Over the last few years, amidst the ever-increasing pace of our hectic modern lives, more and more of us have started searching for ways to keep ourselves alert and stress-free throughout the day.
There’s a large variety of brain-boosting supplements out there, all of which are designed to help enhance your brain and cognitive function in different, unique ways.
If you’ve been having a look at the products on offer, there’s a good chance you’ve come across two key terms – adaptogens and nootropics.
Both of these supplement categories are intended to help our brains, but their approaches are quite different. If you’ve been left wondering what exactly makes an adaptogen and a nootropic and what the differences are, don’t worry—we’re here to give you a quick run-down of all you need to know!
What Are Adaptogens?
Adaptogens are a class of supplements which work to help your body adapt to environmental and emotional stressors. These bioactive herbs, roots, and mushrooms regulate levels of hormones in the body, helping the body to achieve homeostasis.
For example, when you’re overly stressed, levels of the “stress hormone” cortisol will be too high. Adaptogens will respond by reducing these cortisol levels, taking them back down to a normal level.
Through this function, adaptogens can help to improve mood, reduce fatigue, and even boost immunity. Many people use adaptogens to help deal with issues such as stress and anxiety, but others also use them to improve overall physical well-being.
What Are Nootropics?
Nootropics—also known as “smart pills,” neuroenhancers, and brain boosters—are a wide-ranging class of vitamins, minerals, nutrients, herbs, mushrooms, and amino acids that are thought to improve cognitive function.
In short, anything that could help to enhance your brain power can be considered a nootropic! These supplements are commonly used to increase learning, memory, focus, and overall brain well-being.
What Is the Difference Between Adaptogens and Nootropics?
Both of these supplements work to help your brain out, but they do it in different ways. Adaptogens tend to deal more with mood, while nootropics deal with cognitive function.
Adaptogens regulate levels of hormones and neurotransmitters, while nootropics tend to target the specific workings of the brain, such as the neural pathways or inner cells.
With that being said, there is more crossover than you might think. While not all adaptogens are nootropics, many of them are – and vice versa.
Finding a supplement with adaptogenic and nootropic properties can help give you a well-rounded solution to your cognitive needs, improving your mood and brain function in one fell swoop.
The Best Adaptogens and Nootropics
There are many supplements with both adaptogenic and nootropic properties on the market, so we’ve come together to present you with the best of the best.
Each has its own unique set of key benefits, so carefully read over them to find the product most well-suited to your individual needs.
Burnout Killer – Full-Spectrum Brain Enhancer
Benefits:
- All-in-one brain booster
- Improve focus and learning
- Eases stress and anxiety
- Boost mental well-being
Expertly curated by our in-house scientists, this unique nootropic blend has been designed to improve every aspect of your cognitive well-being. Each capsule features a variety of adaptogenic and nootropic ingredients to sharpen thinking, increase energy and uplift mood.
It contains five key ingredients: L-theanine, Rhodiola Rosea, Siberian ginseng, taurine, and magnesium.
L-theanine is one of the nootropic components. This plant-based amino acid can pass between the blood-brain barrier to interact with your brain’s receptors, helping to bolster focus and cognitive function. It also has adaptogenic properties, helping to achieve relaxation without inducing drowsiness!
When combined with other nootropic adaptogens like Rhodiola rosea, research has demonstrated that the powerful blend can reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.
If you’re looking to enjoy the benefits of several nootropics and adaptogens in one package, this powerful all-in-one supplement is a solid potential remedy.
Suggested Use: Take 2 Capsules a day with a glass of water.
Ginkgo Biloba
Benefits:
- Improves memory
- Boosts cognitive function
- Uplift mood
- Fights cognitive decline
Extracted from the root of the Ginkgo tree, this potent supplement possesses both adaptogenic and nootropic properties.
Known as “the living fossil,” the Ginkgo is one of the oldest tree species in the world and has been used for millennia to enhance brain function and elevate mood—and for good reason!
