Best Nootropics for Memory

Memory is such an important part of our lives. Whether it be long-term, short-term or just trying to recall the right word, memory plays a huge role in our day. So naturally, it can be frustrating and even scary when our memory fails us.

Luckily, we’re not helpless.

Nootropics are a great way to naturally boost and preserve memory. Nootropics are supplements or substances that improve mental function, like focus, motivation and memory. Not all nootropics are created equal, however.

In this article, I’ll give our picks for the best nootropics for memory, taking into consideration effectiveness, quality, price, and more!

Best Overall

Alpha Brain by Onnit is one of the most famous nootropic supplements on the market today. It supports daily brain function, helping you stay focused and productive.

It’s also renowned for the boost it gives your memory. Alpha Brain can enhance your memory in both the long and short term. Users report being able to more easily recall information when pressed. Whether it be the right word during a speech, what you did last weekend, the key-points of a text or a presentation, or something that happened years ago, Alpha Brain helps you process, store and recall information with less effort than ever before.

The ingredients are:

• Vitamin B6
• L-Tyrosine
• Oat (straw) extract
• Phosphatidylserine
• Cat’s Claw Extract
• L-Alpha Glycerylphosphorylcholine
• Bacopa Extract
• Huperzia Serrata Extract
• L-Leucine
• Pterostilbene
• Vegetarian Capsule (Cellulose, Water)
• Silica

Let’s talk about a few of these ingredients in relation to memory.

First up is Phosphatidylserine. Phosphatidylserine is a fatty substance that covers and protects the cells in your brain. In addition to protecting, it also carries messages between them. Phosphatidylserine plays a big part in keeping your mind and memory healthy and sharp. Studies suggest that the amount of this substance in the brain diminishes as we get older. With all of that being said, I think it’s a solid inclusion in the supplement.

Next up let’s talk about Bacopa extract. Bacopa Monnieri has compounds called bacosides. These compounds protect your brain from stress and improve signaling in the area of your brain where memories are processed.

Overall, Alpha Brain by Onnit is an amazing supplement with lots of proven and effective ingredients. If you’re looking for the best nootropics for memory, you can do no better than Alpha Brain.

Runner Up

Vital Vitamins Brain Booster supplement contains a powerful mix of several nootropic ingredients to help improve focus, mental clarity and memory.

This product is made with only premium ingredients processed in a way to make them more bioavailable, and ultimately more effective. The ingredients are:

• Vitamin B12
• Bacopa Monnieri Extract
• Phosphatidylserine
• Ginkgo Biloba
• Rhodiola Rosea Extract
• Dmae (Dimethylaminoethanol) Bitrartrate
• Gelatin
• Rice Flour
• Vegetable Magnesium
• Stearate
• Silica

The one thing I don’t like about these ingredients is the inclusion of gelatin and rice flour. Gelatin is an animal product which means this product isn’t suitable for vegans. And rice flour seems like it’s just filler here. Maybe it helps with digestions, but I doubt it.

Still, Vital Vitamins Brain Booster is a trusted and effective nootropic supplement with thousands of positive user-reviews. It might not be a perfect supplement, but it’s a great one, and it comes at a great price. All of this earns it our runner up spot.

Best Value

Palo Nutrition’s Focus is our number one choice for anybody looking for the best nootropics for memory on a budget. This great product combines nine natural ingredients to help boost your brain and keep you sharp throughout the day. The effects of this supplement aren’t just felt day to day, either. Palo Nutrition’s Focus helps you keep your brain healthy for years to come.

One of the best parts about this supplement is that it costs half of what similar products cost. Coming in at just $0.40 per capsule, this might be the most affordable high-end nootropics stack on the market today.

The ingredients are:

• Ginkgo biloba
• Bacopa monnieri
• Grape Seed
• Sage
• Turmeric
• Rosemary
• Ashwagandha
• Gotu Kola
• Mucuna Pruriens

As you can see, these ingredients are all natural. This is a supplement that even the most skeptical users should be comfortable with.

Overall this is a great product at an amazing price. If you’re interested in boosting your memory through nootropics and you’re on a budget, you can do no better than Palo Nutrition’s Focus.

Best Individual

So far, all of the products we’ve mentioned are stacks, meaning they combine, or “stack”, multiple nootropic ingredients for a more potent, sustained effect. It’s possible, however, to just buy individual nootropics. Here are our picks for the best individual nootropics for focus

Bacopa Monnieri

Bacopa Monnieri is one of the few nootropics that is actually backed by science. This supplement has been shown to boost memory and improve overall cognitive function. As I mentioned earlier, Bacopa Monnieri has compounds called bacosides. These compounds protect your brain from stress and improve signaling in the area of your brain where memories are processed.

Carlyle’s 1000mg pure Bacopa capsules are an affordable way to get this awesome herb into your daily routine.

Things to Consider Before Using Nootropics for Memory

Overall Health

It’s important to note that nootropic supplements are meant for healthy people that are looking for a natural boost. They are not intended to cure health problems or fix bad habits. Getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and exercising regularly are essential parts of good brain function. If your routine lacks in those areas, you should focus on improving them before worrying about extra supplements.

Also, if you have any health problems you should ask your doctor before starting supplements.

