My Top 3 Best Nootropic Supplements to Buy in 2023

Just as you would take a multivitamin or an organic protein powder to nourish your body, you might want to consider a ‘nootropic stack’, a type of supplement that consists of natural ingredients that support optimal brain function.

But How Do The Best Nootropic Supplements Work?

 

Best Nootropic Supplements

 

In order to help you find a reliable product, I’ve researched and tested the 25 most popular nootropic stacks this year.

Athletes, gamers, professionals, and active elderly people are all taking nootropics to be at their sharpest state of mind. A good nootropic stack needs to be:

• 100% natural
• Extremely safe and non-addictive
• Offer both short-term benefits, and long-term brain protection
• Produced by a reputable company
• Well received by its users

There are many great nootropic supplements on the market today. My Review will help you find a few of the Best Brain Supplements available right now out there.

They all have different ingredients, which means each one works a little differently. However, the three products below are the best nootropic supplements overall available on the market today.

 

My Top Pick

 

	Mind Lab Pro	Performance Lab Mind	Gaia Herbs Stress Response
Ingredients	11 bioactive	4	Herbal adaptogen blend
Stimulants	Stimulant-free	Stimulant-free	No stimulants
Daily dose	1–2 capsules	1 capsule	2 liquid phyto-caps
Built for	Long-term brain support	Clinically dosed brain energy (Cognizin®)	Stress and everyday tension
Vegan	Yes	Yes	Yes
My score	5/5	4/5	4/5

 

Why Use a Nootropic Supplement?

 

You will see us mention the terms ‘nootropic’ and ‘nootropic stacks’ throughout this article.

While nootropic is a single ingredient that can support your brain function (e.g. Fish Oil, Ginkgo Biloba), a nootropic stack is a combination of multiple nootropics (e.g. Fish Oil+Ginkgo Biloba) that yields bigger benefits than one ingredient alone.

There are many reasons why you might consider a nootropic stack. The most obvious one is that you want to improve your memory and focus.

The problem is, there are many factors today that make our brains work at below optimal levels – regardless of our age.

These include:

• Poor blood flow to your brain cells
• Diet which is poor in essential brain nutrients (choline, phosphatidylserine, B vitamins, etc.)
• Weak mitochondria in brain cells
• Mental energy decline
• Depletion of neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, GABA, and acetylcholine
• Stress and fatigue impairing cognitive performance
• Multi-tasking reducing mental efficiency

These are just some of the factors that can interfere with your mental performance. Natural brain boosters shown in this article have the potential to offset these problems.

In addition, it’s never too late to start reaping the mental benefits of nutrition.

These dietary supplements are helping everyone from older people, stay at home parents, students, doctors, to busy CEOs perform at their peak mentally.

 

Natural nootropic stack Ingredients

 

Before covering the best brain supplements you can find, let’s have a look at the best individual ingredients that make up a great nootropic ‘stack’.

1. Citicoline – Brain Energy, Focus, Memory

Citicoline (CDP-Choline) is the single best nootropic overall. If you could only choose one nootropic ingredient to take, many neurohackers will argue that this is it.

Citicoline can help rapidly increase your focus, learning, and information processing. It is shown to increase brain energy by up to 13.6% in some studies.

(7) This is why it’s a backbone of most high-grade nootropic stacks.

It’s extremely efficient at supplying choline to your brain. There, choline is used to make acetylcholine – a brain chemical that regulates executive function.

Citicoline also helps support brain structure as you age, and can enhance memory function. (6)

2. Rhodiola Rosea – Resistance to Stress & Fatigue

Rhodiola is a herb whose usage dates back to the Viking Age. Ever since then, it’s been used by people to boost their cognition under stress.

Studies have shown that Rhodiola makes you able to withstand pressure, distractions, and stress in situations where you’d otherwise ‘crumble’ mentally.

(8) So unlike some anxiolytic pills, Rhodiola doesn’t sedate you. Instead, it keeps you anxiety-free and mentally sharp when things get hot.

And you don’t need much of it, either. As little as 50-100 mg per day is enough to confer its mental and physical anti-anxiety benefits.

3. Phosphatidylserine – Best Memory & Cognitive Enhancer

Phosphatidylserine, aka, PS is a fat most abundant in your brain. It’s the main constituent of your neurons.

