You are right. When you have a seizure it does cause over activation in multiple parts of the brain. I don't know if it completely activated every part of the brain, but it is definitely way more than you need. People should really view a brain like a computer. You do not use 100 percent of your computer at any given time and if you use too much of your computer at one time it can cause it to crash similar to how a seizure works in the brain.
Yeah. People dont realize it's like saying that when you curl a weight with your forearms , you are using 5% of your muscles, and if you use 100% of your muscles, then you will be able to lift incredible amounts. But if you use 100% of your muscles, you would just be doing crazy motions, since using 100% of your muscles would mean while you curl, you also do squats to activate quads, while at the same time you curve your spine to activate those muscles, while at the same time you do sit ups to activate abs. etc. etc. and it becomes a nonsensical, contradictory mess of actions. Same for brain.
Also that whole "10%" of your brain thing comes from a study that found that only about 10% of the brain causes a visible reaction(muscle movement, etc) when stimulated with an electrode(poked with a stick). The other 90% is used for stuff like thinking, regulating heartbeat, processing memory, remembering that embarrassing thing you did when you were 5, blinking, regulating hormones, breathing, making lists, and more.
I'm bipolar and unmedicated because nothing worked, and not for lack of trying. Okay, there was one exception... a drug whose name I've forgotten now, but it literally made me feel better in a situation where I should *not* have felt better (under severe abuse). Thankfully, I only had about a two-week trial of it from a free clinic... heard later it got recalled, wondered why but couldn't find info. Heard much later it was because it killed people.
I responded... strongly. Severe nausea (really more like over active gag reflex. I was never sympathetic gagger before, and worked changing adult diapers just fine. On the meds jt all made me gag) and resting heart rate of 100. Cognitively though just minimal improvement. Couldn't go beyond like second dosage. (Due to heart rate) So couldn't get full results
Saying "we only use 10% of our brains" is similar to saying "we only use 1/3 of a traffic light". Different cognitive tasks require different parts of the brain to be active. Having all of it active at all times wouldn't make you smarter, it'd make you a paranoid schizophrenic because you'd constantly be feeling every emotion to its max strength simultaneously.
This video REALLY could have benefited from an ADHD (maybe autism) section. That's what most of those people are probably going through. I wasn't taking just ANYTHING but I was definitely on the hunt for something that made me function. Turns out that issue was AuDHD. Healthcare is bad enough with the usual stuff. Navigating it with two of the most stigmatized conditions ever is a hell im still suffering from.
Seconded. My body responds strangely to a lot of things and the official medical approach is to just try a bunch of different drugs until you find something that works.
Yeeeeah... Adam accusing all new Modafinil prescriptions as "not actually needing it" feels close to ableism. Like probably true to an extent, but word of mouth can lead to more people getting their legitimate conditions treated. I didn't get my ADHD properly medicated until I heard just how much stimulant treatment has helped others.
💯. I am always trying to figure out how to make my brain be more consistent rather than waking up each day without any idea how well my brain, memory, processing speed, and executive function is going to do. Being ADHD + Autism Spectrum but “functional” is like the worst of both worlds. If I were not very functional, my struggles wouldn’t be invisible to others and I wouldn’t have unreasonable expectations put on me by society. I have prescription meds, but always trying out different supplements and so forth to find ways of helping out my brain.
@@Toothilydefinitely. Also since Modafinil is actually sometimes prescribed for ADHD. Which there has of course been a rise in awareness of the last few years.
@@orionx79 let alone the sever tissue damage risks of dihydrogen monoxide in its solid or gaseous forms, its one of the most dangerous chemicals and almost completely unregulated
Did you know that humans only use 10% of their fingers at a time when pointing at things? Imagine how much better we could point if we used all our fingers for it!
I could not emphasize this enough. Nothing is better for your brain than getting enough sleep, and almost nothing is worse than _not_ getting enough sleep.
To be fair, there would have been zero searches for "real limitless pill" before the movie was released, so statistically any amount of searches would be considered "skyrocketing."
I've been living with ADHD my whole life that my parents refused to ever get medicated no matter how much I struggled. Then my wife convinced me to go to the doc and get a prescription for adderal. NGL it almost made me feel like Limitless.
