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10 Best Nootropics for Beginners (2023 Review) Newbies Guide

Michael Garrico
Published by Michael Garrico | Co-Founder & Marketing Director
Last updated: September 12, 2023
We personally test every product featured in our reviews and guides. By ordering products anonymously and getting a group of independent testers, we are able to get first-hand experience and provide data-driven recommendations. Learn more.

Nootropics reign supreme when it comes to improving cognitive function and attention, which is why you should start your journey with a high-quality nootropic supplement.

I talked to my clients about their issues and problems when they first started using nootropic stack. I discovered that getting the appropriate one was difficult since there were too many options and little solid guidance.

So I chose to make this journey simpler for newbies among our followers, and after talking with a dietitian, I spent months testing a range of nootropics and compiling a list of the best nootropics for beginners.

Here's what I found.

Editor's Choice
Mind Lab Pro supplement product
Mind Lab Pro
Ingredients
4.9
Effectiveness
5.0
Price
4.8
Overall Score 4.9
4.9
Click For Best Price
#2nd Best Choice
Onnit Alpha Brain
Onnit
Ingredients
4.9
Effectiveness
4.9
Price
4.7
Overall Score 4.8
4.8
Click For Best Price
#3rd Best Choice
CTA of Gorilla Mind Smooth
Gorilla Mind
Ingredients
4.8
Effectiveness
4.9
Price
4.7
Overall Score 4.8
4.8
Click For Best Price

Best Nootropics For Beginners (September 2023)

1 - Mind Lab Pro (Editor's Choice)

Mind Lab Pro supplement product
Ingredients
4.9
Effectiveness
5.0
Price
4.8
Overall Score 4.9
4.9

Mind Lab Pro contains nootropics that have been demonstrated to be harmless, effective, and well-tolerated. This enables beginners to get the benefits of brainpower without inconvenience or concern.

Mind Lab Pro enhances brain health by increasing blood flow to the brain and improving long-term memory, mental performance, and brain health under stress.

Mind Lab Pro also ranks as the most beneficial nootropic product on the market. It is important to avoid using anything that might generate unpleasant adverse reactions or pose a health risk to a newbie.

After taking the product for a week, I noticed a surge in mental clarity and focus toward my workouts and daily endeavors.

Supplement Facts:

  • Citicoline : 250 mg
  • Lion's Mane Mushroom : 500 mg
  • Bacopa Monnieri : 150 mg
Pros
  • Contains 11 nootropics backed by research and third-party validated and tested
  • Improves a wide variety of cognitive functions
  • Nutritional formulations that are patent and novel
  • There are no superfluous components, and it is allergen-free, vegan-friendly, and GMO-free
Cons
  • Causes mild side effects like nausea

2 - Onnit Alpha Brain

Onnit Alpha Brain
Ingredients
4.9
Effectiveness
4.9
Price
4.7
Overall Score 4.8
4.8

Onnit Alpha Brain contains vital amino acids such as L-theanine and L-tyrosine, which help you stay intellectually alert and concentrated while reducing caffeine's effects [1].

"Tyrosine is necessary when you are stressed or have to power through anything that requires a lot of focused concentration."

- Emily Gonzalez, Naturopathic Doctor

Alpha brain is essential for retaining as much information as possible in the brain and maintaining sharp memory.

It decreases anxiety and tension while also supporting executive brain function for quicker processing and exceptional learning.

Its constituents help to improve neural transmission, which promotes cellular integrity.

After using Alpha Brain for two weeks, my levels of focus in the morning improved, especially when I paired it with coffee.

Supplement Facts:

  • Onnit Flow Blend : 650 mg
  • Onnit Focus Blend : 240 mg
  • Onnit Fuel Blend : 60 mg
Pros
  • It boosts cognitive functioning, such as attention, memory, and concentration
  • It has no caffeine, GMOs, dairy, gluten, or nuts
  • It boosts the generation of alpha brain waves
Cons
  • Causes side effects such as vomiting and nausea

3 - Gorilla Mind Smooth

CTA of Gorilla Mind Smooth
Ingredients
4.8
Effectiveness
4.9
Price
4.7
Overall Score 4.8
4.8

Gorilla Mind Smooth is intended to be both rapid-acting and long-lasting. As a beginner, you should expect to see improvements in focus and attention in as little as fifteen minutes, with the benefits lasting up to eight hours.

