Summary
We don’t think SmarterVitamins Brain Support is the right nootropic for anybody. It is not the powerful brain supplement it claims to be. In reality, SmarterVitamins Brain Support is just some flax seed oil coupled with some amino acids and a small dose of Alpha-GPC. We recommend just buying Tyrosine individually to save yourself some money!
SmarterVitamins Brain Support Review: What does it claim to do?
SmarterVitamins Brian Support is the latest product from one of the newer supplement brands to enter the nootropics market. This is one of the most popular brain supplements on Amazon right now, so it’s going to be interesting to see what it’s really capable of. But first, what does SmarterVitamins Brain Support do?
On the official website, SmarterVitamins claims that Brain Support does several key things to help with brain function:
- Promotes alertness
- Supports faster thinking
- Improves stress response
- Enhances focus & learning
So this is clearly one ambitious supplement. This is just about everything we can expect from a mid-range nootropic. Only the top-tier, premium stacks promise more than this (and a tiny number deliver).
Does SmarterVitamins Brain Support really work? Is it safe to use long-term? Is there a better option for total brain optimization? Find out by reading our detailed SmarterVitamins Brain Support review below.
SmarterVitamins Brain Support Ingredients
Let’s examine the formula. Here is the Brain Support formula as it is displayed on the bottle:
Here is a breakdown of the ingredients. We’ll explain what each ingredient does and how it contributes to better cognitive function (if it does). Got questions? Leave them in the comments section at the end!
Flax Seed Oil
An extremely popular health food supplement nowadays. Flax seed oil has long been a staple part of the human diet all over the world. It is taken today for its high omega-3 content. Flax seed oil is specifically high in Alpha Lipoic Acid. Some studies suggest that it might be involved in apoptosis, but there isn’t much evidence supporting this claim as of yet. Importantly for our purposes, it does not have any known nootropic properties whatsoever.
L-Tyrosine
This amino acid is incredible for supporting cognitive function during times of serious mental and physical stress. Studies have shown that it helps people focus when they are put under various different stressors: sleep deprivation, extreme cold, noise exposure, excessive multi-tasking, and so on. It’s the ideal anxiolytic for a nootropic.
Acetyl-L-Carnitine
ALCAR is often thrown into nootropic supplements these days, but we really aren’t sure why. It is often used in sports supplements because it is thought to boost energy levels. There is some evidence that – at high doses – it boosts power output in athletes. But there is no reason to think that it has a similar effect on cognitive output; certainly not at doses of less than 500mg.
Alpha-GPC
If you need a fast-acting focus and learning enhancer, then Alpha-GPC is a great option (the only rival being Citicoline). Alpha-GPC quickly raises acetylcholine levels in the brain. Acetylcholine is the most important neurotransmitter for executive functions; more of it means greater overall brain functionality. Supplementing with Alpha-GPC has a particularly pronounced effect on attention levels in the short-term.
Our take on the SmarterVitamins Brain Support formula
Despite having some pretty good ingredients, this formula is a dud as far as we’re concerned.
Flax seed oil might be beneficial for your overall health, but that isn’t what we want to get from a focused, premium nootropic. We see no reason to believe that flax seed oil promotes cognition in any way, shape or form.
The same goes for ALCAR – athletes don’t usually report a big improvement in mental performance while using ALCAR. As far as we’re concerned, it has no place in a nootropic.
The Alpha-GPC has also been dosed ridiculously low. Alpha-GPC is extremely powerful; make no mistake about that. But you need more than 90mg to really get the most out of this stuff.
Our recommendations for Alpha-GPC are to start with about 150mg and slowly work your way up to about 300mg. We’ve never got good results using less than 150mg per day. We doubt 90mg is going to make a big difference to your life!
Not a complete nootropic at all. The only real benefits will come from the Tyrosine, which is good for times of acute mental and physical stress. SmarterVitamins Brain Support definitely over-promises!
Side Effects: Is SmarterVitamins safe to use?
Our main issue with SmarterVitamins Brain Support is that it doesn’t look like it is capable of having a big impact on your cognitive function.
But one good consequence of a lack of power is usually a lack of side effects!
SmarterVitamins Brain Support looks like a perfectly safe supplement to us. The vast majority of users are going to be able to take this nootropic without experiencing any adverse effects.
A tiny minority of you might react badly to the Alpha-GPC, but this usually just means a slight headache. The dose is tiny, so side effects are always going to be mild.
None of the ingredients in SmarterVitamins Brain Support are thought to cause serious side effects. They’ve all been studied in comprehensive clinical trials and have been deemed safe for regular human consumption.
The main ingredient is Flax Seed Oil, which is an anti-inflammatory. That says a lot about this stack!
Of course, everybody is different. We aren’t doctors, and this is not meant to be medical advice. If you have any concerns whatsoever – any pre-existing conditions or you take unusual medications – talk to a doctor before proceeding with this nootropic.
In Conclusion – Is SmarterVitamins Brain Support a good nootropic?
In our opinion, SmarterVitamins Brain Support is a pretty poor attempt at a nootropic.
It is sold as a full-spectrum brain supplement. According to the website, it enhances every aspect of cognitive performance; brain health, focus, memory function, you name it.
But we see absolutely no reason to believe that it can do any of these things particularly well. The manufacturer can’t genuinely believe their claims either; empty promises from SmarterVitamins!
The main ingredient – flax seed oil – has no nootropic properties.
ALCAR has no nootropic properties.
There isn’t anywhere near enough Alpha-GPC in here to have a serious effect on concentration, learning, or working memory.
The only benefits will come from the Tyrosine, and if you want Tyrosine, just buy it separately and save yourself a lot of money!
A full-spectrum, comprehensive brain supplement this is not! If you want all of the benefits promised by SmarterVitamins Brain Support, then look for a more complete formula with ingredients genuinely backed by science.
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Brian Johnson is a former academic researcher, psychologist, and tireless proponent of bio-hacking. Brian has dedicated all of his time since leaving academia and private practice to promoting the benefits to be obtained from the application of biotechnology and bio-hacking supplements. He has years of experience with nootropics, as well as prebiotics, probiotics, and other natural nutritional supplements. He has published scholarly research on natural nootropics; you can find his papers on his Google Scholar page.
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