So for those of you who know me and know what I do, I love testing the human mind, lucid dreaming, and pushing the boundaries of what I can achieve. This is part of the reason I chose to try this nootropic every day for a month.
For the uninitiated, a nootropic is a smart drug. It’s like a multivitamin EXCEPT it does a heck of a lot more, it massively boosts your cognitive function, instead of just ‘contributing’ to a healthy body and mind.
It actively changes and improves how your brain and thinking work.
I’ve tried various other nootropics before but Optineuro is the first one I’ve tried that really gave me good results, not just on the first day but also after the first week, second week, etc..
I tried this every day for a month, and I know you’re supposed to cycle them (see the section below) but I was having too much fun!
What’s cycling? Cycling refers to NOT using a nootropic every day for a month. The idea is you should take most nootropics for 5 days in any given week and then have the weekend off to let your system get back to normal so you don’t build up a tolerance (or take it for 3 weeks then have the 4th week off and so on).
Either way, here are my experiences and my full review of Optineuro nootropic. Before we get into the meat of this, let’s just quickly summarise a few things..
Wait, what are nootropics?
Nootropics are a term for a class of chemicals that give various cognitive benefits to your brain. Some of those chemicals are produced naturally and some are man-made. There are five criteria that a substance needs to meet, in order to be classified as a nootropic.
First, it needs to enhance your memory as well as your ability to learn. Then, it has to help your brain function during disruptive conditions. Next, it should protect your brain from various chemical and physical assaults. It has to increase the efficacy of the neuronal firing control mechanisms. And finally, it has to have few or no side effects and basically be non-toxic to your system.
So for any one chemical to be able to meet all of the mentioned requirements is fairly difficult. And all of the substances that meet the full list of requirements are usually also known as ‘miracle drugs’. But, nowadays, when people use the term ‘nootropic’ they usually mean ‘cognitive enhancer’.
This means that the substance helps your brain in some way. Whether that’s by improving your memory, speeding up your brain’s processing power, increasing your concentration, or a combination of things, the substance is referred to as a nootropic.
The same thing goes for the term ‘smart drug’ which is also usually used as an interchangeable term. And these substances have a wide range of use. Some people even refer to things like caffeine and Omega-3 fatty acids as ‘smart drugs’ or ‘nootropics’, and others only consider highly regulated substances, such as Adderall.
What is Optineuro?
It’s a natural nootropic that helps you maintain your concentration, alertness, energy, memory, and learning and it even protects your brain’s health. It’s made of natural ingredients, such as herbal extracts, vitamins, amino acids, and enzymes.
What I did when choosing THIS as the nootropic I wanted to try for a month was actually research it myself, and then look at the best reviewed nootropics on Amazon and this came out on top. There are of course probably better nootropics, or nootropics that are better that just simply aren’t sold on Amazon (Which I’m also going to be reviewing) but for now this was the best. So what’s actually in it?!
Optineuro Ingredients
- Guarana Extract: This is an herb that’s most commonly found in the Amazon rainforest. Guarana is well known for the positive cognitive effects it has on the brain. It is rich in caffeine and increases your alertness, memory retention and concentration.
- Trimethylglycine (TMG): TMG is an organic compound that helps your body produce important brain chemicals. These chemicals help improve your energy, your mood, your wellbeing, concentration, and alertness.
- L-Theanine: An amino acid that is used to reduce all your physical and mental stress. L-Theanine is used as a mood booster as we’ve said before, and it improves your cognition when you combine it with caffeine. This amino acid also increases alpha wave activity in your brain and increases your levels of dopamine.
- Acetyl-L-Tyrosine: Another amino acid that is a precursor to neurotransmitters. It’s added to Optineuro as a means to elevate your mood and increase your overall cognitive ability. It’s also great for improving your physical performance when you are stressed.
- Phosphatidylcholine: This is a fat compound found in the membranes of your cells and in your blood proteins, thus it is naturally found in your body. It’s used to boost your immune system and to prevent ageing. However, in this supplement, it’s also used as an energy booster.
- Phosphatidylserine: This one has numerous important functions in your body, but the most important one is that it’s a key building block for the countless cells in your brain. It helps your brain function normally, prevent muscle soreness after working out and can improve your mood during stressful situations.
- Choline Bitartrate: <span class=”s1″>Choline Bitartrate is a choline that’s combined with a salt of tartaric acid. It has a large number of positive effects on your body when you take it as an additional supplement to the small amount that your body naturally produces. It helps with intelligence, memory, and mood.
- Gingko Biloba: <span class=”s1″>This is an extract that comes from one of the oldest living tree species. It has great anti-stress properties and is known to increase your cognitive abilities as well as improve your mood. When combined with Korean Ginseng, the two improve your memory quality and the speed of your cognitive abilities.
- Korean Ginseng: Coupled with an extract from Gingko Biloba, this extract also has great anti-stress properties. And together with the previous ingredient, they can improve both your long-term, as well as your short-term memory abilities.
- Coenzyme Q10: This is a vitamin-like substance that helps your body convert the food you consume into energy. You can find it in almost every cell in your body and it’s a very powerful antioxidant. It enhances your alertness and improves your athletic performance.
- Niacin (Vitamin B3): This vitamin is water-soluble. That means that your body can’t store it, which is why you should continuously replenish the supply. It’s very important for your brain to function normally. This vitamin can also improve the blood vessels and the blood flow to your brain.
- Piperine: It’s most commonly found in black peppers and it is typically used alongside various supplements in order to increase the absorption rates. In this case, the goal here is to improve the absorption of Coenzyme Q10.