(9) Without PS, your brain cells wouldn’t be able to fire signals to each other. And when one of your brain cells dies and is ready to be replaced, PS shifts to the outside of your cell membrane.

This signals to your immune cells to destroy the dead neuron.

The issue is, our PS levels decline as we age. Supplementing with PS is shown to maintain healthy cognitive function.

Some studies have even shown that PS has short-term benefits, making it just as useful for younger folks too.

4. DHA – Essential Omega-3 Fatty Acid

DHA (Docosahexaenoic) is an omega-3 fatty acid, it is the most abundant fat in your brain. Not only does it make up a large chunk of your cerebral cortex, DHA is also used to construct our retina and skin.

Supplementing omega-3s in general is a good idea if you’re looking to maintain a sharp and youthful brain.

Few people get enough through food alone. It’s found in algae and some fatty fish, which are foods most people’s diets are devoid of.

5. Lion’s Mane Mushroom – Helps Repair and Grow New Brain Cells

Lion’s Mane is the only nootropic mushroom known to regenerate our nerves.

It’s been a part of traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. Modern clinical trials show that this mushroom has one fascinating effect that makes it unique among nootropics – it triggers the release of NGF (aka, Nerve Growth Factors) in our brain.

(10) NGF is what governs the growth, proliferation, and repair of our brain cells.

Higher NGF levels means a healthier and more robust brain. This translates to better mental performance overall.

Lion’s Mane Mushroom is arguably the most effective nootropic for long-term, lasting brain boost in our experience.

Its benefits range from mood enhancement to improved memory, and they last long after you stop taking it.

With this particular ingredient, you want to be taking 300-1000 mg per day for a few months to see big results.

How I Rank Nootropic Stacks?

In order to give you a fair and accurate report, we analyze and test every supplement the same way – no matter the brand, reputation, or price.

We combine over 25 ranking factors across 7 crucial categories including: ingredients, short-term benefits, long-term benefits, personal experience, safety, trust, and value.

The nootropic supplement with the highest final score ranks as #1.

I really dive deep in my individual supplement reviews at Valentino’s Naturals, but to give you a general idea of what I’m looking for:

• The ingredient formula – The quality of the ingredients, as well as how they’re dosed.
• Value – We look at all the things that a product offers for its price.
• User Testimonials – It needs to be a well-reviewed product.
• Trust – You’ll be taking these nootropic supplements daily. We need to make sure they’re produced by a reputable manufacturer and completely risk-free.
• Brand authority – What’s their track record? Have they produced successful supplements before? Were they involved in any scams or shady activities?
• Where to Buy – I’ll share links to these nootropic official websites for you to look into them, and buy if interested.

My best nootropic stack list for 2023 includes only supplements that we have road-tested for weeks to ensure they’re completely free of synthetic or risky ingredients.

Buy in confidence and within weeks you will start noticing improvements in your focus, productivity, and recall.

Best Brain Supplement

Here is my top list of the best nootropic supplements available today on the market.

 

#1 – Mind Lab Pro® -Best Brain Supplements

 

With a wealth of peer-reviewed clinical studies, Mind Lab Pro is hands down the best brain supplement money can buy right now.

Mind Lab Pro is produced by Opti Nutra, a specialist company from the U.K.

Their R&D team includes Dr. Ramon Velazquez, a P.h.D neuroscientist and assistant research professor at Arizona State University.

 

Mind Lab Pro was formulated with 11 bioactive ingredients shown, in clinical studies, to have the biggest impact on mental health and performance.

Taking Mind Lab Pro will help you:

• Increase focus and mental energy
• Improve work rate
• Enhance productivity (get more done in less time)
• Have a better memory
• Decrease stress & anxiety

While some nootropic supplements only affect 2 or 3 brain pathways.

Mind Lab Pro targets an impressive 6 different brain pathways for improved neurogenesis, brain energy, brainwaves, cerebral blood flow, brain cell protection, and neurotransmitters.

 

Mind Lab Pro uses Rhodiola Rosea, an adaptogenic herb that increases physiological resilience to stress.

(1) One study found that Rhodiola Rosea has an antidepressant effect that’s comparable to Sertraline, a prescription antidepressant. (2) 

Lion’s Mane Mushroom in Mind Lab Pro keeps your brain young by promoting nerve cell growth. (3, 4) Pine Bark Extract fights brain cell aging and boosts blood flow to the brain, which helps you stay sharp at any age.

