Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Getty Images While recently scrolling through tweets about Netflix shows you can watch while looking at Instagram, I saw an ad for a supplement that promised to help with focus. Naturally, I clicked, and was led to a powder billed as a “nootropic.” Then I got distracted again by something else.
Given how burnt-out many of us feel these days, it’s not surprising to see an influx of products that promise nootropic effects. The problem is, most of them offer very limited — if any — benefits. “People are very interested in substances that might be able to reduce the impairment in attention and focus that comes from being tired,” says Dr. Krystal. “In that respect, caffeine could be considered nootropic.
Can medication help? Dr. Krystal says that there are “very few” examples of drugs that help our brains function better than they normally do in a rested state. Technically, amphetamines — a class of stimulants that are prescribed to treat people with ADD, ADHD, and sleep disorders — qualify as nootropics, but only if you have a condition that they are designed to help.
As for those supplements I kept seeing? They are not regulated by the FDA, so what’s really in them is anyone’s guess — and the FDA and FTC have sent numerous warning letters to supplement manufacturers that claim nootropic benefits. “These over-the-counter options are not held to the standard of effectiveness that a prescription drug would be,” confirms Dr. Krystal.
Enough of zoonisis, we need some nootropics.
Huh?
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