Gingko is believed to help increase your body’s nitric oxide levels, which relaxes the blood vessels and improves blood flow. This is thought to allow more oxygen and nutrients to be delivered to the brain, with research showing it could help to improve memory.
It’s also considered a powerful adaptogen, believed to regulate chemicals in the brain and improve the body’s response to stress.
If you think your memory and mood could do with a boost, try out Gingko biloba.
Suggested Use: Take 1 Capsule a day with a glass of water.
Lion's Mane
Benefits:
- Support brain health
- Cut through brain fog
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Achieve better sleep
Lion’s Mane has exploded in popularity over recent years, acclaimed for its reported ability to improve cognition and mood.
Known as Hieracium erinaceus, this mushroom resembles a shaggy lion’s mane when fully grown and has been a staple of traditional medicine for years.
Now science has uncovered the reason for its long-lasting appeal, with research suggesting the powerful fungus holds a variety of benefits. Regular supplementation has been shown to stimulate the growth of neural pathways in the brain – believed to increase brain function – while also decreasing stress and improving mood.
If you’re looking to sharpen your mental performance and combat the stresses of day-to-day life, this mushroom could be the perfect brain food.
Suggested Use: Take 1 Capsule a day with a glass of water.
L-Theanine
Benefits:
- Induces feelings of calm
- Uplifts mood
- Improves focus and cognitive function
- Boosts immunity
Ever notice you feel more relaxed and focused after a cup of tea? That’s all thanks to L-theanine!
This plant-based amino acid can interact with the receptors in our brain, helping to improve cognitive function while combatting negative feelings of stress and anxiety. It primarily does this by interacting with your nervous system and GABA receptors.
Research has shown that L-theanine supplementation can help to enhance your focus and cognitive function, resulting in improved attention, better reaction times, and sharper memory.
By modulating your body’s stress response, this effective adaptogen can also significantly improve well-being, by tackling feelings of stress and anxiety. Subjects also experienced signficantly improved relaxation.
If boosting your alpha wave brain activity while soothing your mood sounds good to you, give L-theanine a try.
Suggested Use: Take 1 Capsule a day with a glass of water.
Rhodiola Rosea
Benefits:
- Enhance learning and memory
- Overcome feelings of fatigue
- Regulate stress and anxiety
- Improve physical endurance
Also known as the arctic root, Rhodiola Rosea is a powerful nootropic and adaptogenic supplement which is thought to help enhance mental, emotional, and physical well-being!
This adaptogenic herb is thought to exert a variety of benefits by allowing your body to better deal with stress, preventing it from impeding your body’s everyday functions.
Research has shown that regular supplementation can enhance your memory and learning while helping to prevent mental exhaustion. This means it could help you to process information faster and stay alert.
Studies suggest the golden root could also help you regulate levels of the stress hormone cortisol, preventing burnout and boosting mood. In fact, it’s thought to be so effective at doing this that it can even boost your physical endurance, reducing the perceived effort by minimising stress.
If you struggle with the cognitive, physical, and emotional impact of stress, it might be worth giving Rhodiola a try.
Suggested Use: Take 1 Capsule a day with a glass of water.
Adaptogens and Nootropics – Which Is Right for Me?
As we’ve covered, adaptogens and nootropics are better suited for different needs.
If you need to combat the negative associations of stress (like fatigue and low mood), an adaptogen should be your go-to.
On the other hand, if you think you could do with a boost to your everyday learning and memory, nootropics are what you should be looking for.
Combining the two can help you achieve a well-rounded approach to improving overall brain health, improving your stress response and cognitive function. All of the supplements listed in this guide are solid choices, renowned for their potent effects.
If you’re still unsure which supplement is the right choice for you, head over to our handy supplements quiz. Our in-house scientists have put together this simple questionnaire to help you identify your needs, guiding you to the right supplements by answering a few straightforward questions.
All of our adaptogens, nootropics, and unique blends are backed by hard science, so no matter what you choose, you’re sure to be on the way to better cognition!