(5) Learn more about Mind Lab Pro’s ingredients by clicking here.

What do others say?

One thing that cements Mind Lab Pro as the market leader is its user reception.

There are endless testimonials for this nootropic online and their website has great reviews. For us, this is equally as important as its impressive ingredient profile.

The Good 

• Patented ingredients
• Long-term brain support
• The formula has been updated three times since 2015
• Nature-identical B vitamins grown using NutriGenesis® technology
• Vegan Plantcaps made of fermented tapioca
• Stimulant-free, GMO-free, soy-free, allergen-free
• Produced in cGMP and FDA approved facilities
• 30 day money-back guarantee

The Bad:

• Premium price
• You can only buy it directly from the manufacturer
• CDP-Choline dose is too light if you’re using Racetams

Read My Mind Lab Pro Full Review

or

Visit MindLabPro.com

2 – Performance Lab Mind

 

Performance Lab Mind is an ultramodern nootropic for brainpower and cognitive well-being. Although it’s 2nd overall, my team rates it as the best nootropic for stacking with other supplements.

You can think of Performance Lab Mind as a more focused version of Mind Lab Pro. It contains only four ingredients in generous dosages, each one boosting your cognitive function in its own way.

Even though it has such a seemingly simple formula, Performance Lab Mind still covers all the most important aspects of your mental performance.

This includes brain energy, neuroprotection, brain cell regeneration, and neurotransmitters.

The formula is open sourced and of cleanest quality. Meaning, there’s no fillers, waste, or unnecessary ingredients.

Benefits you’ll experience taking Performance Lab Mind include:

• Enhanced focus
• Reduced stress and anxiety
• Better memory
• Improved productivity

• Protects brain cells from oxidative stress
• Promotes nerve growth
• Excellent ingredient quality
• Extremely safe
• Vegan friendly
• Top-notch, branded ingredients
• Impressive value for money
• Can be easily stacked with other nootropics

The Bad:

• Not as advanced as Mind Lab Pro
• Doesn’t have stimulants like caffeine, but you can stack it with Stim
• You can only get it on the official website, much like MLP

Visit PerformanceLab.com

 

3 – Gaia Herbs Stress Response

If the thing wrecking your focus is stress rather than a slow brain, this is the one I’d buy – and it’s the cheapest thing on this page by a distance.

Let me be straight about what it is and what it isn’t. Stress Response is an adaptogen blend – ashwagandha, holy basil, rhodiola and schisandra, in vegan liquid phyto-caps. It is not a nootropic the way Mind Lab Pro is. It won’t sharpen your recall and it won’t do a thing for your reaction time. Nothing on the label claims it will, which honestly I appreciate. Most of this industry would have claimed it.

What it does is take the edge off. Two caps to a serving, no caffeine and no stimulant of any kind, so it doesn’t leave you wired at four in the afternoon the way a “focus” formula built on 200 mg of caffeine does. The doses are sensible rather than heroic, and on a herbal formula that’s the right call – the studies behind these plants used sensible doses too.

READ: My full Gaia Herbs Stress Response review

The Good:

• Adaptogens with real safety data behind them, at doses the research actually used
• Zero stimulants – it relaxes you without making you drowsy
• Vegan liquid phyto-caps
• By far the cheapest thing on this page

The Bad:

• 30 capsules is 15 servings, so a bottle is gone in a fortnight at the full dose
• Does nothing for memory or focus. This is a stress product, full stop

My score: 4/5. It loses the point on servings per bottle, not on the formula. And if what you actually have is brain fog rather than stress, skip this one and buy Mind Lab Pro instead – they are not solving the same problem.

 

Valentino’s Naturals Recommendation

We ranked the top 3 nootropic stacks strictly based on product testing, user experiences, clinical research and potency.

Mind Lab Pro is my team’s pick of the very impressive bunch, but all of them can deliver amazing results.

