Nootropic drinks are a relatively new trend among supplements. Functional drinks are said to be a real brain boost that supports various aspects of mental wellness. Mostly, they’re consumed to enhance cognitive performance, but experts argue that nootropic drinks can also affect the overall mood as well as the stress level. That’s how they could contribute to mental enhancement.
In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about nootropic drinks, their fields of application, and their alleged effects on your mental health.
What are nootropic drinks?
To understand how nootropic drinks could boost mental enhancement, you need to know what they are and how they work. While nootropic drinks are a modern thing, the term nootropics date back to 1972. Back then, a scientist used the term for different kinds of brain productivity enhancers.
That definition has hardly changed. Until today, the term nootropics is used for substances that can improve our brain performance. Drinks and other supplements with nootropic ingredients are therefore said to enhance our memory and focus, elevate our overall mood, improve stress management, and boost energy.
While nootropics used to be processed in supplements and drugs, they can now be consumed as drinks, which makes them more attractive to the broad mass.
Why are nootropic drinks becoming popular?
Nowadays, most people are aware of how important adequate fluid intake is. But just like with so many other things in life, we tend to prefer products that don’t just serve one purpose. ‘Functional drinks’ that bring more benefits than just fluid intake have become a thing years back.
People love smoothies that are filled with superfoods and boost their metabolism. They love protein shakes that help them with their muscle building. Women love teas that help them create a regular menstrual cycle. People love drinks that enhance their physical performance or that help them fight fatigue. And they also love nootropic drinks that promise to enhance their mental productivity.
Why is mental enhancement so important?
Everyday life can be extremely stressful. It’s challenging to juggle work time, family life, chores, personal hobbies, and social contacts. Sometimes, these things can become pretty overwhelming. Worries, fears, and stress can have an inhibitory effect on our mental performance, which can lead to a mental downward spiral.
In many cases, therapy is the only way to get back on track. Prevention is another approach. Nootropic drinks can help us with prevention as they improve our mental performance in passing.
How does mental enhancement work?
When we talk about mental enhancement, we talk about sharpening the mind and improving cognitive capacities. There are various methods that can help with mental development. Some people use prayer or meditation as a way of clearing the mind to make it more powerful. Others have specific hobbies or activities that allow them to let go of worries, stress, and fear to generate more space for mental performance.
Nootropics are another way of sharpening the mind. The neuro-enhancers are natural and often called brain-doping but totally legal. Nootropics include a variety of vitamins, mineral nutrients, and secondary phytochemicals that can permeate the blood-brain barrier and lead to higher performance.
They do so by activating integrative brain activities like focus, concentration, learning, and memorizing. Nootropics also activate the cerebrum and sharpen thinking processes. That way, natural supplements can help the brain deal with a big amount of cognitive input without wearing out due to mental overload.
Nootropic drinks – the easiest way of mental enhancement
Nootropics are a natural way of improving brain performance. Yet, pills and downright supplements are sometimes linked to a higher psychological barrier than functional beverages. Nootropic drinks can easily be integrated into your individual lifestyle and come in efficient doses.
As nootropic drinks are usually fortified with a range of healthy nutrients, they often have even more positive effects on your body.
Well-known nootropics
Most nootropic drinks contain a selection of well-known and effective nootropics. CDP-choline is a molecule that is part of almost every cell in the human body. By permeating the blood-brain barrier after oral consumption, they enhance brain metabolism.
Vitamin B1 or Thiamin helps the nervous system create important neurotransmitters, some of which are responsible for the information flow between neurons. GABA is another molecule that is considered a nootropic. The molecule activates brain cells in a selective way. That means it only stimulates the ones necessary for a certain brain activity while not addressing other cells. That way, they can improve brain efficiency while preventing overstimulation.
Zuella Montemayor did her degree in psychology at the University of Toronto. She is interested in mental health, wellness, and lifestyle.
