Natural nootropics, or “smart drugs,” are age-old, research-backed brain-boosting herbs and foods that may help you achieve clearer thinking, better memory, and increased cognition.
Have you ever had the feeling that your mind is not working as it used to? That weeks of exhaustion and working overtime have finally made an impact on your ability to concentrate and remember important information?
Millions of people are in the same boat, and, for that reason, researchers have been searching for solutions to age-related and lifestyle-related dips cognition. The first hints at brain-boosting substances were found in the traditional medicinal systems of Asia and Latin America – reports of herbs and foods improving memory, attention, and concentration seemed too good to be true.
Today, research continues to be carried out on many of these herbs and foods to understand if and how they interact with our body’s systems to improve our health, and why side effects are scarce or non-existent.
In this article, we will provide you with a definitive introduction to natural nootropics – what they are, how they differ from nootropic drugs, and we will introduce you to some of the most well-studied natural nootropics available.
What are Nootropics?
Nootropics are substances that help to boost brain function and cognition, resulting in improved memory, learning, focus, creativity, concentration, and mental agility, among others. The major difference between nootropics and other drugs that influence the brain’s chemistry is that nootropics don’t have any major side effects (several don’t have any known side effects at all) or psychoactive action when used in the recommended doses.
Some of the key characteristics of nootropics include the following:
- Enhance the brain’s ability to absorb new information
- Show resistance to agents that impair brain health (like free radicals and toxins)
- Promote communication between the left and right side of the brain
- Increase control over the part of the brain linked to higher brain functions like memory and creativity
As the scientist who coined nootropics, Dr. Corneliu E. Giurgea, describes, nootropics are efficient in restoring deficient higher nervous activity.
In order to describe the effects of nootropics in straight-forward terms, it is important to understand that your brain has potential and power beyond that which we are normally able to take advantage of. This can be due to fatigue, free radicals, or simply lack of use. Nootropics don’t add brain powers that didn’t exist previously, rather they help to restore deficient brain functions.
Brain function can become deficient due to:
- Aging
- Fatigue
- Lack of use
- Poor diet and exercise routines
- Excess of free radicals in the body
- Cognitive conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, speech disorders, Alzheimer’s, and epilepsy
Different Types of Nootropics
Nootropics are found in many different forms. Some are made in the lab, some are are complete components found in nature, and some are extracted from foods and natural components to deliver at high concentrations or with great potency.
In this section, we will briefly describe the different categories of nootropics so we can separate those that are deemed as “drugs” from those that are natural.
Drugs
Drugs, also commonly referred to as medicines, are substances that come in pill, capsule, liquid, vapor, or cream form, among others, that are prescribed for the prevention, treatment, or cure of diseases.
The FDA closely regulates anything deemed a drug. A substance is classified as a drug when it claims to treat, prevent, or mitigate a disease.
Some nootropic drugs can be purchased over the counter, while others must be prescribed. This depends on the dose and the potential side effects of each one.
Nootropics drugs are those that are prescribed or used to treat specific ailments – usually long-term or chronic illnesses where nootropics form part of a larger treatment.
Some examples of nootropic drugs include:
- Racetams
- Synthetic stimulants
- Synthetic dopaminergics
- Serotonergics
- Others like DHEA, Coenzyme Q-10, and pyritinol
Supplements
The FDA defines dietary supplements as products taken orally (pill, capsule, or liquid form) that contain a “dietary ingredient,” including vitamins, minerals, herbs or botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, fatty acids, or other components that supplement the diet.
Supplements can be used to fill gaps in the diet, to compensate for changes that occur in the body due to conditions or age, or to experience improved bodily or mental function.
Unlike drugs, “dietary supplements are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or alleviate the effects of diseases.” However, they can be useful in reducing the risk to certain diseases, and if there is enough research to support it, the claim may be made on the label.
Nootropic supplements include those that are naturally derived and those that are synthetic. As long as the main component, it has demonstrated nootropic action, it is classified as a nootropic.
Some nootropic supplements include:
Naturally Derived Supplements
Naturally-derived supplements are those that are extracted from foods, herbs, plants, and animals. Usually, they single out a certain element that is known to contribute to health.
For example, Omega-3 supplements that are used for boosting brain development and function are composed of omega-3 oil extracted from fish (usually), leaving out the proteins, minerals, and vitamins found in the fish.
Vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other components can be extracted from sources found in nature, and they often contain additional compounds that help to enhance the effectiveness of the active ingredients.
Taking a naturally-derived supplement will differ from consuming the whole food since it usually contains a greater concentration of the active component at hand than if you just ate the food. Supplements often provide between half and many times more of a certain beneficial substance than if you were to consume just the food.
Additionally, high-quality supplements will purify the component. Take Omega-3 as an example: the best quality supplements will remove mercury from the oil, whereas consuming enough fish to get that amount of Omega-3 will inevitably come with the mercury, which is toxic to humans when consumed in high quantities over time.