Literally me w my Ritalin!!! Like OH YOU MEAN IM ALLOWED TO FEEL LIKE A PERSON???? I’m allowed to function in everyday life and and not feel like I’m swimming upstream
Once I got on Adderall, I felt so cheated. Like, everyone else lives like this all the time? Other people don't see cleaning as an insurmountable task? Everyone else is living on easy mode!!!
Same here, though I've been taking adderall for about 7 years now. I do recommend taking a few breaks when you can afford to spend a day or two resting so you don't get desensitized. Also, I strongly recommend sticking to a good exercise regiment to keep up momentum, because once you lose that, adderall or not, you won't feel like doing anything.
MODAFINIL MENTIONED WOOO 🎉🎉🎉 as a person with recently diagnosed with narcolepsy and now takes modafinil, I can definitely see how modafinil would be seen as a "limitless pill". It changed my life, giving me almost double the amount of active and alert time in a day than I had before while needing only half as much caffeine. I just can't imagine what modafinil would do to a person without a sleep disorder.
I'm so glad it is working for you! I was diagnosed in 2018 and tried all the treatments. The one that worked the best for me is the scariest one, Xyrem. Unfortunately, my new insurance refuses to cover it, so I'm now on a combo of Sunosi for the stimulant and Doxepin for the ideosympatic hypersomnia that makes sleeping at night so hard.
I've found modafinil to be a kind of controlled focus. I could pop one and easily take a nap an hour later, but once I start something, I'm all in. One day I decided to sort through my gigantic random screws and nails jar. I definitely didn't feel "super powered" when I started, but I 100% finished the job. Like, meticulously organized. Adderall, on the other hand, I would describe as a more uncontrolled focus. It's like I'm just running around looking for stuff to do because I can't stop. And sleeping? Eating? Forget about it. Modafinil = Start Me Up by The Rolling Stones Adderall = Maniac from Flashdance
@@sleepystrugglz4586 Xyrem is one of the ones that was going to be next for me to try if modafinil didn't work. I really feel like it should be illegal for insurance to deny treatment a doctor recommends
According to an extremely cursory Google search, not a lot, which makes sense. I get the same effects from my CPAP machine but that doesn't mean it will make someone who doesn't have sleep apnoea never need to take a nap again. (It *would* probably help with normal snoring but the air does come out the front of the face mask in my experience so if you're that bothered by your SO snoring you're not going to have a lot more fun with air blowing in your face)
I was on it for a while to try and treat post COVID symptoms and it was worse than the original issue. The original issue was that I'd have these spells where I would become so tired and weak that I would sleep for 12+ hours and couldn't physically stay awake or lift myself off of the bed. They thought maybe narcolepsy, despite the long spells being uncharacteristic, so we tried modafinil. Now when I would have one of these terrible lethargic episodes, I would lie in bed for hours unable to lift myself off the bed and delirious, but I couldn't sleep it off. It was awful! I'm not saying modafinil is bad - it's super important for people with narcolepsy. I'm just saying that using a medication to force you to stay awake can be worse than just sleeping if that's what you really need to do.
If only we trusted the government, had universal health care, believed doctors can do research, didn’t have the supplements loophole, and weren’t so desperate to earn a comfortable living for a capitalist system that values efficiency over the health of employees, perhaps we wouldn’t be driven to try this stuff.
Whew!! This is it! What makes me angry is that, if the 1% were taxed fairly. We can have universe healthcare, free higher education, and solve the food crisis. 😢 I hate it here sometimes
I´m suffering from severe adhd and as many of my fellow patients, I tried pretty much every method under the sun as a remedy before getting properly medicated, including "nootropics." As far as my experience goes, those are on one level with homeopathy or microdosing. They literally do nothing but costing you an arm and a leg.
I'd compare it to essential oils rather than homeopathy, because for example Adderall actually works if you have the condition it treats and lavender essential oil will actually make burn blisters go down in minutes, but not one homeopathic remedy works better than placebo by the very nature of homeopathy. But also like nootropics most aromatherapy claims are false (I say most because topical application of volatiles is also called aromatherapy, which is sort of like calling an iodine supplement chromatherapy because iodine is purple sometimes) and most EOs have no practical function.
I thought ancient people obsessing over a fictional "Philosopher's Stone" was stupid and modern people would never do it. But the Limitless Pill really hit that capitalist sweet spot.
