Caffeine

Caffeine works by blocking adenosine receptors in your brain, making you feel less tired. A low to moderate caffeine intake of 40–300 mg increases your alertness and attention and decreases your reaction.

L-Theanine

L-theanine is an amino acid found in tea that can increase feelings of calmness and may be linked to increased creativity. Effective dose is just 50 mg. It has been found to increase alpha-waves in the brain. Its effectiveness is even greater when combined with caffeine.

Creatine

Creatine is an amino acid that can improve short-term memory and reasoning skills. It’s most effective in vegetarians and people who are stressed. Doses of 5 grams per day have been shown to be safe in the long term.

Bacopa Monnieri

Bacopa monnieri is an herbal supplement that has been shown to improve memory and information processing when taken for several months. Doses of 300-600 mg should be taken daily for a couple months to see benefit.

Rhodiola Rosea

Rhodiola rosea is a natural herb that may help your body adapt to periods of high stress and reduce associated mental fatigue. It has been shown to reduce mental fatigue and increase feelings of well-being in college students during stressful exam periods.

Panax Ginseng

Taking a single dose of 200–400 mg of Panax ginseng has been shown to reduce brain fatigue and significantly improve performance on difficult tasks like mental math problems. Your body adapts to this supplement so best if used occasionally.

Ginko Biloba

Taking Ginkgo biloba before a highly stressful task also reduces stress-related high blood pressure and decreases levels of cortisol, a type of stress hormone.

Noopept

Noopept is a fast-acting, synthetic nootropic that may improve memory by increasing BDNF levels in your brain. 

Phenotropil

Phenotropil, also known as phenylpiracetam, is a synthetic smart drug that is widely available as an over-the-counter supplement. It’s similar in structure to piracetam and Noopept and helps the brain recover from various injuries like stroke, epilepsy and trauma.

Resveratrol

Resveratrol is an antioxidant that occurs naturally in the skin of purple and red fruits like grapes, raspberries and blueberries. It’s also found in red wine, chocolate and peanuts. 200 mg dose has shown to improve memory.

Phosphatidylserine

healthy people who take phosphatidylserine supplements of up to 400 mg per day have been shown to have improved thinking skills and memory.

Acetyl-L-Carnitine

Acetyl-L-carnitine is an amino acid produced naturally in your body. It plays an important role in your metabolism, particularly in energy production. Taking acetyl-L-carnitine supplements has been claimed to make you feel more alert, improve memory and slow down age-related memory loss.

Armodafinil

Armodafinil largely mimics Modafinil and is used to enhance mental performance, based on its ability to improve alertness and wakefulness.

Alpha Lipoic Acid

Alpha Lipoic Acid is a vitamin-like chemical filled with antioxidant properties, that naturally occur in broccoli, spinach, yeast, kidney, liver, and potatoes. The compound is generally prescribed to patients suffering from nerve-related symptoms of diabetes because it helps in preventing damage to the nerve cells and improves the functioning of neurons. It can be termed as one of the best memory boosting supplements.

Sulbutiamine

Those who take Sulbutiamine on a regular basis can notice a marked increase in consumption and retention of new information, along with improvement in both long-term and short-term memory skills. Also, Sulbutiamine increases dopamine levels in the brain elevating energy and alertness.

Gaba

Gamma-aminobutyric acid, also known as GABA, naturally produced in the brain from glutamate, is a neurotransmitter that helps in the communication between the nervous system and brain. The primary function of this GABA Nootropic is to reduce the additional activity of the nerve cells and helps calm the mind. Thus, it helps to improve various conditions, like stress, anxiety, and depression by decreasing the beta brain waves and increasing the alpha brain waves. It is one of the best nootropic for anxiety that you can find in the market today.  As a result, cognitive abilities like memory power, attention, and alertness also improve.

Alpha GPC / Choline Alfoscerate

The compound is one of the best brain enhancement supplements that includes memory enhancement and protection against brain aging. Some studies suggest that the compound is an effective treatment for disorders like vascular dementia, Alzheimer’s, brain stroke, anxiety, and depression.

Huperzia Serrata

Used in alternative medicine, huperzine A has been found to act as a cholinesterase inhibitor, a type of medicine used to prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine (a chemical essential to learning and memory). Not just used as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, huperzine A is also said to enhance learning and memory and to protect against age-related cognitive decline. In addition, huperzine A is sometimes used to boost energy, increase alertness.

Supplements: Onnit Alpha Brain