Top Picks — Cognitive

🧠 Best Cognitive Supplements

Top cognitive supplements ranked by clinical evidence — for memory, focus, mental clarity, and brain health. Bacopa, Lion's Mane, Citicoline, and more.

186 ingredients reviewed Ranked by clinical evidence

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Top 5 — Ranked by Evidence

Creatine Monohydrate

Cognitive benefits, especially under stress

Standard daily: 3-5 g/day (no loading needed). Optional loading: 20 g/day × 5-7 days,

Enhances Alertness and Focus

100–400 mg/day; performance: 3–6 mg/kg body weight 60 minutes pre-exercise; upper safe

Mental Health and Cognitive Function

2.4 mcg/day (RDA); deficiency treatment: 1,000–2,000 mcg/day oral (sublingual

Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR)

Cognitive aging and mild cognitive impairment

COGNITIVE/AGING: 1500-3000 mg/day divided. DIABETIC NEUROPATHY: 1000 mg × 3/day = 3000

Bacopa Monnieri

Memory consolidation — strongest evidence

300–450 mg/day of 55% bacoside-standardized extract; effects require 8–12 weeks of

📈 Fastest Growing Cognitive Ingredients

Branded ingredients seeing rapid growth in formulator adoption and clinical research in 2024–2026.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Brain & nervous system support (DHA)

1–3 g/day combined EPA+DHA for general health; 2–4 g/day for triglyceride reduction (under…

Creatine Monohydrate

Cognitive benefits, especially under stress

3-5 g/day (no loading needed); optional loading 20 g/day x5-7 days, then 3-5 g/day.

Lutemax® 2020 (Lutein + Both Zeaxanthins — OmniActive)

Cognitive Function — BDNF and Multi-Domain Improvements

Adults: 10mg lutein+2mg zeaxanthin (low) or 20mg+4mg (high) daily. Children: 10mg+2mg gummy.…

🔬 Future Cognitive Ingredients to Watch

Lower current evidence but active research underway — these may become top picks within 2–3 years.

Lion's Mane Mushroom

Brain Health and Cognitive Support

500–3,000 mg/day dried mushroom powder; extract: 250–500 mg/day (standardized to >30%…

EGb 761® (Standardized Ginkgo biloba Extract)

Cognition and Daily Function in Older Adults

240 mg/day in the dementia and prevention trials, taken once daily or as 120 mg twice daily;…

Neumentix® (Spearmint Extract — Kemin)

Working memory in older adults

900 mg/day, taken as two capsules once daily, matching the Neumentix cognitive trials…

SaraPEPP™ Nu (Timut / Nepalese Pepper)

Caffeine-free cognitive/energy support

In the published trial: 4 soft-gel capsules per day (2 morning, 2 evening, with food)…

Recommended Cognitive Products

Heads up: NutraSmarts may earn a commission from purchases made through these links, at no extra cost to you. We curate these picks based on the same evidence we cite throughout the page. Full disclosure.

Real products featuring the best-evidenced cognitive ingredients ranked above - chosen for clinically-studied forms and doses, third-party testing, and value. Match the supplement to your specific need.

Best for brain & overall omega-3 support Amazon →

Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega

1,280 mg omega-3/serving (EPA/DHA), 120 softgels

High-potency triglyceride-form fish oil with substantial EPA/DHA; lemon-flavored, non-GMO, third-party purity tested.

Best for focus & memory support Amazon →

Jarrow Formulas Citicoline (CDP Choline)

250 mg capsules, 120 ct

Citicoline supports brain energy metabolism and attention; non-GMO, vegan, up to a 120-day supply.

Best for focus & nervous-system support Amazon →

Host Defense Lion's Mane Capsules

Organic mycelium capsules, 120 ct

Certified-organic lion's mane from mycologist-founded Host Defense, U.S.-grown and vegan.

Best for calm, focused alertness Amazon →

NOW Foods L-Theanine Double Strength 200 mg

200 mg + 100 mg inositol veg capsules, 120 ct

L-theanine, the amino acid from green tea, promotes relaxation without drowsiness; vegetarian, non-GMO, pairs with caffeine.

All Cognitive Ingredients (186)

Creatine Monohydrate

Cognitive benefits, especially under stress

Standard daily: 3-5 g/day (no loading needed). Optional loading: 20 g/day × 5-7 days,

Enhances Alertness and Focus

100–400 mg/day; performance: 3–6 mg/kg body weight 60 minutes pre-exercise; upper safe

Mental Health and Cognitive Function

2.4 mcg/day (RDA); deficiency treatment: 1,000–2,000 mcg/day oral (sublingual

Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR)

Cognitive aging and mild cognitive impairment

COGNITIVE/AGING: 1500-3000 mg/day divided. DIABETIC NEUROPATHY: 1000 mg × 3/day = 3000

Bacopa Monnieri

Memory consolidation — strongest evidence

300–450 mg/day of 55% bacoside-standardized extract; effects require 8–12 weeks of

Magtein® (Magnesium L-Threonate)

Brain magnesium elevation — only form crossing the blood-brain barrier

2g/day Magtein® (145 mg elemental magnesium); taken as 1g morning + 1g evening; 6-week