Why would looking for something to make your perfectly capable brain operate at an efficiency that would make everyday life trivial allowing you to never experience mental exhaustion ever be popular under a capitalist system?? /s I say this as someone who takes prescription Adderall and has looked into nootropics before I had insurance and a diagnosis. Work is stressful and imbalanced by design if you work full-time and have children or other significant responsibilities. It can feel like all stress all the time, but back in the day you'd have the enjoyment of at least being able to afford housing, food, entertainment, luxuries etc. Now you work and maybe have a house and food but you're extra stressed because you're cutting it close. It's sad but.. late stage capitalism gonna capitalism.
@@Kev1nL Oh I want it too for sure. It's just funny to think people used to want to magically create gold or panacea. Meanwhile we want to... Be more productive.
@skollseye7068 I'd like to hope for it, but even then it would only be affordable for millionaires I'm sure. And you'd need a prescription subscription I'm sure lol
@Kev1nL our brains are way too complex for a single pill or supplement to make it work optimally. People hate hearing this but the only thing that will get you that result is a combination of good diet, frequent physical and mental exercise,a low stress lifestyle, good social connections, and good mental health/spirituality resources, plus good genetics.
I have to echo what a lot of others have said in these comments: Without having addressed the need for medication, the current health care crisis, and a historical problem with diagnosis and treatment of conditions like ADHD and autism, this video can come across as being anti-medicine, or even anti-science. The conclusion sounded like it came from a writer, but taken literally it discourages people from looking for help when it does exist.
@@USSAnimeNCC-nicotine is clinical proven to help short term memory, focus, and executive function. That's why people with poor Healthcare self medicate with it.
People talk about how kids these days all have ADHD so it must be fake and I'm like... look, my dad died of COPD, is that what you think I should be doing instead?
@@kay.gochii I don't think they're missing the point, I think they believe it's truly not worth it. Desperations has limits. Mind you I might be bias, I am ADHD but dad died of lung cancer, and this after he'd lost his own father to lung cancer when he was 15. I'll just drink extra coffee. I'm not willing to risk leaving my kids like that.
Intrigued by the title. I haven't watched the video yet but I'll give you my personal experience. I've suffered from major brain fog and generally feeling of stupidity all my life. I started taking various mushroom supplements (mostly lions mane mushrooms), and within 3 years I have been promoted TWICE. My thoughts are structured, I am able to deal with stress more appropriately, and I am a generally happier person. My memory has improved like I couldn't imagine. I work in a hospital and have to remember an entire ward of patients - their names, diagnosis, treatment plans. Before, I could remember 5 at most. Now, I have no issue remembering every improtant detail for every patient. It's definately not a concidence.
My last boss got a prescription for ADHD medication, and then he'd just pound them all weekend long, not sleep, and come in at 9 AM on Monday with a whole new org chart and process for the department. Every. Week.
At 5:05, the poster is asking about nicotine instead of Adderall because nicotine doesn’t need a prescription. I think this could be a person with a healthcare access issue rather than someone being risky like one of the other examples.
Good call. When people don't have access to the medication they need, they will self medicate with other things. Nicotine is a stimulant, as is caffeine, which is why so many ADHDers use both to excess. If we are lucky, that poster will stop there and not pursue methamphetamine from the streets, as happens all too often.
Can confirm. ADHD is hard for anyone to take you seriously on and they make obtaining what is basically a life saving medicine an insurmountable task due to terrible healthcare and stigma. People with ADHD are more likely to become addicts because of our brain chemistry, trying to compensate for the brain functions that are impaired in us. So the actual answer to the drug problem would be to make them less of a hassle for people to whom basic tasks are already a hassle. But that assumes the war on drugs was ever actually about public welfare.
@@AcappellaTidbitsI’m 42 and was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 8, I’d been on Ritalin, then Adderall, Vyvanse, MyDayIs, and it’s worked great, been on and off it my whole life until it became such a financial and time burden with the scheduling meaning I might not have access at any given point because I couldn’t afford it, lost insurance, or my quarterly doctors appointment to get my new scripts fell through. That inconsistent access and ability to compensate with nicotine when I couldn’t get access to my meds is why I chose to stop taking prescription amphetamines and stick with nicotine (not smoking but vapor products). I tracked my mg of nicotine consumed, when on ADHD drugs I’d use about 6mg per day consistently when off the meds I’d use about 18mg a day and felt the same benefit. Perhaps I’m atypical for ADHD and addiction but even when changing the strength of the liquid I’m using in vapes, I kept track of the number of mL I used and the strength and it would average 18mg a day regardless of the strength. The same thing applies to THC, then again I use these substances for their effect and the same amount of the active ingredient has the same effect, for THC that’s about 8mg a day on average (not a daily user) and for nicotine that’s about 18mg a day. I also supplement with 100mg caffeine and 100mg L-Theanine (found in high amounts in most tea), twice a day with no other caffeine sources and no other stimulants. Then again I do care about my health and monitor things like heart rate and blood pressure. Stimulants do significantly raise both of those but they stay within the normal range, if things start to get out of wack and climbing too high then I’ll need to reconsider the amount of stimulants I use to combat my ADHD.
