Nootropics Info

Nootropics, popularly referred to as "smart drugs" and "smart nutrients", are substances which boost human cognitive abilities (the functions and capacities of the brain). The word nootropic was coined in 1964 by the Romanian Dr. Corneliu E. Giurgea, deriving it from the Greek words noos or "mind" and tropein meaning "to bend/turn." Typically, nootropics are alleged to work by increasing the brain's supply of neurochemicals (neurotransmitters, enzymes, and hormones), by improving the brain's oxygen supply, or by stimulating nerve growth.

Most alleged nootropic substances are nutrients or plant components (herbs, roots, beans, bark, etc.), available over the counter at health food and grocery stores, and are used as nutritional supplements. Some nootropics are drugs, used to treat people with cognitive learning difficulties, neural degradation (Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease), and for cases of oxygen deficit to prevent hypoxia. These drugs have a variety of human enhancement applications as well, are marketed heavily on the World Wide Web, and are used by many people in personal cognitive enhancement regimens.

With some nootropics the effects are subtle and gradual, such as with most nerve growth inducers, and may take weeks or even months before any cognitive improvement is noticed. At the other end of the spectrum are nootropics which have effects that are immediate, profound, and obvious. While scientific studies support some of the claimed benefits, it is worth noting that many of the claims attributed to a variety of nootropics have not been formally tested.