Supplement Review #8: Noopept
What is Noopept?
Noopept is a synthetic compound, structurally similar to pireracetam, a popular nootropic, that was synthesized in Russia in the 1990s. Noopept was found to be a multifaceted cognitive enhancing agent, making it an extremely promising therapeutic for neurodegenerative diseases and cognitive decline. Noopept has a short half-life, with studies reporting no accumulation in the brain 1 hour post-administration, making it a great candidate for daily use. While noopept’s exact mechanism of action is not fully understood, research has concluded that it can (1) increase acetylcholine production in the brain (2) regulate NMDA and AMPA receptors and (3) act as a neuroprotective agent. Through these pathways noopept has been reported to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and other diseases in multiple animal models. Although this compound is used in Russia, there is currently limited human-related research published on its safety and efficacy.
The Benefits of Noopept
Noopept is a secondary nootropic, a self-defined class of nootropics that acutely improves cognitive performance and provides long-term benefits. This is opposed to a primary nootropic, which only acutely improves cognitive performance. As a secondary nootropic, noopept acts to improve cognitive performance acutely and chronically through many pathways. The first pathway (ranking is subjective) is through increasing nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) expression in the hippocampus. Ostrovskaya and colleagues found that long-term dosing of noopept, NGF and BDNF expression was higher in the rat hippocampus, the brain structure most associated with the formation, consolidation, and retrieval of memories. By increasing these growth signals in the hippocampus, more neurons may spawn, thus improving recall and increasing your performance. Similar research has also found that noopept administration led to an increase in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells, which are the major players in memory consolidation.
Noopept also works to elevate acetylcholine signaling, one of the most prominent chemicals for improving cognitive performance. Furthermore, noopept has been found to increase the density of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the hippocampus. These receptors are important for modulating the activity of ACh in the brain, and play a key role in learning and memory processes.
It has also been shown that noopept can decrease the inflammation of neurons exposed to a pro-inflammatory agent and increase their chance of survival. In an animal model, noopept dramatically reduced inflammatory marker, interleukin-6 (IL-6) to rats given a proinflammatory drug. Taken together, noopept can work to improve acute cognitive processes through increasing acetylcholine signaling and the density of nAChRs in the hippocampus. Noopept also works to improve cognition in the long-term by increasing BDNF, NGF, and reducing inflammation in the brain.
What to Expect?
As a strictly anecdotal section coming from client and personal experiences, this information may not relate to you as individual variance comes into the equation. It is recommended to take noopept at doses ranging from 10 to 30 milligrams/day orally and 1 to 10 milligrams/day nasally. At these doses, users may report slight stimulation and increased clarity, most likely because of acetylcholine signaling. Many long-term users notice the benefits after 2 weeks of daily dosing. These benefits include a decrease in post-exercise brain fog, a decrease in mental fatigue, and a more motivated feeling towards naturally unrewarding work. These reports should be taken with a grain of salt, and while I may conduct rigorous self-experimentation, these anecdotal reports are completely subjective and subject to bias.
Can I Combine Noopept with other Nootropics?
The short answer is yes! Of course, there is a more correct way to create “stacks”, or combinations of compounds that yield increased productivity greater than the sum of each individual compound. Noopept can increase acetylcholine signaling, but if you do not have enough acetylcholine available, the positive effect of noopept is blunted. Therefore, noopept is usually supplemented in tandem with CDP-choline or Alpha-GPC.
Along with this, noopept can increase neurogenesis, which requires phosphatidylcholine (PC) and fats to maintain membrane integrity. A powerful neuroprotective/neurogenesis stack is noopept + UMP + DHA + CDP-choline. This stack touches on increasing BDNF with noopept, PC with UMP and choline, and fatty acids with DHA.
There are many ways to create nootropic stacks. The stacks should be tweaked to what you desire as the user. Do you want to be stimulated? Calm? Mentally clear? These factors must be considered when combining nootropics. If you would like to learn more about creating nootropic stacks, reach out to me and get started on improving your productivity.
Meet the Author
Hello everyone,
My name is Joshua Giblin. I am a post-bachelor researcher/research technician at USC. My interests range from nutrition to nanomedicine and also practical science to improve everyday life. Through this blog, I aim to communicate practical scientific research and present it to curious individuals so that an educated decision can be made. Thank you for reading the blog and showing your support.