Naturally derived supplements most often include those that come from herbs or botanicals and fatty acids, but can also include vitamins and minerals.
Synthetic Supplements
Several components used for supplementation purposes are made in the lab; these are called synthetic nutrients. Most supplements on the market today are made in the lab and include vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and amino acids.
Chemically, synthetic nutrients are identical to those that are found in foods or extracted from nature. However, there may be a difference in the way that synthetic nutrients are absorbed.
As mentioned above, some synthetic supplements are classified as nootropics as long as they demonstrate nootropic action, but they are not classified as natural nootropics.
Natural Nootropics
Natural nootropics are those that come from nature. They are whole plants, plant parts, herbs, or foods that grow and thrive in the natural world, and which we harvest for nutritional or health purposes.
Foods
Foods are often overlooked as nootropics, but many foods contain powerful nootropics components.
Many consider foods to be among the “most natural” nootropics because there is no processing or extracting required.
Foods, as you can imagine, contain hundreds of other components in addition to those that provide nootropic properties. Researchers have demonstrated that, in many cases, whole foods promote better absorption of nutrients over supplement forms.
This is because other nutrients and elements within the food facilitate absorption, and they are contained in quantities that the body can naturally absorb, whereas supplements will often remove a particular nutrient from the environment that promotes absorption, or they will be a different chemical form altogether.
Herbs and Botanicals
Botanicals refer to plants or parts of plants that are usually used in small quantities as a spice in food, as medicine, or even for spiritual purposes.
Herbs are a subset of botanicals and refer specifically to the green, leafy part of a flowering plant that often has aromatic properties.
In Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine, as well as in many other traditional medicine forms, nootropic herbs and botanicals are usually prepared as infusions or teas.
Today, with the growing popularity of nootropic herbs and botanicals in the western world and in areas where they do not have access to fresh forms, they are consumed in supplement form.
Herb and botanical nootropic supplement labels will often tell you if it is the whole, pure plant or if it is an extract of the plant. Whole plants offered in pill form usually undergo drying and pulverizing processes through which some nutrients may be lost, but the active ingredients are protected.
Extracts are composed of a particular part of the plant that is removed separated from the rest of the plant by chemical or physical processes.
A Note About Naturally Derived Supplements and Natural Nootropics
Some experts separate naturally derived nootropic supplements from natural nootropics. However, many naturally derived nootropic supplements, especially those that come from herbs and botanicals, can only be found in the market in supplement form.
Many of these supplements are crushed, powdered, or blended forms of the whole herb delivered in capsules or pills, rather than extracts of certain parts of the herb.
For this reason, this article will include herbal supplement nootropics in the category of natural nootropics.
How Natural Nootropics Differ from Nootropic Drugs
Several characteristics set natural nootropics apart form nootropic drugs. These include the following:
- Natural nootropics do not require a prescription. They are either purchased in their food, herb, or botanical form or as a supplement.
- Nootropic drugs are used for therapeutic purposes, including prevention, treatment, and mitigation of Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, epilepsy, depression, and others. They are often prescribed in addition to other non-nootropics drug treatments.
- Natural nootropics can be used for therapeutic purposes, but are used nowadays to improve cognition and overall brain function.
- Nootropic drugs are generally synthesized in the laboratory. Natural nootropics are found in nature in plant, animal, or mineral form.
9 Popular Natural Nootropics
Ashwagandha
What is it?
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an herb widely used in Ayurvedic medicine, which is the traditional medicinal system of India. In Ayurveda, it is used as a tonic for ailments related to the nerves. It grows over a large area of Asia, Africa, and Europe.
What it does
Ashwagandha is best known for being an adaptogenic herb, meaning that it protects the cells from free radicals and helps the body to adapt to stressful conditions.
Ashwagandha has several properties, including anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory properties.
As a nootropic, it helps to reduce anxiety (anti-stress effect), improves memory, and enhances cognition.
Bacopa Monnieri (Brahmi)
What is it?
Bacopa monnieri is a succulent, creeping herb that grows in damp, marshy areas. It is used in Ayurveda that is useful as a laxative, indigestion, inflammations, tumors, and ascites, among others. In the Unani system of medicine, it is a blood purifier that is useful for fevers and digestive system disorders.
What it does
Bacopa Monnieri is best known for its nootropic effects. While results are mixed, research that supports its positive effects demonstrate its possibility to reduce anxiety, and increase intellect and memory, without toxic effects. Some of the suggested modes of action include:
- Anti-oxidant neuroprotection (via redox and enzyme induction)
- Acetylcholinesterase inhibition and/or choline acetyltransferase activation
- β-amyloid reduction
- Increased cerebral blood flow to the brain
- Neurotransmitter modulation (acetylcholine [ACh], 5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT], dopamine [DA])
Panax Ginseng
What is it?
Panax ginseng is one of the most well-known types of ginseng. It is known as Asian or Korean ginseng as well. It is native to Korea and China and has been used as an herbal remedy in Traditional Chinese Medicine and other traditional Asian systems of medicine, often used for vitality, immune function, cancer, sexual function, and improvement of cognitive performance.