For my best nootropic stack for this year, follow the link below:

Visit: www.mindlabpro.com

 

References

1. Stress management and the role of Rhodiola rosea: a review. (source)
2. Rhodiola rosea versus sertraline for major depressive disorder: A randomized placebo-controlled trial. (source)
3. Peripheral Nerve Regeneration Following Crush Injury to Rat Peroneal Nerve by Aqueous Extract of Medicinal Mushroom Hericium erinaceus (Bull.: Fr) Pers. (Aphyllophoromycetideae). (source)
4. Nerve Growth Factor-Inducing activity of Hericium erinaceus in 1321N1 Human Astrocytoma Cells. (source)
5. Pycnogenol, French maritime pine bark extract, augments endothelium-dependent vasodilation in humans. (source)
6. Improved Attentional Performance Following Citicoline Administration in Healthy Adult Women.
7. Citicoline Enhances Frontal Lobe Bioenergetics as Measured by Phosphorus Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy.
8. Stress Management and the Role of Rhodiola rosea: A Review.
9. Phosphatidylserine and the Human Brain.
10. Neurotrophic Properties of the Lion’s Mane Medicinal Mushroom, Hericium Erinaceus (Higher Basidiomycetes) From Malaysia.

 

Verified By

 

Dr. Nazish Idrees Chaudhary, PhD

Consultant Clinical Psychologist & Senior Lecturer UCMD UIRSMIT Department; Clinical Placement Supervisor LSPS Psychology Department, University of Lahore, Pakistan

◆Program Director, Civil Fellowship Training for Addiction Professionals, Silver Lining Rehabs Pakistan

◆Clinical Practice, Khalid Clinic, Gulberg 3, Online counseling and psychotherapy sessions since the pandemic

◆Certified NLP and Hypnotherapy Practitioner

◆Diploma Dialectical Behaviour Therapist, 150 CPD, UK

◆Dip. Couple and Relationship Therapist, 150 CPD, UK

◆Certified Addiction Prevention Coordinator, UNODC

◆Certified Addiction Coach, PFRD, Columbo Plan, Pak

◆Certified Diet and Nutritional Advisor, 200 CPD, UK

◆Enhancing memory Diploma Certification, UK by COE

◆Member YPA (PAK), ISSUP (Sri Lanka) and IAHT, UK

◆President IYPS and V.P. ISSUP Lahore Chapter

◆Former lecturer, Punjab University College of Information Technology ◆M.S. Clinical Psychology, University of Central Punjab, 2016 (Silver Medalist) ◆Conducted several awareness Training and Workshops, Volunteer therapeutic services

and Won Award for that in Comsats Abbottabad National Conference 2017 ◆Other experiences, PIMH, Children Hospital, Ehsas Clinic, SOS Children Villages, Special Children Centre, University of Home Economics, Mayo Hospital

Publications:

1. Psychological flexibility scale for university students: scale development employing exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Journal of Professional Psychology: Research and Practice. Volume 11, No. 2, September 2020.
2. Efficacy of Dialectical Behavior Therapy for the Management of Suicidal Ideation & Deliberate Self-Harm: A Case Study from the Clinical Population in Lahore, Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Medical Research (PJMR), 59, 2, 24 June 2020.
3. Effect of Dialectical Behavior Therapy on Trait Emotional Intelligence and Emotional Regulation of Suicidal Patients in Pakistani Context. Global Scientific Journal (GSJ), Volume 8, Issue 2, February 2020.
4. Culture-Bound Syndromes in Pakistan: Implications and Strategic Vision for Health Management. Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS), Volume 14, Issue 4. September 2019.
5. Treatment Outcomes of Dialectical Behavior Therapy on the Level of Suicidal Severity and Distress Tolerance in Suicidal Patients. International Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research, Volume 8, Issue 9. September Edition, 2017.

Find me here: https://www.facebook.com/peculiarcoach, https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazish-chaudhary-bb089140/

or write to me: [email protected]

 

Juliana Andrade, PhD

Fact-Checking was carried out by Juliana Andrade, MS. Juliana has a background in neurosciences and is currently a PhD student – she investigates brain connectivity in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

You can find her publications here. She also works as a science writer, writing about science and mental health to a broad audience in social media. She can be reached at Twitter and Linkedin.

 

 

Ahmad Mahmood, PhD

The facts mentioned and explained in this article have been checked and found to be consistent with scientific literature (most recent literature was used for fact checking).

Fact Checking was carried out by Ahmad Mahmood, PhD from Professional Writings.

Ahmad Mahmood has a background of studying and exploring ‘food as medicine’ and has expertise in plant metabolomics, and currently works as a freelance academic writer, editor and proofreader. He can be reached at Twitter.