Brain-boosting pills are no longer on reserve for people who can afford to spend hours at the library — their use is on the rise among professionals, students, and even older adults. The availability of smart drugs has become rampant due to societal pressure to succeed academically, perform better at work, and maintain a youthful appearance. In this article, you’ll discover whether brain pills can improve cognition.
What are smart pills?
Nootropics are substances that improve cognition while increasing productivity in a non-invasive manner. It consists of a diverse group that includes vitamins, minerals, botanicals, amino acids, and herbs. While some companies sell nootropics as dietary supplements, some nootropic drugs require a prescription.
Nootropics are also sometimes referred to as cognitive enhancers or smart drugs. Some nootropics are naturally occurring, while other alternatives to Adderall and Ritalin are artificial. There’s not much information about the long-term effects of these drugs.
You can improve your memory through nootropic compounds and make your brain run more smoothly — even if you don’t have a significant mental disability (although those with brain trauma or Alzheimer’s disease can particularly benefit from them). There are several alternatives to Adderall and other medications that are just as effective but with lesser side effects.
Though they may carry a bit of a stigma, you can classify many non-prescription substances as nootropics — things like caffeine, creatine, and other supplements that can enhance brain performance. Nootropics don’t treat disease or illness, but they may have subtle effects on thinking and memory.
How do Smart Pills work?
Every nootropic will react differently because their effects vary depending on the condition they are looking to treat. They can target Alzheimer’s disease, ADHD, or even brain trauma — and each category is different. In some instances, you will notice an immediate change in cognitive enhancement; in some other cases, you may see a slow-building improvement that requires time to build up and take effect.
Your mood, attention, motivation, and overall well-being link to the neurotransmitters in your brain. These chemicals of emotion and cognition react differently depending on your external and internal environments – sex, exercise, hormones, even substance use. They also respond to some drugs like Adderall. So, in other words, neuroenhancers work by preventing this from happening naturally.
Further, when you consume smart pills, they stimulate the brain to release its monoamines. Among these, dopamine is the most important — it controls the reward centers of your brain and has a relation with pleasure. Smart pills can supplement your dopamine levels, improving your ability to learn and remember information, focus better, and feel happier.
While dopamine is the much-maligned neurotransmitter, its association with pleasure-seeking behavior has earned it a bad reputation. Still, a crucial chemical that helps the brain regulate movement, memory, and motivation. And as it turns out, dopamine deficits connect with some of the most debilitating neuropsychiatric disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, ADHD, schizophrenia, and drug addiction.
How neuroenhancers boost intelligence
Whether or not neuroenhancers can help the brain is one that many scientists have tried to answer. Several studies find a positive correlation between healthy and balanced minds and individuals who have taken these drugs, while others have found conflicting results. Overall, it appears that these drugs can create neural links in the brain, but only more research can determine how they do so.
While neuroenhancers can be effective in helping individuals to focus on daily tasks better, this is not the same as improving their cognitive faculties. Instead of bolstering mental acuity, they allow patients to use their natural capacity for greater focus and concentration.
Are smart pills harmful?
Although they can provide cognitive benefits that can heighten performance in memory, focus, and concentration. When taken without a doctor’s prescription, these mood-enhancing drugs come with a host of side effects:
- A racing heart
- Disrupts sleeping patterns
- Feelings of unease and irritation
- Increased Breathing
- Dizziness and Nausea
- Uneven Motor Skills
Can nootropics make you smart?
Brain enhancement pills are not magic pills that will instantly make someone more intelligent. While these pills may strengthen the neurotransmitters in the brain that affect learning, memory, and focus, studies show that they do not help improve intelligence. Instead, they optimize brain function so that a person can take advantage of their natural mental abilities.
It’s also important to note that there’s no thorough research into these neuro supplements— and some may be harmful to the brain. Neuroscientists are still unsure how nootropics affect the brain, but studies show that supplements can help treat ADHD or Alzheimer’s in some cases. But to avoid any potential side effects and improve their effectiveness, customers need to be aware of how different nootropics can affect them individually and find what works best for them.
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