Are Nootropic Supplements Worth it For Everyday Use?
Recently, there has been a rise in the usage of nootropics or “smart pills”. But should you be using them often?
To know whether nootropics are worth it, we must first ask: what even is a nootropic? The term nootropic is coined from the Latin words noos, meaning mind, and tropein, meaning to bend. As its Latin derivation suggests, nootropics boost cognitive function. Not expanding mental capacity, as is a common misconception, merely optimizing existing memory. Think of it this way: instead of helping you to remember more, nootropics help you forget less. Nootropics are much more common than you may think, constituting anything from your everyday cup of coffee to prescription Alzheimer’s pills to the subject of this article: commercially sold supplements.
Do nootropic supplements even work?
An ideal nootropic pill should be able to optimize your memory, creativity, and motivation and diminish mental decay risks. Researchers differ on whether such a drug exists. The director of the cognitive neurology/neuropsychology division at Johns Hopkins Medicine, Barry Gordon, is skeptical, stating that there is a lack of solid evidence in favor of them and chalking up reported effects to a mere placebo. Other…