Creapure® (Pharmaceutical-Grade Creatine Monohydrate)

Cognitive support under stress, sleep loss, or aging

Loading: 0.3 g/kg/day for 5–7 days (typically 20 g/day split in 4 doses). Maintenance:

Cognitive function in age-related decline

AD/MCI: 400 mg × 3/day = 1200 mg/day. COGNITIVE: 300-600 mg/day. ATHLETIC: 250-600 mg

Choline Bitartrate

Supports Acetylcholine Synthesis

AI: 425-550 mg/day adults; 450 mg pregnancy, 550 mg lactation. Bitartrate supplements

Bacopin® (Bacopa monnieri Extract — Sabinsa)

Memory and learning (Bacopa class evidence)

100-300 mg/day Bacopin standardized extract, typically split into 1-2 daily doses with

Neumentix® (Spearmint Extract — Kemin)

Working memory in older adults

Standard cognitive protocol: 900 mg/day Neumentix® (typically 600 mg morning + 300 mg

Neuravena® (Wild Green Oat Extract — Frutarom)

Cognitive Function and Attention

800-1,600 mg/day Neuravena (research-validated)

AlphaSize® (Alpha-GPC — Chemi Nutra)

Memory and cognition

300 to 600 mg per day for cognition; about 600 mg pre-exercise in sports studies.

Cognitive Function

KSM-66® root extract: 300-600 mg/day (most stress/sleep trials). Shoden®: 120-240

Fetal brain development and pregnancy

425 mg/day (women AI); 550 mg/day (men AI); 930 mg/day (pregnant); up to 3,500 mg/day

Ginkgoselect® Phytosome (Ginkgo Phytosome — Indena)

Cognitive Function and Working Memory

240 mg/day (120 mg twice daily) for 6 months in the Ginkgoselect Plus safety trial; no efficacy trial has established a dose.

Cognitive Function

250–500 mg/day EGCG standardized extract; whole green tea: 3–5 cups/day (≈240–320 mg

Memory and Focus

600 mg/day of root extract, usually 300 mg twice daily, in most trials; a 250 mg/day arm was also tested, and 675 mg/day in the oligospermia trial.

Methylcobalamin (Active B12)

Neurological Function

500-2,000 µg/day sublingual or oral for general supplementation; 1,000-2,500 µg/day

BaCognize® (Standardized Bacopa monnieri — Verdure Sciences)

Cognitive function in healthy adults

300 mg/day BaCognize, typically 150 mg twice daily (Kumar 2016 dosing schedule). Some

Ginkgo 24/6 (Standardized Ginkgo biloba Extract)

Cognition and memory

240 mg a day of EGb761 (standardized to 24% flavone glycosides, 6% terpene lactones) for 22 to 26 weeks; lower intakes such as 120 mg a day are not what the meta-analysis tested.

GinPure® (Ginkgo biloba Extract)

Cognition and memory

Commonly 120 to 240 mg of standardized extract per day.

EssentiOmega® (Omega-3 Concentrate)

Brain and mood support

Commonly 1 to 3 g of combined EPA and DHA per day.

Saffron Extract (Crocus sativus)

Cognitive function in older adults

Depression (most-studied): 30 mg/day standardized stigma extract × 6-8 weeks. PMS:

Cognitive Function

8 to 11 mg/day elemental zinc is the adult RDA; supplements provide 15 to 30 mg/day. The upper limit is 40 mg/day; doses above it, like the 50 mg/day used in trials, need medical guidance.

EGb 761® (Standardized Ginkgo biloba Extract)

Symptomatic Support in Mild–Moderate Dementia

120–240 mg/day; dementia and anxiety trials predominantly used 240 mg/day, given once

Lutemax® 2020 (Lutein + Both Zeaxanthins — OmniActive)

Cognitive Function — BDNF and Multi-Domain Improvements

Adults: 10mg lutein+2mg zeaxanthin (low) or 20mg+4mg (high) daily. Children: 10mg+2mg

Hericium erinaceus (Mycelium vs Fruiting Body — Strain Specifics)

Mild Cognitive Impairment 16-week trial

Fruiting body powder: 3 g/day × 16 weeks (the mild cognitive impairment trial

Improves Focus and Attention

200 mg/day in the 4-week healthy-adult trial; 400 mg/day in the stress and sleep trials; 450 to 900 mg/day in the anxiety trial, which was negative. No cited trial combined l-theanine with caffeine.

Lion's Mane Mushroom

Brain Health and Cognitive Support

500–3,000 mg/day dried mushroom powder; extract: 250–500 mg/day (standardized to >30%

Phosphatidylserine

Age-related memory complaints — modest benefit

100-300 mg/day for cognition, with cited trials using 300 mg/day; athletic doses of 600-800 mg/day are widely quoted but not tested in any study cited here.

Sage Extract / Cognivia® (Salvia officinalis)

Memory and cognitive performance

COGNIVIA®: 600 mg/day (400 mg S. officinalis aqueous + 50 µL S. lavandulaefolia oil).

