Nutrition Guide

Nootropics, popularly referred to as "smart drugs", "smart nutrients", "cognitive enhancers" and "brain enhancers", are a class of drugs that improve impaired human cognitive abilities (the functions and capacities of the brain).[1] The term covers a broad range of substances including drugs, nutrients and herbs that have purported cognitive enhancing effects. The word nootropic was coined in 1964 by the Romanian Dr. Corneliu E. Giurgea, derived from the Greek words noos, or "mind," and tropein meaning "to bend/turn". Typically, nootropics are alleged to work by altering the availability of the brain's supply of neurochemicals (neurotransmitters, enzymes, and hormones), by improving the

Fipexide is a piperazine derivative drug invented in Italy in 1983.[1] It was used as a nootropic drug in France and Italy, mainly for the treatment of senile dementia,[2] but is no longer in common use due to the occurrence of rare adverse drug reactions including fever[3] and hepatitis. Fipexide is similar in action to other nootropic drugs such as piracetam and is structurally similar to another more well-known nootropic, centrophenoxine.

Linopirdine is a psychostimulant/nootropic, which has neuroprotective effects. It acts as a potassium channel blocker, and releases acetylcholine, which is probably responsible for its nootropic action.

Along with other cholinergics or acetylcholinesterase inhibitors such as Huperzine A, galantamine also has been used as nootropic or "brain enhancer". [13]

A number of studies on healthy volunteers have demonstrated vinpocetine may elicit improvement on some aspects of memory. [5] [6] The degree which the nootropic effects of vinpocetine are mediated by mechanisms beyond vasodilation is currently unknown.

A number of studies on healthy volunteers have demonstrated vinpocetine may elicit improvement on some aspects of memory. [5] [6] The degree which the nootropic effects of vinpocetine are mediated by mechanisms beyond vasodilation is currently unknown.

Cholinergics are substances that affect the neurotransmitter acetylcholine or the components of the nervous system that use acetylcholine. Acetylcholine facilitates memory, concentration, focus, and high-order thought processes (abstract thought, calculation, innovation, etc.).[citation needed] Increasing the availability of this neurotransmitter in the brain may improve these functions and increase the duration in which they may be engaged without slowing down or stopping. Oversupplying the brain with acetylcholine may have the opposite effect, temporarily reducing rather than improving mental performance.[citation needed] Cholinergic nootropics include acetylcholine precursors and cofactors, and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors:

Aniracetam (Draganon, Sarpul, Ampamet) is a nootropic compound of the racetam family purported to be considerably more potent than piracetam. It is lipid soluble and has possible cognition enhancing effects. It has been tested in animals extensively, Alzheimer's patients and temporarily-impaired healthy subjects. It has shown potential as an anxiolytic in three clinical animal models. Sold in the US as a dietary supplement while used in Europe as a prescription drug. Aniracetam is an ampakine class Nootropic.

Due to the ability of thiols to undergo redox reactions, cysteine has antioxidant properties. Cysteine's antioxidant properties are typically expressed in the tripeptide glutathione, which occurs in humans as well as other organisms. The systemic availability of oral glutathione (GSH) is negligible; so it must be biosynthesized from its constituent amino acids, cysteine, glycine, and glutamic acid. Glutamic acid and glycine are readily available in most Western diets, but the availability of cysteine can be the limiting substrate (citation needed).

Despite the fact that hydergine has been used in the treatment of dementia for many years, its mechanism of action is still not clear. It stimulates dopaminergic and serotonergic receptors and blocks alpha-adrenoreceptors. It is a nootropic. Current studies imply that the major effect of hydergine may be the modulation of synaptic neurotransmission rather than solely increasing blood flow as was once thought. A prominent feature that accompanies aging is an increase in monoamine oxidase (MAO) levels which results in decreased availability of catecholamines in the synaptic cleft. In one study, an interaction between age and hydergine treatment was observed

Some regular food items are rich sources of substances with alleged nootropic benefits: Nuts, in particular walnuts, are rich sources of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a type of omega-3 fatty acid. A mixture of walnuts served with dried fruit pieces is known in some regions as student food (orig. German: Studentenfutter) and is popularly recommended as a snack for students. Oily fish, such as salmon or fresh tuna (not tuna canned in oil) are also good sources of omega-3 fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, whose lack in diet has been associated with increased risk of mental illnesses such as

Tricyanoaminopropene (TRIAP, TCAP, Malononitrile Dimer, 1,1,3-tricyano-2-amino-1-propene) is a nootropic drug which mimics the function of nerve growth factor and increases the growth of nerves and tissue regeneration both in isolated tissues[1] and in vivo. It stimulates the action of the enzyme choline acetyltransferase, resulting in increased acetylcholine production.[2] This then results in increased synthsis of RNA in many different tissues in the body. [3] However it also suppresses the production of thyroxine, causing temporary hypothyroidism which returns to normal once the drug is discontinued.[4] Tricyanoaminopropene reduces the amnesia produced by electroconvulsive shock,[5] and animal tests suggested nootropic activity,[6][7][8] but no beneficial

Racetams are a class of nootropic drugs that share a pyrrolidine nucleus.

Carbenoxolone has also been investigated for nootropic effects.[1] This research started from an observation that long-term exposure to glucocorticoids may have negative effects on cognition. Carbenoxolone may decrease the amount of active glucocortocoid in the brain, because the drug inhibits 11Beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1, an enzyme which activates cortisol from cortisone, a glucocorticoid. In the research trial investigating this use of carbenoloxone, it was shown that the drug improved verbal fluency in elderly healthy men (aged 55-75). In type 2 diabetics aged 52-70, the drug improved verbal memory. However, it should be noted that potassium-sparing diuretic amiloride was co-administered with carbenoxolone,

Dimiracetam is a nootropic drug of the racetam family,[1] derivatives of which may have application in the treatment of neuropathic pain.[2]

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