What works, weighed against the placebo.
NootropicsWork is an evidence-first reference on nootropics and human performance. We grade each nootropic one outcome at a time, link every study, and date every grade.
Omega-3 (DHA and EPA): evidence grades by outcome
Long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids
- Blood triglyceridesA Strong
- MemoryC Limited
- Global cognitionN No benefit shown
Start from what you want to improve
Each goal ranks compounds by the grade for that outcome, and starts with the basics that beat any supplement.
Focus and attention
For focus, the basics come first: short-term total sleep deprivation impaired attention in a meta-analysis of 70 articles.
Memory and learning
Sleep, exercise and self-testing have meta-analytic support for memory and learning.
Mental energy and fatigue
Researchers have proposed that mental energy and fatigue are separate feelings, each rated on its own scale.
Mood and stress
Supplement evidence for stress is limited and short-term; many supplements have null, mixed or uncontrolled results.
Sleep
Supplements for sleep have modest results in placebo-controlled trials: in a meta-analysis of 17 highly heterogeneous studies, melatonin shortened the time to fall asleep by 4.0 minutes, and a 2026 review rated magnesium's evidence low to very low certainty.
Physical and athletic performance
An International Olympic Committee consensus statement names caffeine, creatine, specific buffering agents and nitrate among the few performance supplements with good evidence, and notes that responses vary between individuals.
Work and study performance
As of November 11, 2026 we found no randomized supplement trials in programmers or software developers (PubMed and Europe PMC).
The evidence matrix: 34 compounds, every outcome, one grid.
Filter by goal or grade, then open any cell for the rationale and the studies behind it.
| Compound | Focus and attention | Memory and learning | Mental energy and fatigue | Physical and athletic performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5-HTP | C, no effect found | C, no effect found | · | C, no effect found |
| Alpha-GPC | C, no effect found | · | C | C |
| Apigenin | · | · | · | · |
| Artichoke extract | C, no effect found | D | · | · |
| Ashwagandha | · | C | · | B |
| Bacopa monnieri | C, no effect found | B | · | · |
How to read a grade
The fill shows how much of the claim the evidence supports. A hollow ring means no better than placebo. Safety is a separate flag, never a grade.
A, strong
A meta-analysis or three or more independent RCTs in healthy people, pointing the same way.
B, moderate
Two or more RCTs mostly agreeing, or one large, well-run trial.
C, limited
One small RCT, pilot studies, or results from other populations.
D, preliminary
Animal, cell or mechanism studies only. No controlled human data.
N, no benefit shown
Good human trials looked and found no meaningful effect.