Supplements for the Entrepreneur: Nootropics

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. Consult your physician before ever starting a supplement regime.

The health supplement industry is absolutely huge and is continuing to grow.

Growing up focused on athletics and working out, I became curious experimenter of health supplements, specifically experimenting with supplements that enhance athletic performance. Time tested and proven supplements like creatine and even caffeine have all proved beneficial for athletes.

But what about the highly ambitious and sometimes stressed out entrepreneur?

Like Apple’s apps, “There’s a supp for that,” called nootropics.

During my research and many hours spent on health and nutrition forums, I came across nootropic supplements.

Cognitive nootropic supplements claim to have many benefits such as increased awareness, overall sense of well-being, reduced fatique, decreased stress, and better memory retention.  Similar effects to the popular psychostimulant Adderall.

Though I have never taken Adderall, I have heard many positives as well as negatives.  The negatives are enough to scare me off from ever talking with my doctor about it (things such as some friends not able to even read a stop sign when not on the drug).

2 of the more popular cognitive nootropics  are Piracetam and Choline Citrate. I decided to give them a test run.

I chose piracetam and choline citrate after hours of research showing that they work best in conjuction and they are the most known (which is not much) of the nootropics.

I would also like to point out that I do take a B-Complex, and Fish Oil (which is another nootropic but more known for its heart benefits).

Another note, the below research is just a quick overview and I did extensive research on both piracetam and choline citrate before purchasing and trying.

Piracetam

The mechanisms of piracetam are still not fully understood.

According to Wikipedia, piracetam “enhances cognition and memory, slows brain aging, increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain, aids stroke recovery, and ameliorates Alzheimer’s, Down’s syndrome, dementia, and dyslexia, among other diseases and conditions.”

Choline Citrate

According to one source, choline citrate “claim that individuals with certain medical disorders can benefit from using a choline citrate supplement. This includes patients with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome who cannot process magnesium and calcium properly. It is also recommended by retailers to Alzheimer’s patients and those with Parkinson’s disease. The supplement is also recommended to athletes since physical exertion can deplete choline stores. With choline citrate, you can replace the body’s loss choline and feel re-energized.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor nor should any of this information be used as advice. Consult your physican before any supplement regime.

What I Have Noticed

Like I said, I enjoy experimenting with supplements of all kinds after extensive research.

Like most people, especially college students, I tend to get a little stressed out when workload increases, research paper deadlines, and around exams.

I only take either of these two supplements during these times of high stress and when I need a little boost (placebo or not) in order to increase focus and concentration.

In that respect, I do believe these two supplements help with increased focus, concentration, and memory. I find myself able to study and read for longer periods of time before having to take a break. I have also noticed that I am not as stressed and more relaxed whenever I normally found myself stressing out, which in turn would lead to less focus.

It could just be a placebo effect, but I believe the placebo effect is not bad if its a positive placebo affect.

Piracetam and choline citrate is fairly cheap and strongly feel it does not hurt for me to keep around.

Also, throwing in fish oil helps a ton during high stress times.

If you are interested in some fascinating (and can get really in depth) research on nootropics and health supplements, head over to the Anabolic Minds Forums.  Some of the discussions can get quite in depth and scientific.

Overall, I think the best thing you can do for stress, focus, concentration, memory, and your body is to eat a healthy diet.  As many of you know, I am a big fan of the Paleo Diet.

Have any of you ever tried nootropics and noticed anything? I know many people take fish oil but do not know some of the positive nootropic effects of it.  For those of you who take fish oil: ever notice any improvement in mood, focus, concentration, or memory enhancement from the popular fish oil?

Think Big,

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