Do focus supplements REALLY help productivity? A uni student tries the nootropics hype. One thing that actually DOES help my workflow is Notion. Sign up for Notion here: [ Ссылка ]

The best long term strategy for focus is sufficient sleep, exercise and a healthy diet as well as stress management. Like how people drink multiple cups of coffee to help with alertness, another option are food supplements called nootropics that claims to enhance your memory without the caffeine crash. Do they work? Are they placebo?
In this video I tried a legal food supplement for five days to see if it had any short term effects on my performance as I raced towards a dissertation proposal.

Like any dietary supplement, please do not purchase or use supplements without consulting your GP. Any supplement or enhancer can be prone to misuse which can have negative impact on your health and wellbeing.

What are nootropics?
They are substances that affect your cognitive function. A lot of them claim to improve various things such as memory, motivation, focus or even calmness.
They can be classified under a few categories:
Prescription
Synthetic compounds
Dietary supplements

The one present in this video is a nutritional supplement that complies with UK regulatory agencies.


Are they safe?
The long term impact of these nootropics in large studies have not been investigated.
Some potential side effects include: anxiety, headaches, anxiety and
insomnia. Some shift the brain’s levels of neurotransmitters - its effects in the long run has not been investigated. Changing your brain plasticity can be associated with poorer cognitive function.
There is a risk for individuals to misuse nootropics which carry its own additional risks to brain function, cardiovascular health and other.
Nootropics affect individuals differently. You must seek medical advice before using - especially imperative if you have any existing medication or medical conditions.


Will it work?
Nootropics have shown benefits for brains with memory impairments or learning deficits.
A recent study by Schifano et al. (2022) found the use of cognitive enhancers to be "paradoxical" in healthy brains - could lead to short and long term cognitive decline, addictive behaviour and other health complications as it is a stimulant. So, it was uncertain if it will help healthy individuals and further studies are needed to determine if it is safe for long-term usage.
Individual supplements will contain different ingredients at different levels.
The combination will have varying effects on individuals.

The one in the video contains many including:
L-tyrosine - amino acid which may improve working memory
Enhanced Matcha Theanine - amino acid which may improve memory. Inconclusive evidence to support benefits.
Guarana seed - plant used in energy drinks. Contains caffeine, stimulant. Not safe in large quantities.

My experience:
Attention, focus and alertness was prominent in the first 2 days of single dosage use (2 in a day in the morning on an empty stomach with lots of water). The focus was gradual increase and peaked at around 2-3 hours after ingestion.
The focus helped me to think more clearly and was easier for me to continue tasks for longer periods of time without getting distracted.
Day 3 onwards I did not feel much. I had two doses in a day on day 3. I was mostly fuelled by my own stress and deadline.

My personal side effects:
Increased thirst
Nausea (Could be my anxiety)

Resources:
Schifano, F., et al. (2022) Benefits and Harms of Nootropics in Healthy Individuals - [ Ссылка ]

Talih, F., & Ajaltouni, J. (2015). Probable Nootropicinduced Psychiatric Adverse Effects: A Series of Four Cases - [ Ссылка ]

Lorca, C. et al. (2022) Plant-derived nootropics and human cognition: A systematic review, Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition - [ Ссылка ]

Suliman, N. A., et al. (2016). Establishing Natural Nootropics: Recent Molecular Enhancement Influenced by Natural Nootropic. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine. - [ Ссылка ]

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 my struggle with concentration
01:20 the supplement
02:15 day 1
04:17 how i use notion (ad)
06:42 day 2
08:05 day 3
09:33 day 4
10:43 day 5
12:00 overview of my experience


• • • • • • • • • • •

✶ MY LINKS ✶

BUSINESS ENQUIRIES
↪ itsdivyagrg@gmail.com

TWITTER
↪ [ Ссылка ]

INSTAGRAM
↪ [ Ссылка ]

TIKTOK
↪ [ Ссылка ]

GOODREADS
↪ [ Ссылка ]

(my account is set to private so to add me as a friend on a desktop)


✶ VIDEO DETAILS ✶

CAMERA
↪ Canon 650D

VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE
↪ Premiere Pro CC

THUMBNAIL
↪ Photoshop CC

INTRO ARTIST
↪ [ Ссылка ]

свернуть