For most people this is true, but if you have adhd the right medications really do feel like magic pills sometimes. Just make sure you are taking actual medications prescribed to you by a doctor in the way your doctor recommends. It's also perfectly normal to spend time trying a few different adhd meds to find what works for you, and it's normal for meds to not work for you.
I don't think that really counts, though, because taking medicine for ADHD is meant to reduce the effects of a disabling affliction, as opposed to taking someone regular and making them even better. It's like taking ibuprofen for a headache-the headache impairs your normal functioning so you take ibuprofen to reduce the negative effect of the headache. Taking ibuprofen when you don't have pain doesn't make you even more powerful.
@@Elriuhilu Of course ADHD meds aren't actually newtropics, but they do feel like magic pills to people with ADHD and I want to encourage people who are struggling with ADHD to see if meds are a good option for them. It's been a while since I've actually watched the video so I don't remember why exactly I felt the need to share this here, but I think I just wanted to share something that has genuinely helped me with other people.
@@AuroraBorealis-dh6nr Not really. If you don't have ADHD, stimulant medications make you high. You could call this a "magic pill", but it's different from someone with ADHD. For me, when I take my stimulant ADHD meds, I actually don't feel high at all. When I first started taking medication I actually couldn't notice I was on it unless I was doing something I had a lot of trouble with, like doing math in school. Even then, I only noticed that I was doing it faster, rather than really feeling different while working. Even now, when I forget my meds I don't feel different. I only notice because I notice that I am spacing out more often. ADHD meds aren't supposed to make people with ADHD high, and that's why it's a "magic pill" for people like me. It makes it easier to focus without causing your brain to act abnormally.
The sad thing is that there are actual benefits to taking nootropics, but they get overlooked because of these predatory "become a super human" companies. Things like Brahmi, Rodiola, Lion's Mane, Reishi, ect. have a natural calming effect on the body and help your mind function as it normally should, not super human, unlocking hidden potential good, just normal and that is a wonderful thing alone.
Ive learned (admittedly the hard way at times) that if they use the phrase "my affiliate link" or "use my code" then anything they say about it should be utterly disregarded, no matter their "expertise." That applies to anything.
I recently encountered a video (uncharacteristic of the rest of the channel it was on) with a bunch of affiliate links in the description where every single product was something he made fun of and said never to buy, followed by something like "but I'll go ahead and drop an affiliate link in the description." Pretty funny bit
Listen. Most of what people perceive as “smart” is just: creativity, attentiveness in conversations, attention to detail, and knowledge of trivia. You can absolutely improve those things with application
It would be kinda funny if you did sell "big brain boy" but instead of a bottle of pills, it's a bottle of reminders like "take your prescribed meds", "take a break from social media and take a walk", "read a new book", "read a scientific research paper", etc, that actually do help with improving yourself and your mind.
ohhh I wish he had one of those " read a scientific research paper " reminders, that would make it so this video wouldn't exist, or would have made it to be informative instead of a carousel of logical fallacies
@@AgentHomer *_"Start by what is called the straw man fallacy and you'll be "enlightened "._* It's been quite a while, I don't remember all the details offhand and certainly not planning to re-watch a 15 min video just to respond a kid with an attitude problem. It is concerning how you attempt to be dismissively sarcastic about something you have ZERO knowledge about, your tone is nothing short of ludicrous and I hope for your sake that you don't do that in public. As for your question, you should google "common logical fallacies" and re-watch the video after having absorbed the information. Connect the dots and the experience shall be "enlightening" for someone like you ( should be if it not by your inflated ego anyways... ). Start by what is called the straw man fallacy and you'll be "enlightened ". Hope that helps you " see the light" ;) Bye.