What it does
The main active components of Panax ginseng are ginsenosides, which have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer effects.
As a nootropic, Panax ginseng is best known for its power to improve cognitive performance and reduce anxiety. One study examined the effects of Panax Ginseng on cognitive performance during continued mental activity. The study demonstrated that Panax Ginseng can improve performance and feelings of mental fatigue.
Lion’s Mane
What is it?
Lion’s mane (Hericium americanum or Hericium erinaceum) is a mushroom also known as the pom pom mushroom, the bear’s head tooth fungus, or monkey head. It is a fungus that forms a compact cluster of whitish, forking branches with spines that grows on trees. It should be harvest when young, as it is here that it is edible.
What it does
A review of studies on Lion’s mane found that it helps to improve cognition, and may even help to promote the synthesis of new nerves. Additionally, it has antioxidant, hypoglycemic, anti-cancer, and immune-enhancing properties
Ginkgo Biloba
What is it?
Ginkgo Biloba is a tree native to southern China of which the leaves are used for their medicinal effects. Interestingly, Ginkgo Biloba has male and female trees, but most of the supplements come from male trees because female trees produce a foul-smelling fruit.
What it does
It is important to note that some studies reject Ginkgo’s nootropic effects. However, other studies demonstrated statistical improvement in information processing and working memory, in addition to executive processing. More studies must be conducted to confirm the use of Ginkgo Biloba as a nootropic.
Ginger
What is it?
Ginger is a plant native to southeastern Asia. Its roots (rhizome) are used as a spice, flavoring, and traditional medicine. It is widely used in traditional cuisine across Asia, but it is also used for medicinal purposes in Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Since it was taken by Spaniards to the West Indies and Mexico, it was also incorporated into the cuisine and traditional medicine of Latin and South America.
What it does
Research shows that ginger may help to improve learning and memory, particularly in people who experience age-related cognition issues or dementia, like Alzheimer’s disease, or general memory impairment.
Ginger’s nootropic effects are likely attributed to its natural antioxidant properties, as well as its acetyl cholinesterase inhibition property. Other studies show that it has to do with the activation of certain enzymes in the hippocampus of the brain.
Maca
What is it?
Maca (Lepidium Meyenii) is a plant native to the Andes and is used as a dietary staple by Peruvians as well as a dietary supplement. It is believed to improve mood, fertility, sexual desire, and decreasing anxiety.
What it does
Maca has been studied as an agent that can improve memory impairment and learning. Some studies have demonstrated that it is particularly effective for women who have gone through menopause.
Coconut Oil
What is it?
Coconut oil, as the name suggests, is made from coconuts. It is about 80-90% saturated fat, and it contains no cholesterol or fiber, and only very small amounts of vitamins, minerals, and plant sterols. Coconut oil contains a particular type of saturated fat, referred to as Medium-Chain-Triglycerides (MCTs). Most of the health properties are attributed to this type of fat.
What it does
Most research examines coconut oil for its fat-loss and energy-boosting effects (the results of which are mixed). The positive effects are due to the MCTs in coconut oil.
Note that most commercial coconut oil isn’t very high in MCTs (between 30-40%) compared to other fats.
However, the nootropic benefits of coconut oil are linked to its ability to improve cognition, especially in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Coffee
What is it?
Coffee is a fruit-bearing bush that naturally grows in tropical regions of the world. There are over 100 species of Coffea, but coffee-growing economies mostly grow Arabica and Robusta varieties. Coffee beans come from the fruit after the pulp is removed and the inner bean is dried and roasted.
What it does
Coffee contains caffeine, the most widely-consumed and commonly overlooked nootropic. In usual doses, caffeine improves vigilance, attention, and mood. The mechanism of action of caffeine occurs within the dopaminergic system, the thalamus, the ventral tegmental area, and the amygdala of the brain.
Do you want to learn more about natural nootropic foods? Check out this video:
Conclusion
Natural nootropics are those that are found in nature and can be consumed as whole foods, infusions, and teas in their natural form, or as pills, powders, capsules, or liquids in their supplement form.
Unlike nootropic drugs, natural nootropics are not necessarily used for therapeutic purposes (to prevent and treat diseases). They are generally used to improve brain function and cognition, including memory, attention, focus, creativity, awareness, and more.
When used as directed, natural nootropics are an effective way to boost your brain’s natural abilities to function optimally, in a way that can lead to improvements in your professional career and personal life.
Sasha is a Nutritional Anthropologist with an M.Sc. in Food and Nutrition. She has been a food, nutrition, and health researcher and writer for six years and also works as an international development consultant.
She is passionate about empowering people to make the best nutrition and health choices in a way that makes cultural and logical sense for each individual and community.
Sasha currently lives in Guatemala with her family and three dogs. In her free time, she cooks, reads, gardens, and goes on adventures with her family around Guatemala and the world.