As a nootropic stack, it also claims to increase your mood and overall well-being thanks to ingredients like theanine and tyrosine.

Gorilla Mind Smooth may also improve your capacity to remember and retain knowledge.

This product helped me get rid of my morning brain fog and elevated my mental clarity after using it for a few days.

Supplement Facts:

  • Alpha GPC : 1200 mg
  • L-tyrosine : 1500 mg
  • Kanna : 500 mg
  • Bacopa Monnieri : 330 mg
Pros
  • It can be taken before an exercise to increase strength output
  • It's a natural and risk-free nootropic supplement
  • It produces its effects in a shorter time than some other nootropics
Cons
  • Its ingredients are slightly under dosed

4 - Noocube

NooCube
Ingredients
4.8
Effectiveness
4.8
Price
4.7
Overall Score 4.8
4.8

Noocube is distinct in that it addresses the underlying cause of the suffering brain.

This is beneficial to brain cells, enhances mood and mental performance, and reduces brain degeneration, but it is also beneficial to the gut and metabolic health.

It primarily operates by altering the gut-brain axis, enhancing metabolic health and synthesis of brain chemicals.

It also accelerates healing processes and improves the generation of brain development factors.

This nootropic is useful in the prevention of inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, cholesterol reduction, and the prevention of Alzheimer's disease.

In my experience, Noocube made me feel so calm during the day, and my mental clarity was at its best, but I felt lightheaded mostly at night.

Supplement Facts:

  • Bacopa Monnieri : 250 mg
  • L-tyrosine : 250 mg
  • Huperzine Serrata : 20 mg
Pros
  • GMO-free and stimulant-free
  • Improves the gut-brain axis
  • Increases the synthesis of brain chemicals such as serotonin
Cons
  • Take about one week to feel the benefits

5 - Hunter Focus

Hunter Focus
Ingredients
4.8
Effectiveness
4.9
Price
4.7
Overall Score 4.8
4.8

Protecting brain cell membranes aids in memory enhancement. Hunter Focus nootropics contain substances that accomplish just that.

Scientific articles have investigated the influence of nootropic substances on participant cognition as a foolproof technique to measure changes in cognitive ability [2].

Hunter Focus products contain ingredients that act synergistically at the neurological level to regenerate brain cell membranes and boost memory.

Ingredients within Hunter Focus supplements can enhance your cerebral blood flow, which implies your brain receives more blood and oxygen.

They also contain antioxidant qualities, which help to protect brain cells from damage caused by stress, pollutants, and aging.

Hunter Focus will also boost dopamine receptors in your brain and control your hormones.

I felt an increase in my focus and energy toward my workouts, and I could complete my sessions without destruction.

Supplement Facts:

  • Ashwagandha root : 300 mg
  • L-tyrosine : 500 mg
  • Acetyl-L-Carnitine : 800 mg
  • Phosphatidylserine : 100 mg
Pros
  • It has higher, more potent doses than other nootropics
  • It contains amino acids and natural herbs
  • There are no preservatives or artificial tastes in it
Cons
  • It is not a vegan or vegetarian-friendly supplement

6 - Gorilla Shroom

Gorilla Shroom
Ingredients
4.8
Effectiveness
4.8
Price
4.6
Overall Score 4.7
4.7

Gorilla Shroom is a mushroom blend designed to help you increase  memory, drive, attention, vigor, and mental clarity.

It contains components that have been used for a long time for their brain-boosting properties and health benefits.

It contains the mushrooms Reishi, Lion's Mane, Maitake, and Cordyceps, which are known to improve confidence, and mental alertness, and provide cognitive benefits.

In my experience, Gorilla Shroom made me feel better during my workouts, with elevated motivation to complete my workouts.

Supplement Facts:

  • Cordyceps Mushroom : 1000 mg
  • Reishi Mushroom : 500 mg
  • Maitake Mushroom : 250 mg
  • Lion's Mane Mushroom : 1500 mg
Pros
  • It does not contain any stimulants or caffeine
  • It can be stocked with pre-workouts
  • It provides both mental clarity and brain regeneration advantages
Cons
  • Pricey if compared to other nootropics

7 - Nootropics Depot Cognizin

Nootropics Depot Cognizin Nootropic
Ingredients
4.8
Effectiveness
4.7
Price
4.6
Overall Score 4.7
4.7

Nootropics Depot Cognizin has been examined in a wide range of human clinical studies.

