What's new
Everything new or updated on the site, newest first.
- Creatine for women: strength, cognition and what the trials show
Published
Creatine is less studied in women than in men. A 2026 meta-analysis of studies in women who exercise found possible small effects on some strength, power and lean-mass measures, with low certainty. In postmenopausal women, creatine with resistance training was linked to small lean-mass and leg-strength gains. Cognition trials in women are small and mixed.
- Deep work and flow: what research says about sleep, breaks and caffeine timing
Published
As of November 11, 2026 we found no randomized trials of a deep work routine, so this guide uses research on its parts. Restricted sleep impaired sustained attention, phone notifications disrupted an attention task and afternoon naps improved test scores. Caffeine improved attention scores, but 400 mg taken 6 hours before bed still disrupted sleep.
- Third-party tested supplements: what the seals mean
Published
A third-party seal means an outside organization checked a supplement's quality against its own published criteria, such as whether the contents match the label and whether specified contaminants or banned substances are absent. A seal says nothing about whether the ingredient works, and in the US, FDA does not approve supplements before they are sold.
- Nootropic coffee and drinks: what's actually in them
Published
Nootropic coffees and energy drinks are built around caffeine, with extras such as taurine, L-theanine or lion's mane. In a meta-analysis of 31 placebo-controlled trials in rested healthy adults, caffeine improved attention. Many labels fold the extras into a proprietary blend, so the dose in a cup often cannot be compared with the doses used in studies.
- How long does caffeine last? Half-life, timing and sleep
Published
Caffeine's half-life, the time the body takes to clear half of it, averages about 4 hours in healthy adults, with a range of 2 to 8 hours. Levels peaked within about an hour in absorption studies. In placebo-controlled trials, 400 mg disrupted sleep 6 hours before bed, and 12 hours before in young men.
- Brain fog: what supplements have evidence (and what to check first)
Published
Brain fog is an informal term people use for forgetfulness, poor concentration and mental slowness. Sleep deprivation, dehydration and caffeine withdrawal produce similar problems, so those come first, along with a clinician's check for low iron or vitamin B12. Among supplements, caffeine improved attention in rested healthy adults in a meta-analysis of 31 placebo-controlled trials.
- Supplements for studying: what helps students learn (and what doesn't)
Published
As of November 12, 2026 we found no randomized trials showing that the supplements covered here improved students' grades; one krill oil trial found no effect. Sleep loss impaired attention and memory, and practice testing raised classroom achievement. Caffeine improved attention in healthy adults but shortened sleep; other supplements have mixed results or few trials.
- What is neurohacking? Origins, meaning and what the science says
Published
Neurohacking means trying to optimize your brain for better performance, using supplements, brain-training games and home brain stimulation. In controlled studies, short-term total sleep deprivation impaired attention, while exercise and caffeine acutely improved attention scores. Brain-training games showed little benefit beyond trained tasks, and single-session tDCS brain stimulation showed no reliable effect in healthy adults.
- Are nootropics safe? A beginner's safety checklist
Published
In the US, FDA does not approve dietary supplements, including those sold for memory and focus, before they reach the market. Lab tests have found many supplements whose contents did not match the label, and some ingredients sold as nootropics carry liver, heart-rhythm or interaction signals. A doctor or pharmacist can check these against your own medicines.
- Nootropic stacks explained: why most stacks are untested
Published
A nootropic stack combines supplements, but trials usually test one ingredient at a time, and researchers describe trials of multi-ingredient nootropics in healthy people as scarce. Caffeine with L-theanine has small trials and meta-analyses, several run or funded by tea companies. Proprietary blends can hide each ingredient's dose.
- How to read a supplement study (without a science degree)
Published
To read a supplement study, check five things: who took part, what the supplement was compared with, how many people took part and for how long, what was measured, and who paid. In a Cochrane review, studies sponsored by the maker of a drug or device more often reported favorable efficacy results.
- Caffeine and L-theanine: doses studied, ratios and what to expect
Published
In placebo-controlled trials, caffeine taken with L-theanine improved accuracy on attention-switching tasks within 2 hours, mostly at 97-100 mg L-theanine with 40-50 mg caffeine. Trends suggested caffeine dose mattered more than L-theanine dose. The trials gave single doses to small groups, and several were led by Unilever researchers.