Aniracetam (Ro 13-5057)

Studied as an unapproved drug in mild Alzheimer's dementia (a medical research use, not a…

AD RCT: 1500 mg/day × 6 mo. STANDARD: 750-1500 mg/day in 2-3 doses with meals.

Cerebrolysin (FPF-1070)

Vascular dementia — strongest indication

VASCULAR DEMENTIA: 20 mL IV/day × two 4-wk courses. STROKE (CARS-1/2): 30 mL/day IV ×

Piracetam (2-Oxo-1-pyrrolidine-acetamide)

Cognitive impairment in elderly — evidence is mixed and conflicted

DEMENTIA: 2.4-9.6 g/day. UCB MCI: 4.8-9.6 g/day × 12 mo. STROKE: 4.8-9.6 g/day. AD: 8

Polygala (Yuan Zhi)

Memory enhancement in healthy adults (BT-11 RCT)

BT-11 STANDARDIZED EXTRACT (Korean RCTs): 200-300 mg 3×/day = 600-900 mg/day × 4-12

Alpha-Lactalbumin

Morning alertness from evening tryptophan loading

EVENING: 20 g 60-90 min pre-bed. DAYTIME: 20 g stress-vulnerable. EXERCISE: 20-30 g

Bifidobacterium longum 1714 (Zenflore™ / 1714-Serenitas™)

Improved cognition under stress

Standard dose: 1 billion CFU (1×10⁹) once daily as Zenflore™ or 1714-Serenitas™. Trial

Memory in age-associated memory impairment

250–500 mg/day (as Cognizin®); cognitive: 500 mg/day; stroke recovery studies use

Coffee Fruit Extract (CoffeeFruit Pure™)

BDNF elevation — the brain growth factor

100–200 mg/day whole coffee fruit concentrate; NeuroFactor™ clinical dose: 100 mg/day

enXtra® (Standardized Alpinia galanga Extract — OmniActive)

Sustained 5-hour alertness

300 mg/day is the dose used in the single-dose trials; the 12-week trial used a higher dose, reported as 600 mg a day.

GeniusPure® (High-Purity Alpha-GPC)

Memory, learning, and cognitive enhancement

Healthy adults: 315 mg or 630 mg as a single dose in the GeniusPure trial, or 600 mg/day for six days. Alzheimer's trials used 1,200 mg/day, a medical rather than general supplement dose.

Cognitive Function

200–400 mg/day standardized extract (ginsenosides ≥4–7%); American ginseng: 100–200

Longvida® Optimized Curcumin (Verdure Sciences)

Cognitive Function (400 mg/day)

400 mg/day Longvida (cognitive applications); 800 mg/day (joint health, exercise

nooLVL® (Inositol-Enhanced Arginine for Gaming & Cognition)

Gaming performance — accuracy and reaction time

1,600 mg/day nooLVL® (clinically tested dose); cognitive benefits within 15 minutes;

Pine Bark Extract

Cognitive function support

Standard dose: 100-300 mg/day standardized pine bark extract (≥85% proanthocyanidins).

Cognitive Support (Most Human Data Come From Alzheimer's Trials)

50-200 mcg twice daily (100-400 mcg/day total); China research uses up to 400 mcg/day

Nutricog® (Haritaki + Boswellia Cognitive Performance Complex — PLT Health)

Multi-domain cognitive improvement

Per Nutricog clinical trial protocol — daily dosing for 120 days. Effects on memory

Algal Oil DHA (Vegan Omega-3)

Cognitive support in older adults

General health: 200-500 mg DHA/day. Pregnancy: 200-300 mg DHA/day minimum (matches

Alpinia galanga (Greater Galangal)

Caffeine-free alertness and attention

300 mg/day standardized Alpinia galanga rhizome extract — the dose used in published

Cognitive function in older adults

4 to 12 mg/day of astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis; take with a fat-containing meal.

Cereboost™ (American Ginseng for Cognition — Givaudan)

Cognitive Performance

200 mg/day Cereboost (research-validated)

Supports Cognitive Performance

Isolated mangiferin: 150 mg/day for 12 weeks in the hyperlipidemia trial; mango stem bark extract used 900 mg/day and mango leaf extract (Zynamite) one 300 mg dose.

MCT Oil (Medium-Chain Triglycerides)

Cognitive performance and brain energy

18 to 24 g/day in the weight-loss trial, up to 30 g/day in others; start near 5 g and build up, since higher doses commonly cause diarrhea.

Multivitamin / Multimineral

Cognitive aging slowed by about 2 years (COSMOS-Mind)

STANDARD: 1 tablet/day MVMM ~100% DV most vitamins, 25-100% DV minerals. PHS II +

Nitrosigine® (Arginine Silicate)

Cognitive performance and focus

1,500 mg/day; most studies use 1,500 mg taken 30–60 minutes pre-exercise

Cognitive performance

200–600 mg/day standardized extract; taken before meals

Sharp-PS® (Soy-Free Sunflower Phosphatidylserine)

Memory and cognitive support in older adults with complaints

Most cognition and stress trials use 100–400 mg/day PS (typically 100 mg three times

Veri-te™ Resveratrol (Evolva)

Cognitive and cerebrovascular aging in postmenopausal women (RESHAW)

RESHAW PIVOTAL: 75 mg trans-resveratrol BID = 150 mg/day × 12-24 months in

Zembrin® (Sceletium tortuosum)

Cognitive performance under stress

8–25 mg/day Zembrin®; anxiety/mood: 8–25 mg/day; cognitive studies use 25 mg/day;

Bluenesse® (Lemon Balm Extract — Vital Solutions)

Calm, focused cognition

Around 300 mg per day.

