Smart Drugs

Smart drugs, or smart nutrients, is another term used to describe substances called nootropics, which are used to boost cognitive function in human beings. The word nootropic is derived from the greek ‘noos’, meaning ‘mind, and ‘tropein’ - ‘to bend or turn’

Their mechanism of action is to increase the natural levels of neurotransmitters, hormones and enzymes (collectively known as neurochemicals) in the brain, by stimulating nerve function and growth, or by increasing the supply of oxygen to the brain.

The majority of nootropic substances are extracted from plants in some form, from the roots, bark or some other part, and are available as over-the-counter remedies from pharmacists and most health stores. They are also quite commonly used as ingredients in nutritional supplements. Some nootropic drugs are used to treat diseases such as Parkinson’s, or Alzheimer’s, and occasionally in the treatment of hypoxia or oxygen deprivation.

Neurotransmitters are employed in the firing of neurons which happens millions of times a second in your brain. Thinking is a very intensive task, and although neurotransmitters a to some extent replenishable, depleted stores of them leads to decreased mental performance, lack of alertness and awareness, lack of concentration, poor memory, reduced coordination, and myriad other detrimental psychological and performance effects.

Generally speaking, a depleted supply of neurotransmitters in your brain means that you’re not performing 100%. This will in turn lead to mistakes being made, and can have psychological impacts with people becoming stressed, frustrated and depressed.

Maintaining neurotransmitters at an optimal level will help to prevent this deteriorating performance over time, and can even improve performance over and above a person’s normal limits in terms of brain function and mental ability, concentration, memory and more.

The older we become, the more likely it is that the body’s natural replenishment of neurotransmitters will slow, so supplementation is likely to have a greater benefit the older you are, as it restores youthful levels of these neurotransmitters, hormones and enzymes, and therefore helps to restore more energetic levels of mental performance.

Cholinergics are a type of nootropic drug which work by supporting production and maintenance of acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter involved in processes which support higher thought processes, concentration and memory, and many others.

Increasing the amount of acetlycholine in the brain may help to improves these processes in addition to prolonging the amount of time for which they may be engaged without suffering mental fatigue. Different types of cholinergic nootropics variously contain acetlycholinesterase inhibitors, as well as acetylcholine cofactors and precursors.

ALCAR, or acetyl-L-carnitine is an amino acid which is a precursor or acetlycholine.
Lucidril, containing centrophenoxine, is a specific type of cholinergic which enhances a person’s perception of colors.

Other popular cholinergic nootropics include choline, alpha-GPC, choline citrate, choline bitartrate, huperzine and DMAE, which variously affect and improve brain function as well as psychological state.

The first mainstream nootropic is a drug called Nootropil, whose active ingredient is piracetam. It is a particular cholinergic which synergizes well with other cholinergic elements, and is taken to increase alertness, improve memory and levels of concentration, supply the brain with increased levels of oxygen and generally raise a person’s energy levels.

Nootropil may also have the effect of assisting nerves to regenerate, although this claim is still under investigation. It has also been shown to improve the posture of elderly patients.

A more potent evolution of Nootropil is the drug aniracetam, which is around four to eight times as effective as the piracetam found in Nootropil. It is suggested to dramatically improve the memory of older patients, as well as providing all the beneficial effects of Nootropil, including improving abstract thought, calculation, visualization and other higher brain functions, and raising general awareness and alertness.

Both piracetam and aniracetam are used to treat fetal alcohol syndrome.
Some prominent variations on the ‘acetam’ theme include oxiracetam, etiracetam, nefiracetam and pramiracetam, which variously improve mental function, mental stamina, alertness, concentration and general intelligence, the ability to perform different types of tasks either simultaneously or in quick succession to a good standard, and an elevated standard of problem-solving skills.

Dopaminergics are a third type of nootropic which work by acting on the neurotransmitter dopamine, or by supporting brain functions that utilize dopamine in some way. Variations of dopaminergics include dopamine re-uptake inhibitors, as well as cofactors and precursors.

Theanine, Yohimbe, Phenylalanine, Deprenyl, Tolcapone and Tyrasine are different types of dopaminergics, and are generally taken in order to improve vigilance and memory, though they are virtually all potent antidepressants as well. Vitamin B6 also has a beneficial effect on the body’s dopamine levels.

Serotogenics are the fourth main type of smart drug, and as their name implies they act to stimulate and support the brain’s natural levels of serotonin, an important hormone and neurotransmitter. Types of serotogenic include Typtophan, 5-HTP, Griffonia simplicifolia and various 5FT2A agonists like 2c-T-7 and LSD (at a fraction of the usual recreational dosage)

Serotogenics are strongly linked to increased calmness and the ability to marshall one’s mind to address tasks in a thoughtful and stress-free manner.