- Do nootropics work? The benefits the evidence actually supports
Published
Whether nootropics work depends on the compound and the outcome. In placebo-controlled trials, caffeine improved attention and reaction time, L-theanine sped reaction time and bacopa improved some free-recall tests in 12-week trials, while ginkgo showed effects close to zero on memory and attention in healthy people.
- What are nootropics? A plain-English guide to what works
New plain-English guide to what nootropics are, how they are regulated and what placebo-controlled trials found, replacing our April 2024 nootropics 101 post.
Nootropics are substances described as improving thinking, learning and memory, and the term also covers prescription smart drugs. Among supplements, placebo-controlled meta-analyses support caffeine for attention tests in rested healthy adults and creatine for strength alongside resistance training. Evidence for bacopa, and for L-theanine with caffeine, is more limited, and ginkgo showed no benefit in healthy people.
- Editorial policy
Published
NootropicsWork pages are signed by the NootropicsWork editorial team. Every factual claim cites a source, every grade follows a published rubric, and no page goes live until it has passed our editorial checklist and been approved for publication. Commercial relationships never change a grade or a verdict.
- What are cocoa flavanols? A plain-English guide
New page: a plain-English guide to what cocoa flavanols are, what trials found and what is known on safety.
Cocoa flavanols are natural substances that cocoa is rich in. In short trials, flavanol-rich cocoa slightly lowered blood pressure compared with control. Large trials in older adults, backed by a grant from Mars Edge, found no clear overall memory benefit compared with placebo. Nausea and stomach complaints were reported by 1% of people taking cocoa.
- What is saffron? A plain-English guide to saffron supplements
Published
Saffron is a spice from a crocus flower. In short trials funded by Pharmactive or Activ'Inside, adults with low mood or poor sleep reported better mood or sleep with saffron than placebo. A publicly funded trial, with two authors linked to Activ'Inside, found no clear effect on its main mood score. Side effects were mostly mild.
- What is melatonin? A plain-English guide
New plain-English guide to melatonin: what it is, what studies found for sleep and jet lag, doses used in studies, side effects and who should be careful. Editor review November 11 and 12, 2026 (ed-2026-11-11): grades match the monograph (sleep latency C, total sleep time C, jet lag B); sleep-onset and jet-lag hedges, null results, dose exception, side-effect and child-safety details tightened after independent review; Australian status now cites the Poisons Standard.
Melatonin is a hormone the brain makes in darkness that helps time sleep. In a 2005 analysis of placebo-controlled studies, mostly in healthy people or people with insomnia, it cut the time to fall asleep by 4 minutes. It reduced jet lag in most travel trials. Evidence is mixed for both. Labels are often inaccurate.
- What is phosphatidylserine? A plain-English guide
New page: a plain-English guide to what phosphatidylserine is, what trials found and what is known on safety. Editor pass 2026-11-11 (ed-2026-11-11): funder wording on the stress trial per policy 3.3; interactions line per 3.2; dated absence wording per 4.1 N2 with ISO dates removed from prose; reference funding fields per 3.3. Editor pass 2026-11-12: independent review fixes (FDA letter dated 2004 and past tense; subgroup hedge on the cow-brain trial; no clear difference in place of did not change; 2006 review dated; stress mix dose includes the related fat; exercise times in minutes and seconds; repeated prion and age sentences cut); memory and perceived-stress directions follow the monograph ruling.
Phosphatidylserine (PS) is a fat in the thin wrapper around brain cells. An early trial of cow-brain PS found memory gains in older adults with memory problems. But a trial of soy PS found no clear difference from a placebo. In 2004, FDA called the evidence behind the health claim it allowed very limited and preliminary.
- What is omega-3? A plain-English guide
Published
Omega-3s are fats in oily fish, algae and some plants. In a review of adult trials with varied heart risk, more EPA and DHA lowered blood triglycerides by about 15%. Reviews found little or no effect on overall thinking skills. Heart trials linked supplements to a higher risk of irregular heartbeat, more so at higher doses.
- What is Panax ginseng? A plain-English guide
Published
Panax ginseng, also called Asian or Korean ginseng, is a plant whose root is used for health. Reviews found limited, mixed evidence for memory and tiredness, mostly from small, short trials. Trials found no clear benefit for exercise. Side effects in trials were usually mild, but ginseng may change how the body handles some medicines.
