Last modified on December 3rd, 2022
Want to swallow a pill to become a better you? Nootropics are supplements believed to boost cognitive ability, enhance creativity and strengthen memory.
Whether they really work or not is often up for debate. Some recent studies have shown promising results regarding how nootropics positively impact the brain, but there’s been no concrete scientific proof behind the findings.
To give your brain a real boost, look toward proven vitamins and minerals. Antioxidants like Vitamin E are more adequately studied and understood and have proven effects on how they interact with your mind and body.
Here’s what you need to know about the effectiveness of nootropic supplements and why you should include Vitamin E in yours.
Most nootropics aren’t what they’re billed as
Over-the-counter products that promise better memory and brain performance aren’t all their cracked up to be.
There’s no concrete evidence that nootropic supplements work. A supplement manufacturer can claim that their product helps with certain symptoms related to treating specific diseases rather than claiming they treat the disease itself.
For instance, a manufacturer can say that their product improves mental sharpness and reduces memory loss, but they can’t mention improving dementia or Alzheimer’s.
More often than not, nootropics are a combination of other ingredients, billed as something more significant than they are. To get the brain-boosting benefits these supplements claim to have, you’re better off looking at well-studied compounds and vitamins.
Focus on vitamins when building a stack
There’s strong evidence to support the belief that certain diets featuring specific vitamins and minerals positively affect cognitive health. While most individual nutrients studied have provided no measurable benefit for improving brain function, there are a few exceptions, and Vitamin E is one of them.
Vitamin E is lauded as an antioxidant
Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that works to limit damage to your cells, including proteins, DNA, and even the fats that form cell membranes.
When Vitamin E is released into the body, it neutralizes free radicals, preventing oxidative damage from wreaking havoc to cells throughout the body, including those in your brain. It may not give you a fantastic cognitive boost, but it could prevent oxidative stress from affecting your cognition.
What to combine Vitamin E with?
Vitamin E can work in conjunction with other vitamins to fight oxidative stress throughout the body and improve the health of your cells—including those in your brain. The combination of Vitamin E and Vitamin C, in particular, exerts potent antioxidant activity.
Vitamin C restores Vitamin E’s antioxidant function to fight roaming free radicals throughout the body and prevent tissue damage. In this case, the whole combination of both vitamins is indeed greater than the sum of its parts, and they support each other’s antioxidant function.
Always consult a physician when supplementing
Whether you’re interested in nootropics to strengthen your memory, improve your creativity or simply support a healthy mind overall, a Vitamin E supplement may help.
Instead of investing time and money into nootropic stacks that make grand claims, it’s usually best to increase your consumption of nutrients like Vitamin E and C that provide scientifically proven health benefits. Vitamin E, in particular, can be a valuable nutrient in helping you stay sharp.
Remember to consult your doctor before taking a Vitamin E supplement to ensure you don’t accidentally trigger Vitamin E hypervitaminosis. Make the most of your supplement choice by choosing an all-natural option.
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