Alpha Brain
Alpha Brain, produced and sold by Onnit Labs, is a popular supplement stack known for its nootropic benefits.
Designed to provide cognitive enhancements to users, the combination of tested and proved ingredients can enhance memory and learning in those who take it.
Popularized by celebrities like Joe Rogan, it’s one of the more well-known nootropic products on the market today and is also one of the only to have undergone scientific testing to prove beneficial results.
What Is Alpha Brain?
Alpha Brain is a nootropic compound designed to increase your memory, enhance your focus, and improve your energy throughout the day.
Unlike other supplements on the market that consist of a single ingredient, such as Alpha-GCP Choline, that’s been proven effective, Alpha Brain combines a blend of ingredients that offer additional and enhanced benefits when taken together as a stack.
While that makes it an easy-to-use product for anyone who doesn’t want to build their own stack, it also means that it comes with a higher price tag than some of the alternatives in the marketplace.
In a 2015 Boston University Study, Alpha Brain was found to have some impressive results. Participants demonstrated a 12% faster recall rate and 21% faster completion time against their baseline after taking the supplement. [1]
These results support the claims that Alpha Brain can help improve your memory, your ability to learn new information and provide better mental focus and clarity.
Alpha Brain is available for purchase in the US online from Onnit and also available in-store.
Most of the ingredients in the supplement are regarded as safe by the FDA, though like all supplements, it’s not regulated for efficacy.
Is Alpha Brain safe?
While Alpha Brain is a safe and effective supplement for anyone looking to enhance their cognitive function, there is also evidence that the benefits could be greater for users who have a less than healthy lifestyle to begin with.
Someone who eats a healthy diet, exercises regularly, and gets enough sleep each night may see less dramatic effects than someone who is lacking in some of the key nutrients that the supplement provides.
Overall, Alpha Brain is an easy-to-use nootropic stack with documented positive benefits.
Editor’s Note
As someone who has a generally healthy lifestyle, I wasn’t sure that Alpha Brain would produce any noticeable effects.
It has a variety of ingredients with proven benefits that improve mental clarity and focus, as well as that would improve overall health and energy, and many positive reviews with varied experiences online.
Some users report simple changes, like an enhanced mood or quicker reflexes. Others saw significant changes in their ability to learn and store information, specifically students and some-times athletes. Vivid and lucid dreaming is another oft-cited perk of taking Alpha Brain.
Personally, it made me feel like the heaviness and brain fog were cleared out of my brain and I was able to quickly compartmentalize and focus on tasks at hand.
I also experienced a body energy boost later in the day, when I would typically be reaching for a cup of coffee to get me through the afternoon.
Overall, I felt the nootropic effects after a short-term use of Alpha Brain, and I would expect that with long-term use they would only improve.
Alpha Brain Reviews
There are endless reviews and support from users who are fans of the effects they see from using Alpha Brain.
Many of the celebrities who endorse the product have a pretty healthy overall lifestyle, some are even top athletes in their respective sports, and all have seen noticeable, if varied, improvements.
Joe Rogan, a UFC announcer, comedian, and talk show host says:
“It seems to fire up your brain at a higher RPM level… I feel like it helps me form sentences bet-ter.”
Listen to any one of the hundreds of Joe Roegan podcasts and you’ll hear a sponsorship bit promoting the stack.
NFL linebacker Brian Cushing takes Alpha Brain daily. He reports feeling more focused as a result of using it.
Michelle Watherson, a female MMA World Champion at the 105-pound weight class touts the benefits of increased focus saying:
“I enjoy the focus Alpha Brain brings to my training. I feel like I am more able to get in the zone when I take it. [2]
Don’t be fooled by these big names, though; Alpha Brain is made of the same ingredients as many other nootropic stacks. Nevertheless, it’s benefits have been widely supported in the sports community and elsewhere.
Benefits and Effects
Alpha Brain delivers a number of scientifically proven benefits when you use it including:
Enhanced memory
By supplementing with the combination of choline-dense Alpha GPC and Huperzia Serrata, you’re giving your brain the vitamins it needs to improve acetylcholine levels and how they function.
The choline in Alpha GPC is the precursor to Acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter responsible for memory function. Huperzia Serrata functions as an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, preventing the brain neurotransmitter from being degraded. The combination positively impacts memory formation and learning ability. [3]
Improved Focus
Several of the compounds found in Alpha Brain can help improve focus, including L-Theanine, Vitamin B-6, and Vinpocetine.
L-Theanine has been proven to improve alpha brain waves demonstrated through EEG results, and vitamin B-6 and L-Theanine serve important functions that help deliver nutrients and oxygen to your brain.
Users report that Alpha Brain helps keep their eye on the ball when it comes to focusing on a task and concentrating despite interruptions or distractions.
Processing Speed
In combination with brain-bossing ingredients like Alpha GCP, the supplement Oat Straw has can relieve your neurological stress and improve cognitive performance. [4]
These adaptations can result in a faster processing speed which translates into quicker reactions, and a shorter time to learn and absorb new information.
Students and professionals alike can benefit from quicker comprehension and memory recall, without needing to spend extra time studying or memorizing important facts and details.
How It Works
As there are a number of different ingredients in Alpha Brain, addressing the question of how it works within the body is a multi-tiered process.
The synergy between the various ingredients may increase the efficacy over just taking one of the compounds as a stand-alone supplement.
For example, L-Theanine as part of the supplement makes the blood-brain barrier more permeable, making it easier for oxygen, important nutrients, and supplement ingredients like Alpha GPC to access the brain.