- Bacopa Extract: This is an herb that can improve your cognitive functions as well as increase your overall learning abilities. It is also known to be helpful in reducing anxiety which means it also improves your memory and your mental performance.
- Vitamin B5: This vitamin is most important for your body’s production of energy. Much like the Coenzyme Q10, this vitamin also helps your body convert the food you consume into glucose, which is then turned into energy.
- Vitamin B12: Finally, the last ingredient is another vitamin that’s important for your brain and entire nervous system to function properly. If you’re a vegan and need to supplement this (which you DO need to, don’t forget!) this type of Vitamin B12 is very easily absorbed by the body! It’s the methylated version.
Recommended intake
You should take up to three pills per day, with or after meals. The effects of this nootropic can last up to 6 hours. And it is not recommended to take it before bedtime, because of its stimulating qualities. You should also avoid taking additional caffeine, as it contains the sufficient daily amount. You should also avoid taking it with other medication unless you consult with a healthcare professional.
What happened when I took Optineuro for a month
So, you know what’s in it, you know the ingredients are good, and you know what a nootropic is and what it’s supposed to do.. But what actually happened? I wanted this post to be a more accurate reflection of WHAT will happen when you take Optineuro because most review posts fall short and just don’t really tell you anything..
So let’s start with day one. On day one I was nervous about taking this stuff, I’d tried various other nootropics but from the stories I’d read about this I didn’t know what to expect. People were reporting all sorts of things from being wired for hours on end to nothing, so I had no idea what to think.
I took ONE tablet with food, because I find that even taking a basic multivitamin on an empty stomach I feel almost immediately sick, especially if I’d woken up early. So I took it with food without even really looking at the recommendations on the bottle (not advised). I felt fine afterwards and didn’t throw up, which is good!
The tablet itself is easy to swallow and not too big like some nootropics. It’s coated so it doesn’t taste of anything, which for those of you who’ve tried to swallow UN-coated tablets of multivitamins will know, is a HUGE bonus. I actually took much less than the suggested dosage. On the bottle it says to take 2-3 capsules in one go!
Where the magic happened
I took one to see if I had any problems with it, but I didn’t. Now it started to get really interesting. Of course because it was the first day I was EXPECTING a placebo effect from my excitement and expectation, so I just swallowed the pill and went about my day.
What I noticed though was that after about 20 minutes, I felt it ‘come on’ like a strong coffee. But this was different, because with coffee you tend to feel a rising hot rush, and then it starts to fall and you feel like you need another coffee (hence coffee being addictive). Now while there IS caffeine in Optineuro (from the Guarana), it’s also mixed with L-theanine which counteracts the BAD effects of the caffeine and gives you the good stuff.
And it was ‘good stuff’. I was focused all day from the hour I took it right up until about 8-9PM. I’d never really felt something like this, at least not without chain-drinking coffees, but those of you who’ve done that know it doesn’t end well, you feel rough, and the next day it feels even worse when you wake up early..
But this was a clean ‘high’, much like I imagine the pill in Limitless to feel like (but without the life threatening side effects from the film, of course!). It didn’t feel jittery or hazy or even frantic, it was just clean focus. I’d needed this for a while. Now, I should mention when I tried this I WAS still a coffee drinker..
It potentiates coffee
Optineuro when taken in combination with a coffee will potentiate the effect of the caffeine, meaning make it STRONGER and last longer. I’d suggest trying only one pill WITHOUT coffee first, then when you understand your tolerances you can move up to maybe two capsules and a coffee if you need it.
But that’s only if you really need it.. I found to my surprise that one capsule a day was ENOUGH! It helped me stay focused and clear, no matter what I was doing.. BUT everything has a catch, and there is a downside to Optineuro as well.
The downside
To understand what’s going on here, we need to remember that the human mind is VERY much prone to procrastination and instant gratification. You’re wired to WANT to put off important work, and instead do fun instant things like having sex, watching films, eating junk food etc. This is sadly how our bodies are wired.
So in order to get the BEST benefits from Optineuro, you NEED to make sure your mindset is in the right place before you take it. If you take it when you’re already feeling rough and unmotivated, it won’t do much. It works best as a booster to an ALREADY good mindset and motivated person.
Like in the film Limitless, ‘It works better if you’re already smart’.
That being said you’ll still feel the effects instantly, even if you don’t want to work. I found that on a couple of the days in the month I took it, but I still didn’t want to do any work, I just wasn’t motivated. Looking back I can see that that’s just natural and you won’t be able to motivate yourself EVERY single day.
Optineuro played it’s part perfectly though, and on all of the other days I took it, I was able to get about 2-3 times MORE done in the same amount of time. I didn’t have any hazy fog or confusion, and I didn’t have any delays between tasks. I just knew what I wanted or needed to do, and I did it!
Optineuro review summary
If you’re new to nootropics, OR if you’re not, I would highly recommend trying Optineuro, at least for a couple of weeks. I found (weirdly) that the best results came after about a week and a half of using it every day (one capsule) but you might be different.
If you’re going to try it, don’t start with the 2 capsules, because you might find one is enough and you’ll be able to save your money, make it go further and avoid overloading your system. I would also suggest cycling this if you’re going to try it for more than a week, for example take it every week day but not on weekends, OR take it for 3 weeks then have the 4th week off.
Alternative nootropics
If you’re interested in nootropics, there are actually some alternatives you might want to consider.
- Mind Lab Pro: A powerful all natural nootropic that I personally use almost every single day. I even take this traveling with me and it’s the closest I’ve found to the ‘limitless pill’
- CILTEP: This stands for chemically induced long term potentiation. It’s a nootropic that aims to improve your brain, even after you’ve STOPPED taking it