Unlike chemical stimulants, which increase energy and attentiveness levels only to have them collapse later, Cognizin Citicoline offers adequate support for mental functions, concentration and focus, and healthy brain metabolic activity.

Citicoline is a well-known nootropic present in every cell of the body and is particularly important for brain health and cognitive function.

Cognizin Citicoline has also been shown in clinical experiments to support proper mitochondrial activity. The brain's energy is produced by these powerhouses inside our cells [3].

In my experience, while this nootropic didn't make a "day or night" difference, it did improve my clarity and ability to process information quickly.

Supplement Facts:

  • Citicoline : 500 mg
Pros
  • Increases attention, motivation, concentration, and productivity.
  • Can be used in conjunction with other products
  • Its ingredients are entirely natural.
Cons
  • It is considered an expensive nootropic

8 - Pure Nootropics Teacrine

Pure Nootropics Teacrine supplement CTA
Ingredients
4.7
Effectiveness
4.7
Price
4.6
Overall Score 4.7
4.7

Pure Nootropics Teacrine is utilized to increase the number of brain chemicals like dopamine.

Dopamine is a "feel good" neurotransmitter that determines how we experience pleasure. It is an important aspect of our distinctive individual capacity to think and organize. It enables us to work, focus, and discover new things [4].

"Dopamine is the neurotransmitter in the brain that causes pleasure. It is produced during enjoyable events and encourages people to seek out rewarding activities or occupations."

- Ananya Mandal, Doctor of Medicine

In a nootropic stack, Teacrine will make you feel more focused, have more vitality, and greater mental clarity. It will also raise serotonin in the prefrontal brain, improving your mood.

I usually enjoy hours of Pure Nootropics Teacrine benefits, enabling me to complete my workouts and other activities without feeling jittery.

Supplement Facts:

  • Theacrine : 5g
Pros
  • Its ingredients have been well-searched and clinically tested
  • It impedes with inflammatory molecules like histamine to help lessen inflammation
  • The manufacturers offer a 100-day money back guarantee
Cons
  • It poses the risk of side effects such as increased heart rate

9 - New Chapter Rhodiola Force

New Chapter Rhodiola Force
Ingredients
4.8
Effectiveness
4.9
Price
4.7
Overall Score 4.8
4.8

New Chapter Rhodiola Force, with 300 mg of powerful Rhodiola Rosea, boosts your strength and endurance during times of high stress and sleep disturbance.

Rhodiola is supposed to aid with fatigue because of its adaptogenic qualities.

It also possesses antidepressant qualities that help regulate your brain's chemicals.

A single dosage of Rhodiola was found to improve memory and have an antidepressant impact in an animal investigation performed on mice. It was proposed that Rhodiola may be used to improve brain health and treat mood issues in humans [5].

It may also aid in the management of diabetes and has anticancer effects.

In my experience, after using Rhodiola Force for two weeks, my energy, motivation, and mood were elevated for some time, although it loses its effectiveness over time.

Supplement Facts:

  • Rhodiola Rosea : 300 mg
Pros
  • Comes with 30 vegan-friendly capsules
  • It has adaptogenic and antidepressant qualities that aid the brain
  • It is a non-stimulant and GMO-free supplement
Cons
  • It is not FDA approved

10 - Bacognize Bacopa Monnier

Bacognize Bacopa Monnier CTA
Ingredients
4.7
Effectiveness
4.7
Price
4.6
Overall Score 4.7
4.7

Bacognize has been supplied worldwide as a safe, effective, and clinically validated bacopa extract.

Bacognize Bacopa Monnieri has been used as a nootropic stack for centuries by Ayurvedic medical professionals for several objectives, including memory enhancement, anxiety reduction, and epilepsy treatment [6].

Several studies show that bacopa may aid memory retention and improve cognitive function [7].

Bacopa may also help you feel less anxious by changing the activity of specific enzymes responsible for the stress reaction. This implies that bacopa might help the brain operate better under stress [8].

In one trial, individuals who took bacopa saw favorable cognitive health effects, significant positive mood impacts, and a drop in cortisol levels [9].

After using this supplement for eight weeks, I experienced a surge in clarity and recall, but it made me feel that my stomach gave me cramps.