Prescription Cerebrovascular Use Outside the US (Historical Context)

5-10 mg three times daily (15-30 mg/day total); some research uses up to 60 mg/day

BioPS® (Soy Phosphatidylserine — ECA Healthcare)

Memory and cognition

Commonly 100 to 300 mg per day.

CurQfen® (Curcumin-Fenugreek FenuMat — Akay Bioactives)

Curcumin with enhanced brain delivery

400-500 mg/day CurQfen (research-validated; some applications use higher)

Dry N-3® (Powdered Omega-3)

Brain and mood support

Commonly 1 to 3 g of combined EPA and DHA per day.

Elantria® Algal DHA (Vegan Omega-3 DHA)

Brain and mood support

Commonly 1 to 3 g of combined EPA and DHA per day.

Mucuna Pruriens (Velvet Bean / Kapikacchu)

Mood and Cognitive Support

Standardized to L-DOPA content: 250-500 mg L-DOPA per dose for Parkinson-related uses

V-Krill Omega® (Krill Omega-3)

Brain and mood support

Commonly 1 to 3 g of combined EPA and DHA per day.

Eupoly-3® (Omega-3 EPA and DHA from Fish or Algae)

Brain and cognition: no measured cognitive benefit

The only trial gave 800 mg DHA plus 25 mg EPA per day for 6 months to children and found no benefit; no published trial has tested this ingredient in adults.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Brain & nervous system support (DHA)

1–3 g/day combined EPA+DHA for general health; 2–4 g/day for triglyceride reduction

Cognitive Function and Memory

120-240 mg/day standardized leaf extract, 1-2 divided doses; EGb 761 is the most studied form, though 240 mg/day is the dose used in large prevention trials that found no benefit.

Brainberry® (Aronia melanocarpa Extract)

Long-term cognitive performance in middle-aged adults

: 90 mg or 150 mg AME daily × 24 wk middle-aged adults. CROSSOVER: 160 mg/day older

Centrophenoxine (Meclofenoxate)

DMAE/cholinergic precursor effect

DEMENTIA: 1560-2000 mg/day (Pek 1989: 2 g/day × 8 wk). HEALTHY ELDERLY: ~1200 mg/day.

Cognigrape® (Vitis vinifera Grape Extract)

Cognitive function in older adults

PIVOTAL: 250 mg/day Cognigrape® × 12 wk single daily dose. 2024 FOLLOW-UP: 250 mg/day

enfinity® Paraxanthine

Supports Cognitive Performance

100-200 mg per serving; 50, 100, and 200 mg evaluated in published dose-response trials.

Memophenol™ (Grape + Blueberry Polyphenol Extract)

Episodic memory in healthy elderly

Healthy elderly: 600 mg/day Memophenol™ (containing 258 mg flavonoids) × 6 months. MCI

Oxiracetam (4-Hydroxy Piracetam)

Mild-moderate dementia cognitive support

800 mg twice daily (1,600 mg/day) in the dementia trials; it is an unapproved drug, and the 800 to 2,400 mg/day nootropic range is off-label use.

Acute Cognitive Performance

50-200 mg as a single dose, with 100-200 mg used in the cognitive trials; every published trial tested a single dose, so there is no evidence on daily or long-term use.

Silk Amino Acids / Silk Fibroin Hydrolysate

Cognitive function support — memory, attention, mental focus

Cognitive: 200-600 mg/day of silk fibroin enzyme hydrolysate; the one stamina trial used far more, 500 mg per kilogram of body mass a day (about 35 g for a 70 kg athlete).

Theracurmin® (Colloidal Nanoparticle Curcumin — Theravalues)

Cognitive function in older adults

150 mg a day for 12 weeks in the one trial cited here; products are commonly sold at 30-180 mg a day, doses no cited study tested.

VitaBlue® (concentrated American blueberry extract — FutureCeuticals)

Cognition and memory in aging

Supplier suggests about 250 to 500 mg/day; no human trial has tested VitaBlue, so there is no established effective dose.

Apoaequorin Protein

Marketed for memory support

Manufacturer trials have typically used 10 mg of apoaequorin per day; the commercial

CardaMind™ (Black Cardamom Cognitive Performance — Akay Bioactives)

Improved some attention and processing-speed test scores after a single dose

250 mg/day CardaMind (MA2-24) — the dose used in the pivotal clinical trial. Effects

Cognivia™ (Garden + Spanish Sage Cognitive)

Working memory in healthy adults

PIVOTAL: 600 mg/day Cognivia™ × 29 days (Northumbria University n=94). DOSE

NMDA co-agonist (cognitive research)

SCHIZOPHRENIA: 30 mg/kg/day (~2-2.5 g/day adult) up to 120 mg/kg/day dose-escalation.