No if you've been on both US pharmaceuticals and nootropics you'd be very angry about what you're being prescribed it's unnecessarily giving you brain and neurological damage and addiction problems instead of of health and cognitive benefits and doesn't work any better for your symptoms
In the movie limitless the drug dealer definitely lied about the drug being FDA approved and tested. That was literally a piece of the plot. The drug had dangerous withdrawal symptoms and Bradley Coopers character had to figure out how to secure his supply.
These always bothered me. But what bothers me more is that dumb 10% of your brain myth that somehow spawned multiple Hollywood movies. I’m glad you tackled both today!
Well, Adam, this is the first time I actually disagree with you. I suffer from ADHD (tested as a kid, and I was too bored to continue with the test. They couldn't force me. My mom told me the doc thought I had it.) I don't have a prescription for ADHD. When I take a Nootropic (from reputable brands), I absolutely feel a positive effect. These also have no caffeine. (I take that separately or drink coffee.) Mind Lab Pro works wonders for me. There are also clinical studies that suggest Lions Mane mushrooms can support stronger brain function and can even slow the progression of dementia/alzheimers.
There's one way in which the 10-20% brain thing is kind of true, and it's that, at any instant in time, a lot less than 100% of your neurons are firing. Of course, the only state in which they all are firing is seizures, because "not firing" is actually an important state your neurons can be in, in the same way that computers wouldn't work if every bit in them was set to 1 instead of 0, and I'm sure some people going way too hard with random mixes of possibly pharmaceutically active nootropics wind up experiencing that state from time to time
Basically you'd be writhing on the floor in a puddle of every excretory substance you could produce, as every one of your neurons and bodily functions simultaneously overloads, and you shit, piss, come, vomit and bleed from every orifice (and possibly a few other places) at the same time.
Only about 2% of neuron are firing in the human neocortex (the big wrinkly part on the outside) for anyone curious. Putting aside the fact the the circuitry depends on that fact, the brain would also be producing about 1kW of heat if they were all firing at all times. Your brain would literally burn up.
Honestly, limitless would have been such an amazing movie if it had all just been a drug induced delusion from the main character's perspective and at the end we reveal that he's just been doing some Uncut Gems shit the whole time, but with an unreliable narrator.
The thing that drives me *really* nuts is that the idea is supposed to be that we use "20% of our brain's *potential*", not literally 20% of our brain. Both claims are completely false, but at least one makes *some kind of sense*.
Piracetam is described in the European pharmacopoeia. It is used widely in Bulgaria to treat patients after strokes. It is a prescription only drug and it is not used to make you smarter but for recovery and prevention after seizure. Like every approved drug the mechanisms of action is described in the Summary of product characteristics in the Pharmacodynamics part of the SPC. Another thing - in Bulgaria it is partially reimbursed by the National health insurance fund that means it is a legit drug that works. Some drugs have gingko biloba extract like Tebokan. So some plants can have nootropic effects too and are not to be underestimated. Vinpocetine is a sintetic vinca alkaloid drug also used for treatment of patients after seizure. P.S. I like your chanel but as a pharmacist i couldn't stay silent after i watched your video.
100% True, as a nootropic user I feel the Piracetams are the weakest and barely do much, sadly for me I can't use piracetam since it increases my visual snow to an unbareable amount.
I fully agree, Piracetam and some other nootropics make my verbal fluency and executive function much better. The most important stuff is always sleep, diet and stress reduction but nootropics can seriously help some people. I have OCD and ADHD and some nootropic mixes really helped me.
Psilocybin microdosing absolutely does work, but there is no mystery there. It's known to lower stress levels and anxiety, which generally helps you think more clearly. There are also studies concluding that it increases neural connectivity. It's the real deal, but unfortunately it's still illegal in the US. Buying spores and sterile grow bags isn't though....
@@Tyler9001-h3k Fair. But there is compelling scientific evidence to suggest it does work, as opposed to the claims made by people pushing nootropic supplements.
@@hueyandmo Buy spores, buy sterile grow bag, inject the spores into the grow bag. There is a lot more nuance than that of course, but that's the gist of the process. Do your research before buying anything though. Also look up Uncle Ben's Tek.