Supplement Facts:

  • Bacopa Monnieri : 300 mg
Pros
  • It contains powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties
  • It limits the effects of stress and anxiety
  • It may prevent some signs of aging by providing the neuroprotective effects
Cons
  • It takes a long term to experience its benefits

Buyers Guide - Best Nootropics for Beginners

Laptop and Supplement pills on pack outside of bag

Some nootropics stimulate while others sedate. Some are beneficial to learning and memory, while others are helpful for stress relief. Some perform all of these things.

So, if you are new to nootropics, you should consider a few things before purchasing the supplement.

Research

Beginners will get the best results from tried-and-true nootropics validated by solid human research rather than fashionable goods that may or may not provide advantages.

Quality

Always look for quality, whether cheap or expensive. Some less expensive natural nootropics do not work as effectively or have unpleasant side effects. For a newbie, this might be disappointing, making it difficult to stay with a brain-boosting regimen.

Clean label

Holding a supplement container

It's difficult enough for a newbie to establish nootropic concerns, but some supplement makers make it much more difficult by including GMOs, artificial colors, additives, and allergens.

To obtain safe and pure nootropic advantages, beginners should opt for the clearest label possible that work best for their brain chemistry.

Adverse Effects

Before buying a product, thoroughly examine its potential nootropics side effects.

As long as these nootropics are utilized correctly, there are no known negative effects.

They are also completely natural, making them safer. Nonetheless, you must be informed of the contents of these products.

If you are intolerant to caffeine, consider a nootropic that does not include it to limit the possibility of side effects.

Price

Price significantly impacts what you buy, with the goal of establishing a balance between cost-effectiveness and quality.

Even if a cheaper nootropic looks less expensive, it may not offer the required results.

Likewise, simply because a label is more expensive does not guarantee that it is of superior quality.

As a result, we picked items with the best price tags and provided all the information required to make an informed selection.

Who Should Take Nootropics for Beginners?

Holding and staring at a nootropic

You should take nootropics for beginners if you want to boost your concentration and clarity.

Many people prefer using nootropic stacks because they help them focus on all they need to do.

The supplements include mild stimulants, and most ingredients are designed to ensure a steady, calm focus.

Related Articles:

Who Shouldn't Take Nootropics for Beginners?

You shouldn’t use nootropics for beginners if you are using smart drugs or are suffering from brain health illnesses.

Also, avoid these supplements if you use prescription drugs for anxiety, bipolar disorder, stress, Alzheimer's disease, or anything else that impacts your psychological health or brain function.

If you are pregnant or lactating, you shouldn't take these products or nootropic stacks.

FAQs

Where Do I Start With Nootropics?

You should start with nootropics that provide their benefits without giving you severe adverse effects. Always check the label for the ingredients to know the side effects that come with the nootropics.

What Is the Best Nootropic For Learning?

The best nootropics for learning are those that contain Bacopa Monnieri, L-theanine, Ginkgo Biloba, and Acetyl-L-Carnitine.

Does Nootropics Clear Brain Fog?

Yes, nootropics clear brain fog by enhancing attention, focus, working memory, and many other cognitive functions.

After a few months of testing, our team concluded that Mind Lab Pro is the greatest all-natural nootropic for beginners.

It is an excellent beginning point for anybody seeking a supplement that stimulates the mind without using caffeine or other stimulants. The product's third-party testing should give assurance of its purity.

It will bring a moment of serenity and relaxation to your mind while  renewing it.

Our findings show that Mind Lab Pro lasts most of the day and provides exceptional clarity, endurance, drive, and concentration.

Our #1 Recommendation

Mind Lab Pro

Mind Lab Pro supplement product
Ingredients
4.9
Effectiveness
5.0
Price
4.8
Overall Score 4.9
4.9
Pros
  • Contains 11 nootropics backed by research and third-party validated and tested
  • Improves a wide variety of cognitive functions
  • Nutritional formulations that are patent and novel
  • There are no superfluous components, and it is allergen-free, vegan-friendly, and GMO-free
  • Get the BEST PRICE until the end of September
Cons
  • Causes mild side effects like nausea
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One thought on “10 Best Nootropics for Beginners (2023 Review) Newbies Guide

  1. Interesting list of nootropics for beginners! A healthy brain is key to a healthy life, excited to try a few out.

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