Synagen IQ
Negatives
- Contains unknown amount of caffeine - potentially very dangerous
- GABA ineffective - does not cross blood-brain barrier
- Proprietary blends always a rip-off
Summary
Synagen IQ is a complete waste of money in our opinion. It is not a high quality nootropic by any measure. Synagen IQ doesn’t list each ingredient’s serving size. They’re all listed as part of a tiny proprietary blend. So not only is it impossible for each Synagen IQ ingredient to be dosed properly, but it’s also highly likely that it is stuffed full of caffeine. Synagen IQ has serious side effect risks. Don’t waste your money or gamble with your health on cheap nootropics like this.
Synagen IQ Review: What does this nootropic do?
Synagen IQ has been around for a long time now. It has been one of the most talked-about and widely-used nootropics in the US for years. So what does Synagen IQ actually claim to do?
According to one of the many shady-looking websites selling Synagen IQ, this nootropic can:
- Enhance focus
- Improve memory
- Increase energy levels
- Regulate mood
- Support healthy brain cells
Websites selling Synagen IQ all have the same template as other websites selling scam nootropics. Not a good sign!
We’re told that Synagen IQ boosts energy without a crash, and that it is a good alternative to prescription ADHD or ADD drugs.
So, is any of this true? Does Synagen IQ realy work? Will it cause side effects? Is Synagen IQ the best nootropic on sale right now? Find out by reading our full Synagen IQ review below!
Synagen IQ Ingredients
Let’s get right into it. Here is the Synagen IQ ingredients list:
Here is a list of the ingredients:
- Vitamin B3
- Vitamin B6
- Caffeine
- GABA
- Bacopa monnieri
- Alpha-GPC
- L-Theanine
- Phosphatidylserine (20%)
- L-Tyrosine
- Vinpocetine
- Huperzine A (1%)
We’ll now give you a brief overview of each ingredient – what it does, whether it works, and what the scientific literature says. Please post your questions in the comments at the end.
Vitamin B3 – 30mg
Vitamin B3, also referred to as Niacin, is an extremely important substance for brain health and cognitive function. However, it is found in many foods including bread, seeds, legumes, fish, and poultry. Supplementing with 150% of your RDI is basically pointless if you are eating a balanced diet.
Vitamin B6 – 5mg
Your cells need Vitamin B6 to metabolise energy from food. Supplementing with large quantities of B6 rapidly increases energy levels. This is why many pre-workouts and nootropics contain large doses of B6. Synagen IQ, by contrast, contains 5mg, or 250% of your RDI. This isn’t going to have any kind of noticeable impact on your energy levels.
Caffeine – DOSE UNKNOWN
Caffeine is the first nootropic that you probably ever encountered. It is an extremely powerful stimulant; just 100mg is more than enough to get you fired up. Caffeine increases motivation, decreases fatigue, and heightens alertness. However, high doses can cause serious side effects. We don’t know how much is in Synagen IQ, but it could be an awful lot.
GABA – DOSE UNKNOWN
GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the human CNS. GABA suppresses anxiety, reduces physical pain, and so on. However, supplementing with GABA does not have the effect people think it will. GABA is not well absorbed in the gut. It does not cross the blood-brain barrier well at all. Consuming GABA orally does almost nothing in our experience.
Bacopa monnieri – DOSE UNKNOWN
Bacopa monnieri is one of the best natural nootropics in the world. Dozens of clinical trials have proven that Bacopa monnieri supplementation improves memory function. It is particularly effective at improving memory function in older people, and in people suffering with mild cognitive impairment. But to see these benefits, you need to be consuming more than 150mg per day. We don’t know if Synagen IQ provides this minimum active dose.
Alpha-GPC – DOSE UNKNOWN
Alpha-GPC is a choline analog which very quickly raises choline levels in the brain. This leads ot higher levels of acetylcholine, which is the brain’s main executive neurotransmitter. It also leads to higher levels of phosphatidylcholine, which is an important constituent of brain cells. It’s not surprising then that Alpha-GPC supplementation improves learning, recall, and cognitive performance more generally. But again, dose is important. We don’t know if Synagen IQ gives us enough Alpha-GPC to be effective.
L-Theanine – DOSE UNKNOWN
Theanine is an amino acid found in high concentrations in black tea. By itself it does not have any significant nootropic properties. Its main benefit is that it stacks brilliantly with caffeine. Basically, theanine enhances the positive effects of caffeine while suppressing the side effects. We recommend stacking caffeine and theanine at a 2:1 ratio in favor of theanine.
Phosphatidylserine (20%) – DOSE UBKNOWN
Phosphatidylserine is a phospholipid. It is one of the most important building blocks of brain cell membranes. It is also needed for brain cell signalling. As such, phosphaidylserine is found in very large quantities in the human brain. Normally, we can make our own phosphatidylserine. However, as we age our phospholipid levels steadily decline. Supplementing with PS can have a massive impact on cognitive performance, particularly when used by older people.
L-Tyrosine – DOSE UNKNOWN
We think Tyrosine is a seriously underrated nootropic. Too few stacks utilize this awesome amino acid. Studies have shown time and again that supplementing with Tyrosine improves mental performance during stressful events. Various trials have found that Tyrosine improves cognitive performance in people subjected to extreme cold, loud noises, sleep deprivation, and more. We recommend taking about 150-200mg at the start of a stressful day.
