Popping a pill to make your brain sharper – smart move or too good to be true?
It was the late 1990s when Moodi Dennaoui was
studying at the University of Sydney and began looking for a supplement that
would improve his university and physical performance.
It was then that he discovered nootropics – aka
"smart drugs", chemicals that promise to improve your mental and
physical performance.
"I could only afford to purchase one or two
supplements at a time so I had to ensure it was an economically viable
choice," said Dennaoui, a nutrition expert who is now known as the
"Diet Doctor".
"I stumbled across nootropics … a supplement
that could help me both physically and cognitively. [I thought] sign me
up!"
Dennaoui now takes tyrosine and acetyl l-carnitine as
part of his pre-workout.
"They work very quickly and you’ll know about
it," he says.
"There’s nothing like going to the gym and
having focused energy as opposed to scattered energy. And let’s be honest, who
has time to crash post-workout when there’s work to be done and deadlines to be
met."
The word nootropics comes from the Greek word
"noos" for mind and "tropos" for growth and can be used to
describe all manner of substances that enhance cognitive performance – they
range from supplements, like those Dennaoui takes, to prescription drugs used
for sleep conditions and ADHD.
They've got a big following in Silicone Valley and
university students are increasingly turning to them for an edge in exams. Even
senior public servants have reportedly used them to get the federal budget done
in time.
From medication to performance enhancer
These days, taking nootropics is hardly an underground movement.
One of the most popular pharmaceutical nootropic is called Modafinil, also known as Modavigil and Provigil, which is known as a "eugeroic", or wakefulness-promoting agent.
It was originally developed as a drug for narcolepsy and other sleep disorders and is said to affect the brain similarly to how amphetamines and cocaine do – causing a spike in dopamine, the neurotransmitter that helps control the brain's pleasure centre.
Users report incredible focus and productivity and unlike a stimulant like caffeine, which gives you a quick high and can be addictive, Modafinil users claim it doesn't follow with a crash or withdrawal.
"It seems that Modafinil is a cognitive enhancer … there were improvements in higher cognitive functions like planning and decision making," Dr Anna-Katharine Brem, from the University of Oxford, told BBC.
Other nootropics include Ritalin, which is traditionally prescribed to sufferers of ADHD, Adderall and ampakines, used to treat Alzheimer's.
According to Slate.com, up to one in three university students in the US have used ADHD medications illicitly – often faking symptoms to get a prescription or ordering drugs online.
Plenty of potential risks
Popping a pill for razor sharp focus sounds great in
theory but Simon Cotton, senior lecturer in chemistry at the University of
Birmingham, warns of misinterpreting studies.
For example, a 2013 study found that Modafinil can be
used as a performance enhancer to improve alertness and motivation but Dr
Cotton points out in a The Conversation article that the study was into shift
workers and narcolepsy sufferers, who suffer insomnia and excessive sleepiness,
so isn't necessarily relevant to the broader population.
Meanwhile, the European Medicines Agency conducted an
investigation into Modafinil and concluded that it may be risky for the heart,
lead to adverse skin reactions and put users at risk of a neuropsychiatric
reaction.
"The long-term effects of taking these mind
altering drugs in this non-prescribed way are still relatively unknown,"
Dr Cotton writes.
"For people who buy these drugs online, there
are also extra risks, because using an unknown supplier is very unsafe."
Neal Patel, spokesperson for the UK's Royal
Pharmaceutical Society, points out that online providers can be unscrupulous.
"You may or may not get what you pay for,"
he told The Guardian.
“Our advice remains for people to steer clear of
prescription medicines unless they are being prescribed under the supervision
of a health professional.”
It also seems that nootropics don't affect all people
equally – and some people find taking them actually impairs their performance.
"The subjects that seem to benefit the most from
these drugs are those with relatively poor working memory and attention at
baseline," Dr Zahid Padamesy, from the University of Oxford's Department
of Psychology, told Cherwell.
"In contrast, for subjects with already
excellent working memory and attention skills, these drugs seem to impair task
performance. While Modafinil has no particularly harmful short-term effects,
we’re not entirely sure what the long-term repercussions are.
"And in addition to that, stronger smart drugs
like Ritalin and Adderall are essentially low-grade amphetamines. For those
persons who do not have ADHD and conditions that warrant the use of Ritalin, it
can be quite damaging."
When it comes to vitamin or supplement nootropics,
Dennaoui believes they are safe and recommends them to many of his clients.
"They have been researched for many years and
are safe in moderation, like most pick-me-ups including caffeine," he
says.
"Test these substances in moderation, which
usually means half the recommended dose for a few days and listen to your body
and keep a journal of how you feel."
But on that note, Dr Cotton says people looking for
extra alertness would probably be safest sticking with good old-fashioned
coffee.