Cognitive performance under stress and sleep deprivation

500 to 2,000 mg a day in typical supplements; military stress and cognition trials used far more, 100 to 150 mg per kilogram of body weight, roughly 8 to 12 grams, under supervision.

Ligusticum Chuanxiong (Chuan Xiong)

Promotes Cerebrovascular Wellness

Traditional decoctions use 3-9 g/day of dried rhizome; modern standardized extracts

Mexidol (Ethylmethylhydroxypyridine Succinate)

Stroke rehabilitation cognitive recovery

MIR 2024 STROKE PROTOCOL: 500 mg IV 2×/day × 10 days, then Mexidol FORTE 250 mg PO

PQQ (Pyrroloquinoline Quinone)

Cognitive function and memory

10–20 mg/day; 20 mg most studied for cognitive effects; often combined with 200–300 mg

Semax (ACTH 4-7 PGP)

Cognitive enhancement / nootropic effects

STROKE (Russian approved): 12-18 mg/day intranasal in 3-6 doses × 10-14 days.

Cognitive claims: no human evidence in healthy people

Standard clinical dose: 250 mg twice daily (500 mg/day total) of purified shilajit

Spearmint Extract

Cognitive function in older adults

900 mg/day standardized extract (Neumentix®) for cognition; doses of 250-500 mg/day extract have no cited trial here.

Alpha brainwave induction

50–200 mg/day; 100–200 mg for relaxation/focus; 50 mg for caffeine stacking

AlphaWave® L-Theanine (NutriScience)

Focus and attention

400 mg per day for 28 days in the single published AlphaWave trial. Labels and the generic L-theanine literature more commonly use 100 to 200 mg per day, below the dose tested here.

BacoMind® (Bacopa monnieri Extract — Natural Remedies)

Memory and learning

About 300 mg a day for 12 weeks, the dose used in the 2010 BacoMind trial; a different branded extract at the same dose did not improve the cognitive measures it set out to test.

BioPQQ® (Pyrroloquinoline Quinone — Mitsubishi)

Attention and cognition

About 20 mg per day.

Cera-Q® (Silk Fibroin Peptides)

About 400 to 600 mg of fibroin hydrolysate per day, in divided doses.

Cognizin® (Citicoline — Kyowa Hakko)

Attention and focus

250 to 500 mg per day.

DailyZz™ (Spearmint + Green Tea Sleep Nootropic — Kemin)

Mental speed and decision-making support

485 mg DailyZz once daily — taken 30 minutes before bedtime per the published clinical

DurOmega® (Stabilized Omega-3)

Brain and mood: not tested by the cited research

Commonly 1 to 3 g of combined EPA and DHA per day.

EPAX® (Concentrated Omega-3 Fish Oil)

The one cited trial used 700 mg of combined EPA and DHA per day for 8 weeks. Products made with EPAX oil often provide more per serving, but those higher doses were not the ones tested.

Ergothioneine (ErgoActive®)

Cognitive aging: plasma ergothioneine associations

5–30 mg/day; most human studies use 5–20 mg/day; dietary intake from mushrooms

FastBliss® (Paraxanthine)

Cognitive enhancement without caffeine anxiety

50–200 mg/day paraxanthine; cognitive benefits at doses as low as 50 mg; full effect

Ginkgolden® (Ginkgo biloba Extract)

Cognition and memory

Commonly 120 to 240 mg of standardized extract per day.

GinSelect® (Ginkgo biloba Extract)

Cognition and memory

Commonly 120 to 240 mg of standardized extract per day.

goBHB® (Beta-Hydroxybutyrate Ketone Salts)

Rapid ketosis and alternative brain fuel

6-12 g of BHB salts per day raises blood ketones by about 0.5 to 1.0 mmol/L, a modest ketosis; as a racemic salt only about half is the usable D-BHB.

Holy Basil (Tulsi)

Cognitive function

300–600 mg/day dried leaf extract; 1–2 g/day whole leaf powder

i-Sabi® (Wasabi Extract — 6-MSITC)

Memory in older adults

About 0.8 mg of 6-MSITC (around 100 mg of wasabi extract) per day.

Nefiracetam (DM-9384)

Alzheimer's disease (NIH-sponsored Phase 2)

ROBINSON 2009 (poststroke apathy): 600-900 mg/day × 12 wk. NOOTROPIC: 150-450 mg/day

NeuGrape® (Grape Seed Extract, 95% OPCs)

Blood pressure, not brain blood flow

No dose of NeuGrape has been tested in a published study; the one cited study used 100 mg/day of ActiVin, a different company's grape seed extract.

Rosmarinic Acid

Cognitive and memory effects are not established

One hay fever trial used a Perilla frutescens extract supplying 50 mg or 200 mg of rosmarinic acid a day for 21 days; doses for cognition or anxiety are not established here.

