Are Nootropics pseudoscience?
Are Nootropics pseudoscience?
Cameron Phillips
Landon Nelson
Yes, to certain extend.
Their effects are documented but their benefits are negligable, at least in my opinion.
Brandon Wright
*negligible
Bentley Rodriguez
>healthy people
yeah, kinda, we don't even know how they function
>old people
supposedly it helps their memory a bit
Sebastian Collins
Neurotropic can mean a lot of things. Caffeine is a neurotropic, do you think caffeine is a pusedoscience? Phenibut is considered a neurotropic and it has a very strong psychoactive effect. A lot of people will try to sell you something that they say will make you smarter. The only thing that's going to make you smarter is the research you do yourself.
Carter Richardson
They aren't pseudoscience. Many nootropics are actually very well studied scientifically. Trust me, if pharmaceutical companies could sell you smart pills they would be all over that shit.
The problem is for the most part, nootropics so far are just mood/energy modifiers. They don't actually increase your IQ, they just alleviate depression or make you feel less tired, things like that.
There is also evidence that a lot of nootropics are neuroprotective, which is interesting in itself.
Camden Nelson
i know some of them actually work by activating certain neurotrophic factors, BDNF for example. when BDNF is produced, neurogenesis is promoted in multiple areas of the brain, primarily the hippocampus, and when this occurs it can improve cognitive functioning. doesnt that count?
Isaiah Long
This is why they seem to be particularly beneficial for people with cognitive impairments as a result of neurodegenration.
Angel Green
They can have a massive effect.
But it can require trial and error to find one which works for you, or choline supplement or nutritional improvement.
It's possible a given nootropic might not work because it's enhancing something your already good at due to your unique biochemistry.
And just because your brain is working better doesn't mean you will notice if you don't do challenging, measurable tasks like reading, programming, creative design. Becoming 5% smarter all of a sudden won't teach you all the stuff you didn't learn because you were unmotivated.
Christian Butler
Microdose 2C-E. 1-2 mg. That shit works, let me tell you.