Table of Contents
Medical disclaimer
This guide is a general-health document for adults 18 or over. Its aim is strictly educational. It does not constitute medical advice. Please consult a medical or health professional before you begin any exercise-, nutrition-, or supplementation-related program, or if you have questions about your health.
This guide is based on scientific studies, but individual results do vary. If you engage in any activity or take any product mentioned herein, you do so of your own free will, and you knowingly and voluntarily accept the risks. While we mention major known interactions, it is possible for any supplement to interact with other supplements, with foods and pharmaceuticals, and with particular health conditions.
Examine.com does not assume liability for any actions undertaken after visiting these pages, and does not assume liability if one misuses supplements. Examine.com and its Editors do not ensure that unforeseen side effects will not occur even at the proper dosages, and thereby does not assume liability for any side effects from supplements or practices hosted under the domain of Examine.com.
Examine.com does not make any representations, recommend or endorse any specific tests, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the website. Reliance on any information provided by Examine.com, Examine.com employees, guest writers, editors, and invitees of Examine.com, or other visitors to Examine.com is solely at your own risk.
How to use
The Examine team has been publishing research on nutrition and supplementation since March 2011. Drawing from all we’ve learned, we’ve designed this Supplement Guide with two aims in mind: helping you decide which supplements are right for you, based on the scientific evidence, and helping you integrate these supplements into synergistic combos.
Primary supplements have the best safety-efficacy profile. When used responsibly, they are the supplements most likely to help and not cause side effects.
Secondary supplements may provide substantial benefits, but only in the right context. A secondary option is not for everyone and not a first pick, but if you read the entry and find that you meet the criteria, consider adding the supplement to your combo.
Promising supplements have less evidence for their effects. They could work or be a waste of money. Keep them in mind, but think twice before adding them to your combo.
Unproven supplements are backed by tradition or by mechanistic, animal, epidemiological, or anecdotal evidence, but not yet by convincing human trials. At this point, they are not good candidates for your combo.
Inadvisable supplements are either potentially dangerous or simply ineffective, marketing claims notwithstanding. Do not add them to your combo. At best, they’ll be a waste of money; at worst, they can cause you harm.
Now that you’ve learned of various supplements worthy of your consideration, you’ll learn to integrate them into synergistic combos. You’ll discover a core combo (composed of the most important and least controversial supplements) and several specialized combos. Each specialized combo is optimized for a specific population. The simplest way to formulate your own combo is to combine the core combo with the specialized combo that best fits your situation, needs, and primary health goal.
Then comes the FAQ, in which we cover common questions that may arise when selecting and combining supplements. With all this, you should be able to identify and assemble the supplement combo best suited to your objective.
Introduction
Having good days and bad days is a universal experience. On some days, we feel sharp, attentive, and capable of completing any task quickly and effectively. On other days, we feel slow and foggy, and daily life activities can seem impossible. Why does this occur? Which factors most impact cognitive function?
For one, a sleepless night can turn a routine day at work into a slog. Tasks that previously seemed automatic and effortless now drain energy and result in frustration, loss of productivity, and poor mood.
Sleep deprivation and short-term focus issues can also be problems in the context of nonhabitual brain processing, such as thinking through complex topics in a difficult class or job or developing new ideas in creative ways. This type of brain activity relies on the prefrontal cortex region of the brain, which can be especially compromised by sleep deprivation.[1]
Aging is also associated with changes in cognitive ability and processing. “Brain fog” days can become more frequent. Short-term recall becomes more difficult — words sit on the tip of your tongue for a little longer, names are more elusive, and memories don’t seem to stick.
These challenges can also pose health issues because they make it more difficult to track prescription medication timings and refills. If you are taking one or more different prescription medications at various times throughout the day, memory and focus is vital.
Whether it’s affected by an invigorating workout, a wicked hangover, a good night’s sleep, or aging, cognitive function is subject to short and long-term modulation by genes, the immediate environment, and our actions. Understanding what makes a healthy brain able to focus is key to gaining proactive control over our cognitive abilities and staying sharp, attentive, and in tune with ourselves.
Defining cognitive function
What do our brains need for top-notch cognition?
What can make cognitive function worse?
Alzheimer’s disease
How can you reduce your risk of cognitive decline and dementia?
Secondary Supplements
Promising Supplements
Unproven Supplements
Inadvisable Supplements
Update History
Updated to V3 and added new entries.
- All entries have been updated to our new V3 evidence standards and have been reviewed again in light of the most recent evidence.
- We added Ginkgo bilba, Panax ginseng, and Rhodiola rosea
- The guide has been copyedited to improve writing quality
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