Alpha Brain by Onnit review

Alpha Brain is billed as a complete balanced nootropic to help increase focus and mental drive.  Basically it helps you get stuff done while thinking clearer. It also aids with sleep, specifically lucid dreams.  And we all know that better sleep is a huge factor in memory and mental performance.

It’s kind of like concentrating really hard to get nutrients that you could get from a super optimized diet into a pill to make it more convenient to feel like a high performance machine.

Before I tell you what I think of the effects here a list of the ingredients and what each one does.  I think it’s smart to know what you are taking into your body.

However, if you don’t want to know what each ingredient is just skip below to see my surprising conclusion.

Ingredients in Alpha Brain Explained

Vitamin B6

This powerful vitamin is involved with more than 101 biological processes.  Among them is the involvement with the building of amino acids and neurotransmitters.  Serotonin, dopamine, ABA and norepinephrine are among the neurotransmitters involved.  We want these to help our brains function at the highest levels.

Alpha GPC (L-alphaglyercylphosphorlcholine)

Alpha GPC is a high quality form of choline that is easy to absorb and crosses the blood brain barrier.  Once Alpha GPC is introduced into the body it goes to work increasing synthesis and secretion of acetylcholine.  There are studies that show acetylcholine has been linked to memory, focus and improved REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.

Fun fact:  You can get extra choline by eating an abundant amount of high quality eggs.

Huperzia Serata (.5% Huperzine A)

An extract of the plant called Northern Firmoss (Huperzia Serrata), this ingredient inhibits acetycholineesterase.

Cetycholineesterase (AchE) breaks down Acetylcholine (the stuff we want), so by stopping the break down there is more acetycholine (the good stuff) available to power our brains.

Vipocetine

This compound originally from the periwinkle plants helps shuttle extra oxygen into the brain my increasing circulation.

AC-11

This is a patented compound that is licensed for Alpha Brain.  Derived from Uncaria Tomentosa,  a plant native to the South American rainforest, this amazing compound has been shown to help the body naturally repair DNA.

The mechanism of action is still being studied, but it is believed that AC-11 helps activated enzymes that aid the repair process of DNA.

Make no mistake this a powerful antioxidant.

Bacopa (50% Bacosides)

This herb is found in the marshlands of India and has been used by Ayurvedic masters to increase mental cognition.  Bacopa will help boost your brain power by playing a protective role in the nerves of the hippocampus (extremely important for memory).

Pterostilbene

A powerful a potent anti-oxidant (think blueberries), this helps clear our free radicals which are thought to contribute to the dreaded feeling of brain fog.

L-Tyrosine

This amino acid precursor aids in the production of L-dopa.  L-Tyrosine has been shown to be very safe and is well understood by the medical community.

L-Theanine

Ever had a cup of really great green tea?  You know the smooth, focused, calming energy that follows?  L-theanine is one of the major reasons why that happens.

Oat Straw (20:1)

This is a natural anti-stressor that helps relax and increase attention span.  It is concentrated for extra effect in alpha brain.

Phosphatidylserine (PS)

This is an essential lipid compound that is  found within the membrane of brain cells.  PS can help improve your cognitive and physical performance by reducing stress and increasing exerciser capacity.

Does it work?

The most obvious question is whether or not alpha brain actually works.

The answer is YES.

However, in any group of people there will be “non-responders.”  Ever met someone that can drink 100 cups of coffee and not feel anything?  They are probably a non-responder.

Good news though, because there is a 100% money back guarantee.  If it doesn’t work for you, there is no risk!

For me, Alpha Brain worked surprisingly well.  I took it as recommended with nothing more than a cup of coffee or tea during the day.

My diet and sleep is pretty stable so my body is a pretty good for testing out supplements.

I eat similar things and go to sleep and wake up around the same time, so when I introduce a new supplement I can isolate the effects.

My Experience

Have you ever been on a vacation in the mountains or the beach….

And you wake up feeling refreshed and clear minded and focused…

Little things that ordinarily bother you kind of “melt away”…

You can sit down and read a book for two or three hours and just focus?

Things click a little easier…and there is less “resistance” in your mind?

Well that’s kind of what it felt like to me taking Alpha BRAIN.  I didn’t feel jittery or strung out like taking 20 cups of coffee or other stimulants.

I just felt focused and clear.  It was easy to sit down and do my work and really just be “in the moment” enjoying my clear headed thinking.

I just dove right into my to-do list and felt a very smooth very mild euphoria.

This is definitely good stuff.  Lucid Dreams are also an effect which are quite pleasant and I believe have a long lasting effect that puts calms the mind.

What about the negative reviews?

I searched around and saw some negative reviews, but honestly not as many as I would expect.  The reason I expect to see lots of negative reviews is simple:

People that are pissed off complain the loudest.

I suspect most of the negative reviews are from people with:

1.  Extremely wild expectations.   This won’t make you a genius overnight.  It won’t make you think 10x quicker.  It’s more like a 10-20% increase, which if you combine with sleep and healthy foods can really start adding up quickly.

2.  Non-responders.  Some people just don’t respond well to supplements. Onnit knows this and offers a killer 100% money back guarantee.

3.  If you are eating nothing but junk food and you don’t sleep.  You generally feel awful.  If you manage this with excessive caffeine you probably won’t gain much from this supplement.  You should be reasonably stable with diet, sleep and regular exercise (walking counts), for your body to really utilize this type of nootropic.

Who should try it?

Before taking Alpha Brain, to get the maximum effect, clean up your diet and exercise.  This isn’t an article on diet or exercise, but basically just cook your own real food, don’t drink any soda or calories and walk or ride a bike.

That alone will make you perform better.  Once you’ve gotten the low hanging fruit of mental performance I think it’s worth it to try Alpha Brain.  There is no monetary risk and it really helps get things done, easily without feeling fuzzy or foggy.

The Onnit website has tons of good information and you can learn more about their flagship product Alpha BRAIN here.