Caffeine-free cognitive/energy support

In the published trial: 4 soft-gel capsules per day (2 morning, 2 evening, with food) delivering 2.8 g of the MCT-oil extract, 80 mg Zanthoxylum armatum extract and 7.8 mg hydroxy-alpha-sanshool.

Schisandra Chinensis (Five-Flavor Berry)

Cognitive Performance and Mental Stamina

1,000 mg/day of extract in both muscle-strength trials, within a common commercial range of 500-2,000 mg/day; berry powder 1-6 g/day.

Synapsa® (Bacopa monnieri Extract — KeyView)

Memory and learning

About 320 mg per day of standardized extract (CDRI 08); a separate 12-week trial of the same extract used 300 mg per day and reported learning and memory gains that built over the weeks.

Sensoril® (Ashwagandha Extract — Verdure/Natreon)

Cognitive Performance

125-500 mg/day Sensoril (research-validated; stress applications often 250 mg/day)

Soy Isoflavones (Glycine max)

Cognitive support in menopause

40–80 mg/day total isoflavones; menopausal symptoms: 50–80 mg/day; bone health: 54–100

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)

Brain Health and Mood Regulation

1.3–1.7 mg/day (RDA); therapeutic: 25–100 mg/day; upper limit 100 mg/day long-term

BioPure DHA® (Tuna Oil Omega-3 DHA)

Brain DHA, with no measured cognitive gain in adults

Commonly 1 to 3 g of combined EPA and DHA per day.

Chocamine® (Cocoa Extract — RFI)

Energy and focus: not measured in the cited research

Commonly around 500 mg to 1.5 g of cocoa extract per day.

CocoaGanic® (Organic Cocoa Flavanols)

Cognition: not tested for this ingredient

Products commonly provide a few hundred milligrams of cocoa flavanols per day; Cochrane review trials used 30 to 1,218 mg per day. No dose has been tested for CocoaGanic specifically.

GS15-4® (Enzyme-Fermented Ginseng — Ilhwa)

Cognitive support

Around 165 mg of fermented ginseng extract per day.

Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 + Bifidobacterium longum R0175 (Probio'Stick® / Cerebiome®)

Brain-imaging study of a different formulation

3 billion CFU per sachet daily for 30 days (Probio'Stick® / Cerebiome®). Longer

Lecithin (Phosphatidylcholine Complex)

Cognitive Effects: Mechanism Only, Not Demonstrated

Labels suggest 1 to 2 g/day; studies have used 500 mg to 22.5 g a day. No dose has been shown to improve cognition.

PANMOL® NADH Micro

Mental Clarity and Focus

5-10 mg/day taken sublingually or on an empty stomach in morning; CFS trial used 10

Neurosteroid (cognitive research)

Labels typically list 10 to 50 mg/day; no established dose for general use. Published trials used up to 500 mg/day, 10 to 100 times that, in diagnosed illness under specialist supervision.

Shagandha® (Ashwagandha Root Extract)

Cognitive and Wellbeing Support

No published trial has tested Shagandha itself; the cited stress trial used a different ashwagandha extract at 300 mg twice a day, and such extracts generally use 300 to 600 mg a day.

Anserine (β-alanyl-3-methyl-L-histidine)

Verbal memory preservation in older adults

1.0 g/day of an anserine plus carnosine combination (about 750 mg anserine, 250 mg carnosine); no established dose for anserine alone.

CognatiQ® (whole coffee fruit extract for BDNF & cognition — FutureCeuticals)

Raised BDNF, a brain-signaling protein, in one small study

100 mg in the acute BDNF and cognition studies; commonly marketed at 100–200 mg/day

CoffeeBerry® Cascara

Acute Plasma BDNF Signal (Single Small Pilot)

100 mg single acute dose (BDNF study); 100-300 mg/day in subsequent cognitive trials.

Phenylpiracetam (Phenotropil / Carphedon)

Cognitive problems after stroke: a supervised medical use, not a consumer one

No dose has been established for healthy people; the cited studies were in stroke patients under supervision, and the 100 to 200 mg a day figures online come from user communities, not trials.

Picamilon (N-Nicotinoyl-GABA)

Cerebrovascular disease and cerebral circulation

50 mg 3×/day (150 mg/day), with wider ranges of 100 to 300 mg/day from Russian prescribing practice. No dose of picamilon has been tested against placebo for anxiety.

Pramiracetam (Pramistar)

Senile cognitive disorders (Italian approval — limited evidence)

STANDARD: 600 mg BID (1200 mg/day) with meals. AD TRIALS: 400-1500 mg/day. POST-TBI /

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

Mild Cognitive Performance

300-600 mg/day standardized extract; tea 1.5-4.5 g dried herb per cup; tincture 2-3 mL

Zynamite® S (Non-Stim Mental Energy — Water Soluble)

Better on some timed tasks, no memory improvement

100–150 mg Zynamite® S (single dose, acute cognitive benefits within 30 minutes); 150

Enzogenol® (Pinus radiata Bark Extract)

Speed on memory tasks in older men, tested alongside vitamin C

Cognitive: 480 mg/day × 5 weeks. Mild TBI: 1,000 mg/day × 6-12 weeks. Take with food.