Simultaneously, L-Theanine is also positively influencing several neurotransmitters in the brain, releasing dopamine and possibly serotonin resulting in an improved and more relaxed mood.
While L-Theanine is going to work, two other ingredients in Alpha Brain are bolstering the body’s ability to produce the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, the compound that allows us to create new memories, absorb new information, and recall that information with clarity.
The enhanced effect on acetylcholine production happens in two ways:
- By introducing Alpha GCP into the body and providing the brain with a surplus of Choline, an essential ingredient in acetylcholine synthesis, and
- By stopping the breakdown of acetylcholine through inhibitive ingredients like Huperzia Serrata
Research suggests that you may feel the effects of Alpha Brain as soon as you take the first dose.
As cognitive improvements and brain development can take time, it’s possible that you may feel the lucidity and mood improvements initially and see greater improvements in memory and recall over time.
As the supplement is meant to be taken daily for maximum benefits, you can expect the results to fade within 24-hours unless you take your next dose.
Dosage
If you are looking for the mental benefits of Alpha Brain, including enhanced performance and clarity, it’s recommended that you take two capsules early in the day for the best effect. Take the capsules with food for best results.
Users who are interested in the enhanced dream and lucid dreaming benefits should plan to take 2 capsules 4 to 6 hours before going to bed at night.
It’s important not to exceed a dose of 3 capsules in a 24-hour period.
The recommended dosage instructions for Alpha-GPC depend on the goal of the user.
Side Effects
Alpha Brain users report very limited side effects.
As most of the ingredients in the capsule are safe, well-researched nootropic compounds, essential vitamins, and included in dosages that are well within recommended limits, the supplement seems easy to tolerate for the majority of users.
In rare cases, there are reports of headaches and jaw pain. More commonly, though still only a small fraction of users, you’ll hear anecdotal stories about vivid nightmares resulting in the inabil-ity to fall back to sleep while taking the supplement.
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and anyone under the age of 18 may not be a suita-ble candidate to take Alpha Brain.
There are also some possible side effects if this supplement is combined with other prescription medications that affect neurotransmission, as well as in people who are taking blood thinners or who have low blood pressure.
Always check with your doctor to make sure there aren’t any contraindications with medications you’re taking.
Stacking
The way Alpha Brain is formulated, it’s a decently-strong nootropic stack.
That said, users could glean additional benefits from the supplement by stacking with a ractam like Piracetam to maximize the effect on the acetylcholine uptake and utilization in the brain.
The amount of choline delivered through the generous doses of Alpha GPC and Huperzia Serra-ta in the supplement is enough to bring out the full effect of the racetam.
Alternatives
While Alpha Brain is one of the better known and more popular nootropics on the market, at nearly $35 for a 30-capsule bottle (15-day supply), its price can be cost-prohibitive.
Here are three alternatives that may be worth exploring.
1. FOCUSFactor
FOCUSFactor is produced by Synergy Corp and is a supplement that makes many similar claims to Alpha Brain.
It’s priced comparably to Alpha Brain at $40 for a 30-day supply, and also has clinical research and testing to prove the claim that the supple-ment aids in memory recall. [5]
There are two main differences in the product. First, FOCUSFactor utilizes DMAE Bitartrate and choline bitartrate rather than Alpha GPC as the Choline source.
There are arguments for each ingredient, though it’s believed that DMAE Bitartrate doesn’t cross the blood-brain barrier as ef-fectively as Alpha GPC and may not produce the same quality effect.
Also, FOCUSFactor also contains a wide scope of vitamins including A,C,D,E, a B vitamin blend, and a number of minerals. It’s intended to both serve as a nootropic and replace a daily multi-vitamin.
2. OptiMind
Designed and marketed as a holistic nootropic, OptiMind is for-mulated to provide users with both a boost in energy and in cognitive function.
Many of the key ingredients mirror what you’ll find in Alpha Brain, with two notable differences.
Unlike Alpha Brain, OptiMind contains caffeine which acts as a stimulant to increase energy in users. Also, OptiMind does not include a choline source like Alpha GPC, choline bitartrate, or DMAE Bitar-trate in its formulary.
The cost per bottle is a bit more than Alpha Brain, $43.31 for 16 servings when you sign up for an auto-ship program.
3. Neuro 1
Neuro 1, a powdered supplement meant to be taken as a drink, is marketed as a “brain perfor-mance drink” by its manufacturer, Nutrition53.
The 30-ingredient blend claims to improve focus, concentration, and memory by improving brain health.
The drink is 110 calories per serving and comes in 5 flavors. In addition to the nootropic blend, it offers up large doses of Vitamins C, E, and B, along with other minerals and nutrients.
From a nootropic perspective, the drink includes some similar ingredients to Alpha brain but utilizes Piracetam and DMAE Bitartrate, rather than Alpha GPC to affect the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
This is likely because choline is known to be an unstable compound and it’s difficult to maintain it’s potency in a powder form.
For a 20-serving tub, you’ll pay around $55 for a one-time purchase or $40 if you subscribe to the renewal program.
Before starting on any new supplement, it’s important to do your research. Take the time to re-view not only Alpha Brain, but these and other available alternatives before making your choice.
Closing Thoughts
Whether you’re a student, business professional, busy mom, or older adult, improving your memory and cognitive ability will benefit you.
There are many different nootropics on the market that can help. While many users choose to take a stand-alone supplement or to build their own stack to boost their mental clarity, using a pre-made stack like Alpha Brain can be an easy way to introduce nootropics into your lifestyle.
Clinical testing proves the formula to be effective, and users have little to no side effects making it a safe supplement for most everyone.
To make the investment in your mind, go here to try Alpha Brain.