Improves cognition under stress
Protects brain cells (neuroprotective)
Facilitates cell-to-cell communication
Backed by human research showing brain bioactivity
Absence of the typical pharmacological effects of psychotropic drugs
By the strictest definition, there are only a handful of nootropics that exist. However, as science has discovered more about the brain and found more brain-beneficial supplements, the original definition of a nootropic has expanded dramatically.
Nowadays, if a supplement helps the brain in any way, it could be considered a nootropic. In the past, herbs were taken in their most basic form – raw and brewed into tea or dried and pulverized into a powder. Research is now verifying the cognitive advantages associated with traditional nootropic herbs. Modern manufacturing methods ensure that these plants are also safer, purer, and more effective than ever before.
Brain Health Benefits of Nootropics
Nootropics help our brains perform better in day-to-day life and nourish the brain for long-term benefits. Some of the areas that nootropic herbs help with brain health include:
Brain aging: certain nootropics protect the brain from free radicals, which are unstable molecules. Free radicals bombard the neurons in the brain and cells within the body, causing damage that accelerates aging. Antioxidant nootropics can be used to protect and maintain a healthy brain structure by neutralizing the marauding free radicals.
Cognitive decline: a slight decline in mental processing is considered normal as we grow older. However, nootropics can be used to slow down this natural decline and keep us sharper for longer.
Mild cognitive impairment: cognitive impairment manifests itself as sluggish mental processing or brain fog. Nootropics help by supporting mental function and maintaining a healthy brain structure over time.
Brain structure changes: sometimes, brain health problems are caused by irregularities in the structure of the brain. Nootropics work to maintain normal brain structure in healthy individuals. For example, vitamin B12 maintains the myelin fatty sheaths surrounding the neurons and brain cells.
Nootropic herbs and plants that qualify as mental performance-enhancers
The roots, seeds, leaves, stems, bark, and flowers of nootropic herbs contain active brain-boosting compounds. Mushrooms are also considered to be nootropics, not because they are plants, but because they have some of the longest histories in herbalism and traditional health practices. Most of the popular nootropics range from chewed, brewed, and steeped to herbal extracts that are standardized to accurate levels of their active ingredients.
Here are some of the legendary nootropics that promote brain health:
1. Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is one of the most powerful nootropic herbs in Ayurvedic medicine. This herb helps lower blood sugar, reduces cortisol levels, and improves blood pressure. Ashwagandha restores neural networks by aiding in the regeneration of axons, dendrites, and synapses. It also inhibits the enzyme responsible for breaking down neurotransmitters, which results in increased memory, learning, and cognition.
2. Water Hyssop
In ancient Ayurvedic texts, water hyssop was given to devotees to help them memorize lengthy passages of text. The bacosides A and B in water hyssop help rebuild damaged neurons and improve the electrical signalling in the brain.
3.Ginkgo Biloba
Ginkgo biloba is one of the oldest species of tree on earth – some of the oldest trees in China are believed to be over 2500 years old. Throughout the history of Chinese medicine, Gingko Biloba was prescribed to slow down aging and keep the brain healthy. This herb reduces monoamine oxidase levels in the brain, which in turn boosts dopamine levels. Gingko also increases cerebral blood flow and improves glucose and oxygen availability to the neurons for neuronal health. Read more about ginkgo biloba here.
4. Ginseng
Ginseng works as an adaptogen herb to provide an anti-stress effect for the body. It works to reduce adrenal fatigue and boost GABA levels, an amino acid that has a stress-relieving and calming effect on the body. Ginseng works as an anti-inflammatory to reduce cytokines. It also works as an antioxidant to boost ATP synthesis in mitochondria, which improves physical and mental energy.
5. Gotu Kola
This herb increases axon and dendrite growth in brain cells, which helps with memory. Gotu Kola stimulates the growth of new brain cells and encourages dendrite branching, which boosts brain plasticity and the communication between neurons. Gotu Kola protects the brain from oxidative stress and toxins that cause migraines, brain fog, and mood swings. This herb also aids in the prevention of acetylcholine, which enhances mood, memory, learning, and cognition, as well as prevents brain degeneration.
6. Holy Basil
Holy basil, or Tulsi, is the most sacred nootropic herb in Hindu medicine. Holy basil has also been valued for millennia by Greek, Roman, Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha medicine because of its benefits for the body, mind, and spirit. Holy Basil boosts dopamine levels in the brain. It also boosts acetylcholine, which affects depression, anxiety, memory, and faster thinking. This herb works to reduce spikes in cortisol induced by chronic stress. Holy basil shields the brain from heavy metals and the toxic effects of radiation. Read more about holy basil here.
7. Lemon Balm
Lemon balm has been used as an elixir for centuries to combat mental confusion and extend lifespan. In the 17th Century, French Carmelite nuns used lemon balm-infused miracle water to improve vision and memory. Lemon balm inhibits the enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine, which increases memory and cognition. Lemon balm also increases the production of BDNF, a molecule related to memory and learning.
8. Maca
The native Peruvians cultivated maca for at least 2000 years. Natives in the central Peruvian Andes gave their children maca to improve their performance in school. Maca has the ability to boost acetylcholine and act as an antioxidant. Maca also prevents the breakdown of anandamide, which results in improved memory and enhanced mood.
9. Rhodiola Rosea
This herb boosts mood by influencing norepinephrine and serotonin levels in the brain. It also helps with neurogenesis by repairing and promoting the growth of new neurons. Rhodiola protects the neurons in the brain from oxidative stress-induced cell death.
10. Turmeric
Turmeric is one of the most studied nootropic herbs. This yellow spice has remarkable nootropic properties that can be used to treat neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and depression. Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, boosts neurogenesis, which is essential for enhanced mood, learning, and memory. Curcumin is also a powerful antioxidant, which protects the brain from inflammation, reducing the risk of dementia. Read more about turmeric here.
11. Lion’s Mane Mushroom
This brain-boosting fungus raises levels of nerve growth factor (NGF) in the brain. The lion’s mane mushroom promotes a positive mood, enhances overall brain health, and reduces the risk of mild age-related cognitive issues.
In Summary
Nootropics are powerful herbs known for their brain-protective properties, good safety profiles, outstanding tolerability, and human research-backed bioactivities. They don’t only boost brain power but also nourish the brain and improve overall brain health.