Vinpocetine – DOSE UNKNOWN
Vinpocetine is a really interesting nootropic. It has multiple mechanisms of action. Vinpocetine acts as an anti-inflammatory as well as improving blood flow to and within the brain. Unlike many supposed “anti-inflammatories”, vinpocetine has been proven to enhance cognition in multiple robust clinical trials. It isn’t as popular as it once was, but it is still a fantastic brain supplement.
Huperzine A (1%) – DOSE UNKNOWN
Huperzine A is a short-term, fast-acing focus and concentration booster. It inhibits the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, which causes a steady build-up of acetylcholine in the brain. This then leads to faster reaction times, heightened focus, and better information processing. However, Huperzine A needs to be cycled regularly or you’ll eventually experience some pretty severe side effects.
Synagen IQ says that it contains Huperzine A, which is an extract of Huperzia Serrata. But it also says that only 1% of the Huperzine A is active. This is pretty confusing.
Our thoughts on the Synagen IQ formula
The Synagen IQ formula is terrible. There’s no other way to say it.
Synagen IQ presents lots of different problems.
First of all, there’s the fact that it uses a proprietary blend.
Manufacturers only ever hide ingredient serving sizes when they know their formula is garbage.
This is why we think you should never pay money for a prop blend.
Then there’s the problems particular tot he Synagen IQ proprietary blend.
There is no way that all of Synagen IQ’s ingredients are dosed properly. There is only 545mg to go around. Some of the ingredients in Synagen IQ – like Bacopa monnieri – should be dosed as high as 300mg to see optimal results. There’s just not enough formula to accommodate all the ingredients in Synagen IQ.
There are also some pretty serious health and safety concerns here.
Synagen IQ could contain an extremely dangerous dose of caffeine. There could be anywhere from 1mg to 540mg of caffeine in each serving. We don’t need to tell you that such a high dose could cause serious problems.
We doubt Synagen IQ contains 500mg of caffeine, but it might contain far too much for you. Spiking a formula with caffeine to make you think it’s powerful is a common tactic among low-grade nootropics.
The fact we don’t know the caffeine dose is a serious worry.
Finally, there’s the useless ingredients. GABA does nothing. Theanine does nothing if not dosed properly. A lot of Synagen IQ’s formula does nothing for your cognitive function!
We don’t know how Synagen IQ has retained its popularity over the years. It looks like a complete waste of money to us.
If you want to see real improvements in cognitive performance, use a more professional brain supplement. Synagen IQ is little more than a scam.
Side Effects – Is Synagen IQ dangerous?
Synagen IQ does pose serious health and safety risks. We think it is highly likely that users will experience severe side effects while using this nootropic.
Synagen IQ contains an unknown quantity of caffeine. This is irresponsible on the part of the manufacturer. You should never take a supplement without knowing how much caffeine it contains. This is especially true if it could feasibly contain more than 500mg of caffeine!
Even if the caffeine content is just 200mg, then almost all users will experience some of the following side effects:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Anxiety
- Confusion
- Hypertension
- Elevated heart rate
- Sweating
- Insomnia
We don’t care how high you think your caffeine tolerance is; if you don’t know for sure how much caffeine you’re taking, then don’t take the supplement.
Then there’s the fact that Synagen IQ contains Huperzine A.
Huperzine A needs to be cycled regularly if you are to avoid side effects. Cycle length always depends on dose, which we don’t know.
Generally speaking though, we recommend taking Huperzine A for no longer than 14 days before taking a nice, long break. Once your acetylcholine levels have returned to normal, you can run another cycle.
Failing to cycle Huperzine A will inevitably lead to side effects, which include:
- Headaches
- Muscle cramps
- Confusion
- Loss of focus
- Low mood
- Lack of motivation
Proprietary blends like Synagen IQ mean the side effect risks and long-term health effects are difficult to predict with any accuracy. That in itself is a big red flag to us – we like certainty when it comes to side effects.
Synagen IQ fails on the side effects front for us. If you use Synagen IQ and you experience side effects, stop using it and seek medical help immediately.
In Conclusion – Does Synagen IQ really work?
As far as we’re concerned, Synagen IQ is a total rip-off.
This is a low-quality, cheap, over-hyped nootropic.
We don’t know how Synagen IQ has remained to popular over the years. It is easily one of the worst brain supplements we’ve ever come across.
You want to avoid proprietary blends full stop. They’re always just scams. But when the proprietary blend contains ingredients that could be dangerous – like caffeine – or ingredients that serve no purpose – like GABA – you definitely want to stay away. As such, Synagen IQ is not a nootropic we’ll ever recommend.
The fact that we don’t know how much caffeine a serving of Synagen IQ contains is enough to warn you off this supplement. But the useless ingredients really push it over the edge.
If you want to see a meaningful improvement in your cognitive performance, invest in a high quality natural nootropic. Don’t waste your money on garbage like Synagen IQ.
Looking for a complete nootropic?
#1 Overall Nootropic - Mind Lab Pro
This is easily the most complete nootropic on sale right now. It combines the most effective natural nootropic substances known to science. Mind Lab Pro covers every single aspect of cognitive enhancement, from memory and focus to mood and neuron support. If you want total brain optimization, this is the nootropic for you!
READ OUR FULL REVIEW
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.
Leave a Reply