Fasoracetam (NS-105 / NFC-1)

Experimental nootropic (mGluR modulator)

HAKONARSON 2017 (ADHD adolescents): 50-800 mg/day, escalation up to 400 mg BID × 4 wk.

Guayusa (AMATEA® Organic Guayusa)

Cognitive performance and alertness

Single doses only: trials used 600 mg and 1200 mg AMATEA Max (120 mg and 240 mg caffeine); no trial has tested 300 mg or daily use beyond a single day.

Methylene Blue (Methylthioninium Chloride)

Cognitive Function (Limited Human Evidence)

Pharmaceutical (methemoglobinemia): 1-2 mg/kg IV; 'biohacking' use: 0.5-4 mg/day oral

Oxaloacetate (Anhydrous Enol)

Cognitive function support

Standard dose: 100-300 mg/day anhydrous enol oxaloacetate (benaGene™). Cognitive

Catuaba (Trichilia catigua)

Antifatigue and memory effects (preclinical)

No human trial has established an effective dose; amounts sold come from labels and tradition, such as 500-1,000 mg of bark extract 1-2 times a day, roughly 500-1,500 mg a day.

DMAE (Dimethylaminoethanol / Deanol)

ADHD/learning disabilities in children (1970s historical RCTs)

ADHD HISTORICAL: 500 mg/day in 1970s pediatric trials. NOOTROPIC: 100-200 mg/day.

Lithium Orotate

Cognitive Function (Theoretical)

5-20 mg elemental lithium/day (lithium orotate 130-520 mg providing ~4.6%-20%

Lysoveta® (LPC-Bound EPA/DHA from Krill — Aker BioMarine)

Raised brain EPA, but not DHA, in mice

NDI-approved up to 1.5 g/day for general adult population (US). Preclinical brain

Magnesium Acetyl-Taurate

Cognitive and brain interest

Human dosing is not well established; animal studies used weight-based doses. Products

Pyritinol (Pyrithioxine / Encephabol)

What the dementia trial actually tested

Dementia 200 mg 3×/day (600 mg/day); these are prescription doses under medical supervision, with no established dose for self-directed use.

Virtiva® (Ginkgo biloba Phytosome)

Mental Performance Interest

No established dose for Virtiva itself; trials pooled in the Cochrane review used standard ginkgo extract at roughly 120 to 240 mg a day.

Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs)

Cognition: Studied Only in Breastfed Infants

Up to 20 g/day of 2'-FL and/or LNnT for 2 weeks in the adult trial; consumer supplement servings are generally much smaller than the amount used in that trial.

Levagen+® (PEA — Palmitoylethanolamide — Gencor)

Cognitive function support

Standard dose: 300-600 mg/day Levagen+® — substantially lower than typical PEA

PhosphatidylCholine

Cognitive function — choline pathway

NAFLD/MASLD: 1.5-2.1 g/day standardized PC × 6 months. General choline/cognitive:

Pycnogenol® (French Maritime Pine Bark)

Attention & focus support

50–200 mg/day; cardiovascular: 100–200 mg/day; cognitive: 100 mg/day; athletic

Centellory® (Gotu Kola Extract)

Cognition and memory

Commonly 250 to 750 mg of standardized extract per day.

Dynamine® (Methylliberine)

Self-reported energy and focus (not measured performance)

100 mg a day is the only standalone dose tested in a published efficacy trial; a separate safety study used 100 to 150 mg a day.

Hōlistiq™ (Adaptogen + Mushroom Wellness Blend)

Cognitive clarity and mental performance

Per product label; typical adaptogen blend 300–800mg/day; mushroom component

Sulbutiamine (Arcalion)

Cognitive enhancement (limited evidence)

ASTHENIA (Arcalion approved): 200-600 mg/day divided. Shipelowitz 1984 best at 600 mg.

Anemarrhena asphodeloides (Zhi Mu)

Hot flashes: tested only inside multi-herb formulas

Traditional TCM decoctions use 6 to 12 g of dried rhizome daily. No human trial has tested a standardized Anemarrhena extract at any dose; a concentrated extract is not interchangeable with a decoction.

SerinAid® (Phosphatidylserine — Chemi Nutra)

Memory and cognition

100 to 300 mg per day; 300 mg/day is common in cognition studies.

Possible Cognitive Support

Uridine 500 mg twice daily up to 2 g twice daily in bipolar trials; UMP has not been tested on its own at the 150 to 250 mg/day found on supplement labels.

Zensera™ (Stress-Cognitive Ingredient by Givaudan)

Same-day performance on the hardest cognitive tasks (secondary finding)

Per Zensera™ clinical dosing from Givaudan; single-dose acute benefits confirmed in

FloraGLO® Lutein (Kemin)

Cognitive function in older adults

AREDS2 standard: 10 mg lutein + 2 mg zeaxanthin/day. Cognitive: 12 mg/day.

