Do these pills make you smarter?

Nootropics are supplements that claim to enhance our cognitive abilities. They’ve become popular in the Silicon Valley as biohackers and technologists try to gain an edge over the competition– and push themselves to their full potential. But do these these supplements actually work? Neha dives into the world of "smart drugs” with a supply of her own and meets with the people who make them– while getting some perspective from Doctor Mike.

Sources & Further Reading

Doctor Mike

Nootropics and the lab rats of Reddit

Nootropics gain momentum as smart pills

HVMN Smart Pill less effective than caffeine

FDA and Supplements

Credits
Producer: Neha Shastry
Camera: David Yanez, Chris James, Neha Shastry
Sound: Jeremy Protz, Gabe Martinez
Editor: Kevin Tadge
Supervising Producer: Allison Brown

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[nehashastry]

I took nootropics for a month, and even though I did not feel a difference, that doesn’t mean they don’t work for anyone. The science is evolving and many companies are innovating. And like Eric told me before I started my round of Nootro, they don’t always work the first time. That being said, there are a plethora of companies who are producing nootropic supplements, and their standards vary greatly. Nootropics aren’t regulated by the FDA, there aren’t large scale human clinical trials to test their effectiveness. Some people swear by them, including doctors. Others are skeptical, and rightfully so!

Hope you enjoy, and let me know what you think.

[LindsayDaly]

The commentary from Dr. Mike at the end was great! Always gotta keep sample size in mind for experiments, loved the sort of neutral "counter" he provided to the companies featured like HVMN or whatever it's called lmao

[mohammadi]

Just save you 10 minutes the answer is no.

[mishaespinoza]

If you don't want to see the whole video, the answer is no.

[cinemenico]

_But nothing compares to these blue and yellow purple pills_

[sampinerdiscgolf]

I'd love to see more of these "mythbuster" videos regarding current trends and consumer goods

[csegura]

For everyone that keeps saying if you want to know the answer skip to the end... I don't think this is the point of the video. I like what Beme is doing, Neha, Lou and the other guys are creating news content that I enjoy watching and feel I can trust. I'm hoping more people start discovering Beme news because otherwise cnn might just pull the plug on a great way to see news differently.
On the article itself my only doubt is why there wasn't any mention on stuff like modafinil in this video.

[spector]

didn´t know the words "I´m a bio-hacker and nootropics entrepreneur" could trigger my gag reflex

[ALWAYSTHINKYOURSELF]

I took a well reviewed and expensive nootropic for about 3 months. I was optimistic it would make a notable difference, but in the end it I do not think it did. The reason is that there are so many variables, and it is difficult to know what to attribute to the supplement I was taking. There are behaviors and habits I’ve adapted over the years that definitely effect the way I feel and think. 1. Sleep 2. Healthy diet. 3. Exercise. If you need a little boost I would recommend taking a coffee nap and doing a few push-ups. These are my nootropics, and best of all they are cheap.

[cpyimitatin]

The FDA thinks cannabis is harmful though hahahaha

[samfroese]

Our brains aren't meant to remember every moment... just eat well and workout, all you need bro. Vegetables man. Changed my life.

[zoyai]

you guys deserve success for your short and interesting quality reports!

[AG-qvtk]

i love how she just calls him dr mike instead of attemting to pronounce his last name

[mitcHELLOworld]

I am finishing up my first year of my computer science degree and decided to experiment with these at about the mid point of my first semester. The nootropic that I chose was Alpha Brain by ONNIT labs. (Joe Rogans company) I can say that I absolutely have found an uptick in my ability to recall information when studying for tests, as well as the ability to focus for longer periods of time. This is obviously just a single person giving their experience, and I am very aware of the placebo effect. All that being said, I am finishing my first year at the top of my class. I plan to continue on using nootropics for the foreseeable future at least.

I know many of my classmates have resorted to things like ritalin, adderal etc and I actually did use these for one of my finals, and I can say without a shadow of a doubt, those are the real "Limitless" pills. The only issue with them is you build a tolerance to them VERY quickly, and the possibility for addiction is very real. So for that reason, I only resign myself to them when I am in a dire position and really need to nail a test.

[VernePomraning]

Thank you for continuing production of you informative videos

[jmakes]

'Ketones are a real exiting field'
Whilst i'm no doctor, I have been a type 1 diabetic for the last 8 years, and throughout all of this time i've been taught that Ketones are an extremely dangerous by-product created by your body when it burns fat, because your cells can't get enough energy.
They're so dangerous in fact, that I have to regularly monitor their levels, because if they become too high, you become extremely lethargic and can't concentrate (the opposite of what she claims they do) and if they stay high for a long period of time can cause organ failure and eventually death.
So what I'm curious about is how she can say they're a really exiting field and can boost performance etc, when I've always been taught by doctors, nurses etc that they're extremely dangerous? Are we talking about different things here, or is it just the quantity/ way in which you take them?

[leannuh]

I’ve been following nootropics for a year or so, nice to see new info on them. New subscriber, love the video style and content. Nice.

[shibawood]

The best medicine for the brain is just sleep well. I read a book that says if you can't sleep well you can't be happy.

[PerryCuda]

Dr. Mike might have the tightest clothing ensemble I've ever seen.

[alfredhitchcock]

It really depends on the person. Nootropics is just a milder version of Antidepressants. Because antidepressants are regulated and needs to be prescribed by a doctor. It works because it alters your brain chemistry, but then again, the effect is different from each person.