Interesting video, but I think that framing the consumers of nootropics as just being victims of their own decision making is a bit reductive and mean spirited. The holistic steps needed to fight depression, anxiety, general dissatisfaction with your life, are difficult and require a wider support network; these things aren't available to a lot of people, but nootropics are. The realisation by some consumers that nootropics are junk isn't going to change anything, people will just move onto the next scam. It's more productive to talk about this issue from a systemic perspective rather than an individual one. Why are people obsessed with productivity? Why do they view "being smart" as the be all? Why are so many people depressed?
So much this. As someone currently getting into childhood trauma therapy as a career, the sheer number of people I see who are deep into this stuff almost all are just desperate for healing or answers. That goes for anyone struggling beyond trauma but _wow_ is it common for that.
you are not really wrong here, but this demand is unreasonable. The explanation of this stuff is basically leftist thought in its entirety - you can't pack it in a single video. Besides, from the video headlines I skimmed on the channel (first ever vid I've seen of Adam lol) - he seems to already do that. And another thing - even in a world where all of these problems are solved, and every human being is provided with a good living, if that kinda pill existed, I'm fucking taking it man, hell yeah. The pill that makes me smarter and therefore enriches my experience of life itself? Our intellect is the thing that makes human life more important than that of a, say, cow - sure, we both feel pain and such and such, but our obviously superior intelligence gives us much bigger emotional range as well. Not that animal's lives are unimportant, ofc, but you get the point. No one has a problem with eating good food or drinking clear water or eating some vitamin pills or whatever - why exactly the nootropics, *conceptually*, should be something off-limits? So it's not necessarily a bad framing here, because nootropics, if they existed, would be appealing in literally any system
I would say about 80% of them are a scam, but I have used supplements and nootropics to mainly cure my depression, better my ADHD, and hopefully increasing my lifespan. Will definenlty take consistent usage of the right things to increase lifespan my any significant amount, and some things probably will reduce it since we do not know all long term effects of everything. I will 100% keep looking and using them for the rest of my life.
Have ADHD and multiple disorders that each individually result in mind fog and fatigue. Every ADHD med they've put me on has felt like a bad joke. Most stimulants feel like extremely unpleasant muscle relaxers - hell, Concerta was so bad, I couldn't hold muscle tension at all for more than a few seconds. Like, melted out on the couch, I couldn't watch TV, because I couldn't keep my eyes focused or even aimed at the damn thing. I could walk, but if I stopped, I'd slump over onto the ground because I could not hold tension in my legs. That shit SUCKS. All the non-stimulant ADHD meds I tried either did nothing or exclusively exacerbated anxiety. It took me years to secure a modafinil prescription and to date, it's the only stimulant I can take that helps at all with focus and reducing fatigue. For reference, as per my last round of neuropsych testing, I was down in the 0.02 percentile for ability to maintain focus. It should not have taken years to secure that prescription. I don't know where I'm going with this. Just annoyed modafinil gets lumped in with the nootropic nonsense. Feel like that just creates an additional barrier to access for a medication that I've found genuinely helpful.
I'm a bit annoyed too. I have ADHD and had to go off stimulants due to side effects, even though they were helping my symptoms. I don't think I'd heard of Modafinil before, but when Adam mentioned briefly what it's actually for (falling asleep at work) I looked it up, because that's currently my only concern being unmedicated. There's some research to suggest that ADHD is partially a sleep disorder, and I believe it. I may ask my doctor about Modafinil. Thanks for sharing that it worked for you! Hopefully it won't take me as long.
@@banquetoftheleviathan1404 I agree in part, but oftentimes struggle to do even the stuff I genuinely want to get done. Sitting unproductive for hours when all you want to do is draw is awful. Not being able to start anything because you have an obligation in five hours isn't great, either. Sometimes the plate isn't spinning at anyone else's behest, I mean. I think part of that's due to the anxiety from excess adrenaline, though. Was prescribed beta blockers to help with POTS and that really cut down on the obsessive preoccupation with perfection. Not sure I count as "lazy" so much as "erratic," though. I leave to go shopping and wind up in another town, because I got to the store and wanted something they weren't going to have. I went for a walk this summer and wound up walking 26.5 miles, because it struck me that I could *probably* walk a marathon and I might as well test it. When I was younger, I moved cross-country on less than a month's notice following an internet search for what state had a low cost of living. I just... need some help keeping my thoughts together, I guess. They are ever wont to wander.