Cognitive function in early Alzheimer's (preliminary)

DIABETIC NEUROPATHY (BENDIP): 600 mg/day × 6 wk then 300 mg/day. BOND: 300 mg BID × 12

Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica)

Anxiety and Cognitive Support

60-120 mg/day standardized extract (containing total triterpenes ~30%); whole herb 1-2

Nicotinamide Riboside

Possible cognitive aging support

Standard dose: 250-1,000 mg/day NR. Most clinical trials use 300-600 mg/day. Take with

Pomegranate Extract

Cognitive aging support (preliminary)

Standard cardiovascular dose: 500-1,500 mg/day pomegranate extract standardized to

PrimaVie® (Shilajit Extract — Natreon)

Cognitive support (preliminary)

Clinical trial dose: 250 mg twice daily (500 mg/day total) for 90 days. CoQ10

Ecklonia Cava (Brown Seaweed Polyphenol)

Brain-related activity — animal and cell studies only

Trial doses range from 72 to 1,500 mg/day; the European Food Safety Authority set a maximum safe intake of 263 mg/day for adults, below several research doses.

Cognitive Function Support

50-250 mg/day; trial used 125 mg twice daily (250 mg/day total)

Tocotrienols (Vitamin E Family)

Neuroprotection (Stroke Research)

100-400 mg/day total tocotrienols; for cholesterol/CV: 200-300 mg gamma+delta

Alcolec® (Phosphatidylcholine / Lecithin — American Lecithin)

Choline and brain support

Commonly a few hundred milligrams to grams per day.

Bemethyl (Bemitil / Metaprot)

Cognitive performance under stress

Labelling describes 250 to 500 mg once or twice daily in courses of three to five days; no dose or schedule for athletic use has been established in any published study.

Centevita® (Centella asiatica Extract — Indena)

Traditional use for mental clarity

Not established for Centevita: no oral dose has been published. The 60 to 120 mg/day figure quoted for Centella comes from a different, more concentrated fraction and does not transfer.

Decursinol-50® (Angelica gigas Extract)

Cognitive interest

Commonly around 100 to 200 mg per day.

FerroChel® (Ferrous Bisglycinate Chelate)

Iron — supports cognition when deficient

Typical FerroChel® doses provide 14–28 mg elemental iron once daily for routine

Cofactor for brain energy metabolism (B2)

1.1 to 1.3 mg/day (RDA). The migraine research dose is 400 mg/day, roughly 300 times the requirement, studied for a diagnosed condition and appropriate only under a doctor's supervision.

Asera™ (Ashwagandha)

Ashwagandha — stress & cognitive support

B-Complex (Combined B Vitamins)

Brain & nervous-system support (B vitamins)

Varies by product, from about 1x the RDA of each B vitamin to high-potency products at several times the RDA. Cited trials used high-dose B-complex or amounts like 100 mg B1 plus 100 mg B2.

Niagen® (Nicotinamide Riboside — ChromaDex)

NAD+ precursor (cognitive-aging research)

Clinical trial doses: 250-1,000 mg/day Niagen®. Most studies use 300-600 mg/day. Take

TeaCrine® (Theacrine)

Clean energy & sustained focus

STANDARD: 100-300 mg/day (safety to 300 mg × 8 wk continuous). STACK: 125-150 mg

Idebenone (Raxone)

Mitochondrial support (cognitive-aging research)

Prescription doses only: 900 mg/day (300 mg three times daily) for optic neuropathy; 450 to 2,250 mg/day in ataxia trials; in healthy adults given only in pilot studies.

Neuroinflammation support (preliminary)

100-300 mg/day general use; mast cell protocols often use luteolin 100-200 mg with

Platelet activity after an olive oil meal

10 mg/day of a standardized olive polyphenol extract for 12 weeks in the metabolic syndrome trial; the acute platelet studies instead used a single 40 mL serving of olive oil.

Autophagy induction (neuroprotection research)

GLUCOSE TOLERANCE: 3.3-10 g/day (Mizote 2017: 10 g; Yoshizane 2020: 3.3 g). PAD pilot:

Vanizem® (Grains of Paradise Extract for Stress + Mood + Sleep — PLT Health)

Stress, mood & sleep support

100-150 mg/day Vanizem — the doses producing significant effects in the clinical

Zenroot® (Low-Dose Bioavailable Ashwagandha Root Extract — OmniActive)

Low-dose ashwagandha — stress & cognition

125 mg/day is the manufacturer's dose; cited studies used plain ashwagandha at higher doses, commonly 500 to 600 mg a day.

L-Glutamic Acid / Glutamate

Excitatory neurotransmitter (glutamate)

Not typically supplemented as a standalone; dietary intake is already large, about 13 g/day from food protein plus roughly 1 g/day free glutamate and about 0.55 g/day added as MSG.

Phenylethylamine (β-PEA)

Reported Mood Lift (Anecdotal, Not Tested)

No dose has been established for PEA alone; supplements supply 100 to 500 mg per serving. The case report used 10 to 60 mg/day with a prescription MAO-B inhibitor, dangerous outside medical care.

Anxiolytic nootropic peptide

No studied dose can be given; the cited trial's abstract states neither dose nor route. The only approved use is in Russia, as an intranasal prescription spray, and no oral dose is supported here.