Likewise, if you have serious problems with memory or cognitive function, you should probably visit a healthcare specialist for proper treatment.

Stomach/Digestive Sensitivity

If you read the reviews for nootropic supplements, you’ll find that the majority of negative reviews involve stomach issues. These most commonly include diarrhea, constipation, nausea, and headache. This is probably caused by taking too much of the supplement at once in most cases. Some people, however, report stomach issues even from normal doses.

That being said, if you have a sensitive stomach, you should be careful with nootropics. You shouldn’t exceed the recommended dosage, and you should try to eat a healthy balanced diet throughout the day when taking them. Dehydration can also make you vulnerable to negative side-effects, so be sure to drink enough water.

Desired Result

An important thing to consider before using Nootropics for memory is what you’re actually hoping to get from your supplement. If you choose a product that relies heavily on Bacopa monnieri, for example, it could take months before you start to see any improvement. If you’re looking for help remembering information from a current course, for example, it might take too long to be useful.

On the other hand, if you’re an older person looking to simply keep your brain sharp, a milder, slower paced supplement like Bacopa monnieri can be perfect.

The products we’ve recommended above are pretty well-rounded and generally useful. Naturally, however, some products are better for specific purposes than others. So it’s important to think about your desired results and choose a product accordingly.

Things to Look for When Buying Nootropics for Memory

Memory Boosting Ingredients

Naturally, if you’re looking for a nootropics supplement to aid your memory, you’ll want to check that the supplement actually has ingredients that are known to boost memory. Just because a product mentions “memory” on the label doesn’t mean it’ll actually be effective for you if it doesn’t contain any proven memory boosters.

I would recommend choosing a product that contains at least one of these powerful memory boosting ingredients:

• Creatine
• Bacopa Monnieri
• Ginkgo Biloba
• Noopept
• Phenotropil
• Phosphatidylserine
• Gotu Kola

Natural Ingredients

One of the most important things to consider when buying nootropic supplements is if the ingredients are natural or not. Most common nootropic supplements contain only natural ingredients. There are, however, some supplements that use synthetic nootropics. These may include:

• Synthetic dopaminergics
• Racetams
• Ampakines
• Cerebrolysin
• Armodafinil
• Serotonergics
• Pyritinol

While these ingredients might be okay (synthetic doesn’t always mean bad) it’s probably a safer bet to stick to natural ingredients.

It’s also a good idea to research the ingredients of any nootropic supplements (natural or synthetic) you’re interested in as well, to make sure you’ll be getting the desired effects. Researching might seem intimidating when you see all of the big scientific names, but it’s actually really easy. Just put the name of the ingredient into your favorite search engine and you’ll quickly find results explaining its effects.

Price

It’s always important to consider price when buying anything, and nootropics are no different. The price of nootropic supplements vary quite a lot, with big-brands costing as much as $1.20 per pill, and lesser known brands costing as little as $0.20 per pill. So why all the variance?

Well the price of a product has to do with the ingredients used, as well as how those ingredients are processed. And of course, if you go with a big-name brand, you’ll also be paying extra for that added level of trustworthiness.

If you’d like to save some money by going with a lesser-known product, be sure to check the ingredients carefully and also read lots of user reviews.

Stacks vs Individual Nootropics

When buying nootropics for focus, you should decide whether you want a stack, or just an individual supplement. Buying a stack means you’ll get multiple nootropic ingredients combined in to one supplement. This increases the chance the product will work well for you.

Buying single nootropic supplements, on the other hand, can be a great idea if there are certain ingredients you want to avoid, or if there’s a specific nootropic you like more than others. This is also by far the most affordable way to use nootropics since these individual supplements usually cost much less than stacks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Nootropics Help with Memory?

The most common and effective nootropics for memory are:

• Creatine
• Bacopa Monnieri
• Ginkgo Biloba
• Noopept
• Phenotropil
• Phosphatidylserine
• Gotu Kola

Each of these nootropic ingredients are commonly found in supplements and are all known for boosting memory in some way.

How Do Nootropics Help With Memory?

Nootropics can help your memory in a number of different ways. Bacopa Monnieri for example, has compounds called bacosides. These compounds improve signaling in the area of your brain where memories are processed. 

Creatine on the other hand enters your brain and binds with phosphate. This creates a molecule which your brain uses to fuel cells. This increases the availability of energy for your brain and improves short-term memory.

How Do Nootropics Help the Brain?

This is a complicated question. There are some nootropics whose benefits we understand very well, and others which we can only guess about. I’ll list a few different ways that we know nootropics help the brain.

Nootropics may:

• Help to transport fatty acids into brain cells.
• Increase cerebral uptake of nutrients and oxygen.
• Promote nitric oxide activation.
• Relax blood vessels.
• Increase Alpha brain waves which promote a creative state of concentration.
• Increase the brain’s capacity for antioxidants.
• Clear the brain of neurotoxins

Conclusion

Nootropics have great potential to improve your overall mental sharpness and memory. We strongly recommend Onnit’s Alpha Brain Nootropic stack for an all-around sustained brain-boost. If you’re looking for the best nootropics for memory on a budget, however, you can do no better than Palo Nutrition’s Focus stack.

I hope this article has answered all of your questions about the best nootropics for memory. If not, drop a comment below and I’ll be happy to respond.