The Best Nootropics to Help Quit Smoking (#3 Works Quickly)
Few things are harder than to quit smoking.
Most smokers aren’t able to stay away from the cigarettes on their first attempt. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average smoker attempts to quit at least ten times before making it stick for good.
It’s the nicotine withdrawal symptoms and cravings that get most people. Quit Smoking Community has an excellent nicotine withdrawal timeline infographic that outlines the symptoms in the first week of going smoke-free.
Withdrawal symptoms start with intense cravings within four hours. These proceed to restlessness, trouble sleeping, irritability, and headaches.
Cravings become worse in the next few days. Feelings of heightened stress and anxiety are now prevalent. It’s at this point that many people cave.
The American Heart Association states that smokers often pick up a cigarette when they’re feeling stressed or anxious. Going without a cigarette in these situations is demanding.
Anything extra you can do to make it easier to quit smoking is essential. That’s where nootropics, supplements designed to boost brain power, enter the picture. They’re not going to make it easy, but they’ll help.
The following five supplements are the best nootropics to quit smoking.
Top Nootropics to Quit Smoking
Nootropics come in all shapes, sizes, and forms. Yet they share several of the same characteristics.
The most important is that nootropics boost brain power. Usually, this is done by enhancing memory, concentration, or focus. Many nootropics also provide an energy boost.
The effects of most nootropics are quite similar to those of Adderall, without any of the prescription medication’s harmful side effects.
In addition to enhancing overall cognitive function, nootropics have a variety of other uses. One of these is reducing feelings of stress and anxiety.
Because stress and anxiety are two of the most common smoking withdrawal symptoms, nootropics with this characteristic are invaluable to smokers in the early stages of quitting.
So which nootropics are the best to help quit smoking? Start by experimenting with the following five.
1. Phenibut
Phenibut is the nootropic most commonly used as a solution for stress and anxiety.
Phenibut’s ability to reduce anxiety makes it an excellent aid to help quit smoking. Start taking a small dose (see here for recommended dosages) the day you smoke your last cigarette.
Not only will Phenibut reduce the anxiety you feel from not having your normal stress crutch, but it also doubles as a sleep aid.
Taking Phenibut each day for the first week after you quit smoking will help you sleep at night, reducing the common nicotine withdrawal symptom.
A word of caution, though – Phenibut has withdrawals of its own if taken for too long. It’s best to stop the use of this nootropic after you’ve been cigarette free for a week or so.
2. Modafinil
Another nootropic supplement that makes it easier to quit smoking is Modafinil.
Modafinil helps give you that extra boost of clear-headed energy you need to get through a challenging school assignment or project at work.
That same boost of energy can help clear the mental fog that many people experience after they quit smoking.
The increased alertness is invaluable for those that have just quit smoking to get through a tough day. Modafinil will help you stay focused and motivated after you lay down your last cigarette.
Unfortunately, Modafinil has one big disadvantage. According to Examine.com, the nootropic makes it harder to sleep.
While this is a positive for those using Modafinil to treat daytime sleep disorders, it’s a big negative for smokers trying to quit that are already having a hard time sleeping.
3. Alpha Brain
Alpha Brain is one of the most popular nootropic stacks currently available.
Unlike a standard nootropic (a single ingredient), a nootropic stack consists of several ingredients combined into a single capsule.
The combination of ingredients means that Alpha Brain has even more powerful benefits than single-ingredient nootropics.
When it comes to smoking cessation, Alpha Brain helps you in much the same way as Modafinil. It enhances concentration and focus to get you through those first few foggy days.
Alpha Brain also helps reduce anxiety. Take a capsule, and you’ll feel less like picking up a cigarette during a stressful situation.
An improved mood is another important effect of Alpha Brain. The feeling that life is alright is invaluable when you quit smoking.
Find out more about Alpha Brain on the Onnit Labs website.
4. L-Theanine
L-theanine is one of the main ingredients in Alpha Brain.
It’s responsible for improved mood and ability to concentrate. It also helps loosen up the blood-brain barrier to make it for other nutrients to enter the brain.
Though L-theanine is highly effective as part of a nootropic stack, it can also be used on its own to quit smoking.
Simply put, Alpha Brain is too expensive for a lot of people. A more budget-friendly option is to take L-theanine as a supplement on its own.
A study in Science China states that L-theanine can reduce nicotine-induced dependence by helping balance chemicals in the brain.
5. N-Acetylcysteine
N-Acetylcysteine is another supplement with proven results as a quit smoking aid.
According to European Addiction Research, taking a supplement of the natural amino acid helps reduce smoking relapse.
N-Acetylcysteine helps balance brain chemicals to reduce withdrawal symptoms. Taking it reduces the desire to smoke.
The supplement also makes smoking far less desirable. Smoke after taking N-Acetylcysteine and it will likely be a far less enjoyable experience than it used to be.
Making smoking less pleasant is one of the best ways to reduce nicotine cravings.
Closing Thoughts
SmokeFree.gov states that quitting smoking is one of the hardest things to do, largely because of the withdrawals and triggers (settings or situations that make you feel like smoking).
Using nootropics in addition to more traditional methods (like regular exercise, healthy diet, and a smoking cessation support group) can significantly increase your chances of success.
If you’re trying to quit smoking, I recommend:
- Talking to your doctor about the best course of action.
- Experimenting with the five nootropics discussed above (start with Alpha Brain, if you can afford it).
- Keep track of the results of each nootropic.
- Combine the use of a supplement with traditional quit smoking methods.
Have any of you guys quit smoking for good? Did you do so with the help of a nootropic supplement?