Posted by If you’re wanting to improve your mind powers and maybe cop some health benefits at the same time, nootropics are your best bet. The cool-sounding (and very cool-acting) substances can come from plants, be totally made in a lab, or even take the form of a pharmaceutical drug available by prescription only.
If you’re new to the world of nootropics or want to explore a list of possibilities you haven’t considered, you’re in the right place. Keep following along to see what the big deal is about nootropics and why certain ones deserve a special call-out, here.
Holy Skull Tincture
Rogers Hood Apothecary is behind this wonderful tincture that started stimulating my brain as soon as I had taken it for the first time. It promotes a lovely buzzing of mental energy, if you ask me. The ingredients are:
- Lion’s Mane: A mushroom; gets rid of brain fog and improves focus and mental clarity.
- Cat’s Claw: A vine; soothes inflammation, supports immunity, and reduces discomfort.
- Holy Basil: Also known as tulsi, this plant is a common headache remedy in traditional Indian (Ayurvedic) medicine. It also has antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties.
- Skullcap: A flowering plant in the mint family, also known as a “nervine herb” that calms the nerves; has antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory effects that support the brain and improve health, reduces anxiety, and improves sleep.
Lion’s Mane has health benefits that are best had through a dual-extraction of alcohol and water, and this tincture has both. Yes, this particular combination is in use with their detox kits, but it’s also a standalone product that makes for a good supplement to add to your routine or rotation.
Vitamin B-Complex Tincture
A Vitamin B-complex gives you all of the vitamins you need for energy production, metabolism, overall health, and other functions like nervous system health, red blood cell formation, DNA and cell growth, immune support, skin, hair, and nail health, stress hormone regulation, and digestive and cardiovascular support.This tincture brand is Venture Pal Wellness.
What constitutes a Vitamin-B complex, you ask?
- B1 (Thiamine)
- B2 (Riboflavin)
- B3 (Niacin)
- B5 (Pantothenic acid)
- B6 (Pyridoxine)
- B7 (Biotin)
- B9 (Folate)
- B12 (Cobalamin)
This particular tincture also has Vitamin C (immune and skin support, iron absorption), choline (an essential nutrient that works with folate and Vitamin B12), and inositol (a naturally occurring sugar sometimes called Vitamin B8). These few additional ingredients seem to have a synergistic effect that allows the Vitamin B complex to enhance and support the body and mind in the best way possible.
Yes, many foods have more than one B vitamin. Liver is the organ with the most B vitamins around, but many people aren’t eating organ meats. So this supplement is a great way to make sure you get all of them.
Nootropic Mushroom Tincture
Rather than choosing just one nootropic mushroom ingredient, I went with the top 5:
- Lion’s Mane for concentration and mental clarity.
- Reishi for focus, memory, and cognitive function.
- Turkey Tail for cognitive function, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective benefits.
- Cordyceps for mental clarity, cognitive function, and energy levels.
- Chaga for antioxidant properties to reduce inflammation and support immune function.
You’re probably wondering how the immune system factors into better mental function. Simply put, the health of the immune system and emotional and mental health (and function) are connected. If you’re in a bad mood, you’re more likely to be sick, and if you’re sick, the last thing you want to do is rack your brain about anything, your energy is low and you probably feel depressed.
For this product, I chose Clean Nutraceuticals. Their tincture also contains Ashwagandha (a calming adaptogen) and a MultiShroom blend that includes Shiitake.
Black Seed Oil
I call black (cumin) seed oil tincture “spicy mind lubricant.” It’s warming, supports memory, focus, attention, and liver detoxification (helps the drainage pathways open), and has been called in the Arab world “A panacea for everything except death.” Although it is popular for skin and hair health, traditional use and studies indicate it also benefits respiratory health, metabolism and blood sugar, and supports the immune system with antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties.
There are several excellent brands that make high-quality black seed oil tincture. Just make sure it’s organic, virgin (freshest), unrefined (holistic), and cold-pressed (heat destroys the compounds). For this purchase, I chose HBNO.
Low-Dose Kratom Capsules
Kratom is a botanical you don’t need much of to experience effects. They are dose-dependent, and low doses are stimulating. In the form of capsules, they can be just what you want to feel a pep in your step and concentration with stamina. Also, they’ll last pretty much all day.
Microdosing Mushroom Tablets
Microdosing psychedelics has nootropic effects that are sought out by productivity biohackers. Although psilocybin isn’t legal, there are some legal, non-psilocybin psychedelic options that aren’t just for recreational use.
Mindless Mushrooms by Real Botanicals are precisely-dosed chewable tablets specifically for microdosing, and they’re also a good coffee alternative. It’s a synthetic formulation that mirrors the effects of psilocybin at low doses. That is, it binds to the serotonin 5HT2A receptor, and it’s not only a neurotransmitter but an immune modulator. It works on memory, focus, and mood. When you feel good, you think better, and you are healthier.
Comparison Table
| Nootropic | Holy Skull Tincture | Vitamin B-Complex Tincture | Nootropic Mushroom Tincture | Black Cumin Seed Oil | Low-dose Kratom Capsules | Microdosing Mushrooms Tablets |
| Benefits | Focus, clarity, immune support | Better mental and physical energy, metabolism, etc. | Cognition, memory, energy | Attention, memory, focus, several physical benefits | Focus, mental and physical energy, stamina | Focus, motivation, mental clarity, flow |
| Best for | Brain fog, sluggishness, low mood | Brain health, physical performance, overall health | Brain fog, low mood, low energy | Overall health | Performance; coffee alternative | Productivity, mood, mental energy |
Choosing the Right Nootropics
Anything that boosts cognitive function is nootropic. In a world where productivity and mental clarity are competitive advantages, it’s easy to see why nootropics have become popular.
You’ve probably heard of some kind of nootropics called “smart drugs.” While many people notice positive effects right away, nootropics also offer unique protective, long-term brain and other health benefits. Consider the effects and benefits you seek and experiment to figure out the ones that are best for your lifestyle.
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