- What is ginkgo biloba? A plain-English guide
Published
Ginkgo biloba is a tree whose leaf extract is sold as a supplement. A review of trials in healthy people found effects on memory and attention close to zero. A trial of 3,069 older adults found no difference from a placebo (a dummy pill) in thinking over time. Regulators warn about using it with blood thinners.
- What is lion's mane? A plain-English guide
New plain-English guide to lion's mane: what it is, what small trials found, doses used in studies and who should be careful.
Lion's mane is an edible mushroom also sold as a supplement. In a small trial by a mushroom company researcher, older adults diagnosed with mild memory problems outscored placebo on a thinking test. Results in healthy young adults, including a company-linked trial, are mixed. Claims it regrows brain cells rest on cell and animal studies.
- What is ashwagandha? A plain-English guide
New plain-English guide to ashwagandha: what it is, what trials found, doses used in studies and safety. Editor pass November 12, 2026: independent review fixes (sleep population, July 2026 TGA alert replaces the 2024 advisory as [10], trial design and funder wording, dose-table preparations, NCCIH wording, liver recovery and severe cases).
Ashwagandha is a plant used in Ayurvedic medicine. One review found it lowered stress scores versus a dummy pill; another found no clear effect. A sleep review found a small improvement, larger in adults with insomnia. Product makers funded or supplied some key trials. Rare liver injury has been reported; Australia's regulator warns about it.
- What is Rhodiola rosea? A plain-English guide
New plain-English guide to Rhodiola rosea: what it is, what studies found, doses used in studies and who should be careful.
Rhodiola rosea is a plant root sold for energy and stress. Some early trials found less mental fatigue; a review found flaws in all trials. A later nursing-student trial found more fatigue than placebo; its authors urge caution. Endurance results vary. In a small healthy-volunteer study, it modestly slowed an enzyme that clears some medicines.
- What is Bacopa monnieri? A plain-English guide
New plain-English guide to Bacopa monnieri: what it is, what memory trials found, doses used in studies and safety. Editor review November 12, 2026 (ed-2026-11-11, owner decision 2026-11-12 on independent review): removed the 'no serious side effects reported' reassurance to match the monograph; added the agomelatine, moclobemide and thyroid-medicine reports with a no-causation note; named the four CYP enzymes; added the 2023 myopathy case letter at title level, dated not verified; added Unilever and contract-research conflicts, completer counts and blinding; softened null results to no clear difference; funding wording per policy 3.3.
Bacopa monnieri is a plant used in Ayurveda, a traditional system of medicine. In trials that lasted about 12 weeks, bacopa did better than a dummy pill on some memory tests, but not on all of them. Single doses gave mixed results. Stomach and gut problems were the most common side effects.
- What is citicoline? A plain-English guide
New plain-English guide to citicoline: what it is, what studies found, doses used in studies and who should be careful.
Citicoline is the supplement form of a compound the body makes. In two supplier-linked placebo trials, it was linked to better memory scores in older adults with memory complaints and better attention in teenage boys. EU food safety experts said cause and effect for memory was not shown. UK rules say labels must state it is not for children.
- What is creatine? A plain-English guide
Published
Creatine is a natural nutrient found in food and also made in the body. In a review of 63 studies, adults who took creatine during strength training gained more strength and lean mass than adults who only trained. Evidence on memory is smaller and less consistent. Weight gain is the only side effect studies report consistently.
- What is L-theanine? A plain-English guide
New page: a plain-English guide to what L-theanine is, what trials found for attention, stress and sleep, doses used in studies and who should be careful. Editor review November 11, 2026 (ed-2026-11-11): grades confirmed as proposals; MSKCC-named sedatives added with the doctor-or-pharmacist line; Unilever wording aligned with the monograph; pregnancy absence in dated form. Editor final pass November 12, 2026: AlphaWave named for the Ethical Naturals trial; reference funding wording per policy 3.3; single-dose headache finding added to safety; LactMed breastfeeding statements added; MSKCC animal-data hedge restored; funder repeats trimmed; full-page note lists five markets.
L-theanine is an amino acid found in tea leaves. Taken with caffeine, it improved attention-switching accuracy in healthy volunteers in the first 2 hours after a dose, versus a placebo (a dummy pill). Stress results were modest and sleep findings inconsistent. A review of 31 trials found no serious harms but judged safety only from dropouts.