Supplements and nootropics that increase memory?

[BipolarGrowth]

I’m interested in getting a mild boost to my memory. Preferably it would be something with little to no side effects and fully legal in the U.S. The main purpose for this is that I find myself occasionally having a word right on the tip of my tongue, and it might take 15-30 seconds on average to remember the word I’d like to use in the situation. This happens rather infrequently, but it’d be nice if I wouldn’t have to break the flow of my speech or supplement a weaker word for the situation to keep the flow going. 

 

Any suggestions? 

Edited April 27, 2022 by BipolarGrowth

[softlyblossoming]

@BipolarGrowth Bacopa Monnieri is popular.

Bacopa has a large and consistent effect on delayed word recall. In my personal experience this seems to be the case too. I've found it easier to recall numbers, dreams and random things picked up in conversation while I've been taking Bacopa consistently.

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/Nootropics/comments/44g05u/best_nootropics_for_memory/

[Michael569]

Phosphatidyl serine (highest level of evidence) and photidylcholine (theoretically even alpha-GPC instead of PC although the research here is extremely poor in terms of number of studies although there is some potential mechanistic reasoning why it may be useful in some people)

Bacopa as mentioned above may also be helpful and perhaps worth giving Ginkgo a shot. 

Also make sure your omega 3 intake is optimised and if in doubt consider looking up a test called "red cell fatty acid test" to assess your long term fatty acid balanc (regular fatty acid tests is a waste of money tho so look for this specifically)

Nootropics seem to have  placebo effect in many people in my opinion but it appears some of them once dosed properly can be quite useful occasionally. Play around and see what works best

Also with all of them heed potential medical interactions (not sure if you're taking any meds but if so worth checking with doc first due to possible interactions)

[Superfluo]

@Michael569 What do you suggest to do if your omega-3 levels are not optimal?

[Michael569]

@Superfluo dietary modification to cover ALA, EPA and DHA and probably a short duration supplementation of anything that has decent levels of EPA and DHA. 

the protocol depends on the recorded levels as well as what is available to you locally as well as any dietary/ethical preferences.

If you wanna chat about it in more detail hit me up  so that we're not hijacking OP's original post

[BipolarGrowth]

@softlyblossoming @Michael569 which of the options mentioned above would you consider to have the least potential for negative side effects? 
 

I’ll probably start with an omega 3 supplement. Is there one that would be best to try first? 

[Michael569]

3 hours ago, BipolarGrowth said:

which of the options mentioned above would you consider to have the least potential for negative side effects? 

You can't go wrong with phosphatidylserine I'd say. 200-300mg doses were tested in ADHD pretty well. There is less research on human memory other than few small trials but it seems to help with attention compared to placebo at least. 

Start there and consider adding the Omegas 3( beware there are possible interactions with fish oils) https://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/omega-3-polyunsaturated-fatty-acids,fish-oil.html  ) 

[BipolarGrowth]

On 4/28/2022 at 2:58 AM, Michael569 said:

You can't go wrong with phosphatidylserine I'd say. 200-300mg doses were tested in ADHD pretty well. There is less research on human memory other than few small trials but it seems to help with attention compared to placebo at least. 

Start there and consider adding the Omegas 3( beware there are possible interactions with fish oils) https://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/omega-3-polyunsaturated-fatty-acids,fish-oil.html  ) 

Awesome. Thanks for the help. 

[Prakhar]

Blueberries are known to help too:

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20047325/

2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28221821/

3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28283823/

4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30941401/

Perhaps try one by one after a few days/weeks and tell us which one works best.

[Adodd]

5 hours ago, Prakhar said:

Blueberries are known to help too:

This is good advice. Get a bottle of blueberry juice of you dont want to eat blueberries all day.

@BipolarGrowth Try creatine. Creatine has nootropic properties that have helped me.

Are you getting good sleep regularly?

 

Edited April 30, 2022 by Adodd

[Michal__]

Bacoppa Monierri And Gotu Kola. They kick in after 4 - 6 weeks. After that you should see a noticeable increase in memory & cognition.

Take it everyday & use maximum recommend dose or more (not medical advice haha).

[sholomar]

The best thing to enhance the subconscious memory recall is to practice mindfulness and stress reduction. I've been studying musical theory as a hobby to get away from video games and forums and when trying to recall notes on the grand staff and memorize key signatures it becomes futile if I'm sleep deprived or otherwise stressed out. Cultivating the parasympathetic response, those alpha brain waves, is key. I've found the work of Joe Dispenza useful lately... how to reprogram the limbic response, self mastery, habit forming, using "open focus" as a means of cultivating relaxation...

Aside from the mental work, fish oil should work best for memory... salmon, trout, canned mackerel and/or herring.

Honestly, the vast majority of health problems people around the world face are not diet related (aside from over-consumption of calories leading to obesity) they are stress related. We over-think too much in many cultures... use our left brains too much... we try to exert too much control over the circumstances in our lives... people need to learn to relax, let go a bit, ride the waves, roll with the punches... it takes a lot of energy to build up all these barriers to try to keep oneself safe...

Edited April 30, 2022 by sholomar

[Adodd]

@BipolarGrowthAAnother huberman lab episode that you might find useful.

 

[Nilsi]

Just take a nootropic stack unless you want to customize your supplementation (in which case you would need to test hormones, bloodwork, genome, urine, stool for max. optimization which is kind of a stretch for most people). I take MindLabPro and im very happy with it. Qualia Mind is probably the highest quality nootropic stack on the market so check that out if its available in your country.