between the two, citicoline works more effectively, but alpha-GPC is more common (though some research suggests that alpha-GPC may not produce statistically significant results over caffeine or a placebo).4 Citicoline has been shown to improve episodic memory without serious side effects for some (but not all) memory domains and is a contender for a future possible dementia or stroke treatment, though more research is necessary.5 6 Ashwagandha Ashwagandha comes from a plant commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine to lower stress and anxiety levels, improve sleep, and regulate your HPA axis (which, for men, can also boost testosterone levels).7 In contemporary research, these practices hold up well, consistently lowering self-reported anxiety levels and improving sleep quality by up to 72%.8 9 By improving your sleep and lowering stress, ashwagandha seems to work as a natural nootropic, but theres some evidence it may also improve executive functioning in people with neurological and severe psychiatric disorders.10 Anecdotally, our testers noted significant drop-offs in their stress and anxiety levels when they tried ashwagandha supplements
References Pickart L, Vasquez-Soltero JM, Margolina A
Promotes a longer-lasting feeling of fullness
Thymosin Beta-4 was characterized in a foundational 2005 review in Trends in Molecular Medicine as a regulatory protein involved in cell migration and tissue repair signaling
Gene expression modulation influences thousands of genes related to growth, repair, and metabolic regulation