@@dresdenvisage ask about Armodafinil instead. ADHD here, VERY happily medicated with (ar)Modafinil. The difference is weird chemistry stuff (chirality) and corrupt patent stuff (slight tweak, 20 more years!), but Armodafinil just has slightly milder side effects. The actual effective element of it for ADHD, I believe, is the DAT modulation effect. It’s still pretty murky, because the patents are expired and there’s no money in it. You might consider asking about Viloxazine, which is a new non-stimulant ADHD medication that also works by DAT modulation, but it’s also brand-name-only (qelbree), and currently only labeled for treating children.
NALT was the most effective antidepressant I ever tried - got to the point where I could tell if I missed a dose in the morning. Was like low-key adderall without the hyperfocus and irritability. L-theanine is also a genuinely effective nootropic, with well-documented synergy with caffeine. Bromantane does *something*, just not the kind of something I like....
Those are both correct. You can "feel" smarter even by taking a sugar pill - and many of these are sugar pills. Are you actually smarter? No. But you might feel like you are. And in some cases, simply thinking you are can make a real difference in your life. Having the confidence to tackle something instead of being anxious about it makes a big difference. Sometimes we can be our own worst enemies. But just because your false confidence helps you doesn't change the fact that it's false: the supplement is completely inert.
So take a sugar pill for cents on the dollar than spending $50 dollars on Brain Blast supplements. It’s not hypocritical of him, you’re just finding reasons to call it that. You’re reaching.
I'm in a poor conservative county of South Carolina. My doctor refuses to prescribe me ADHD stimulant medication but does prescribe Modafinil / Provagil. I used to take adderal two or three times per week and I was beautifully productive. It was incredible for my mental health and reduced my rumination, I was finally able to make progress on my inner mess of CPTSD, but now I'm a mess again. I used to take a drug test for every single refill so there was no abuse on record but my doctor still refuses to prescribe it.
I never had medical pros treat my distress but it's better than experimenting on me. I've encountered way too many gals chopped up by doctors "practicing" medicine. This is why I gotta wonder about Big Pharm profits.
It might be a blessing in disguise. Amphetamines will help in the short term but over time you develop a tolerance and you keep upping the dose until you get side effects. If you do, develop healthy habits for the first few months and then taper off. Amphetamines aren’t good for you long term, idc what anybody says. The studies are curated by big pharmaceutical companies.
ADHD guy here... Adderall kinda of works but it's a horrible drug and the way you explained using it sounds like you really used it recreationally because it made you more productive that's not how it works for people who really need it...for you it's like a pill form of cocaine 🤣🤣🤣🤣 if you need it 2 or 3 times a week just find you a good dealer 😜🤣🤣🤣.
20 years ago my sister switched from supplement chemist to radiology tech because of the deregulation. She wanted nothing to do with the now unregulated supplement industry.
If anybody wants to be scientific about nootropics, one needs to learn biochemistry, pharmacology and physiology first. If a particular substance does something in the body, and you want to enhance its function, you need to find the chemical precursor that the body uses to make it, and take that precursor. An "activator" chemical may also be necessary. For example, if you want more dopamine, you should take the amino acid L-phenylalanine. This will not make your brain release more dopamine by itself, but it will boost your brain reserves of dopamine. This is where an activator comes in, like caffeine. Taking L-phenylalanine with caffeine together is a potent experience. I would not take it for productivity, but it is pretty good for having fun. L-phenylalanine can be dangerous for people with "Maple Syrup Disease", and I would personally avoid taking L-phenylalanine in combination with drugs (legal or otherwise) that cause dopamine to be released in large quantities, or prevent dopamine re-uptake. This is why I say that one needs to learn biochemistry, basic pharmacology and human physiology first, before diving into nootropics, because it can be dangerous. It also helps to learn how to read scientific papers to see what different dosages can do.
We're so much smarter now, aren't we folks? A lot of people are saying this. All the best most qualified people. In the whole world. I took a test, it says that I use more of my brain than anyone they've ever seen. They said it's incredible. They said it's thanks to my nootropics, order now! /s
Yeah, "smart drinks" were a thing. Just spent $12 on a bunch of fruit juice and powdered supplements and don't feel any different? See, you're smarter already 😂
Not all are snake oil, but most are. For example it's well documented in the literature that taking the amino acid L-Theanine reduces anxiety, and even notes the mechanisms. This is in the Nootropic category, but is also a simple amino acid. Sadly people need to wade through the snake oil swamp to find those compounds that deliver results. Skepticism is absolutely required.
There's actually loads of herbals out there that have at least some well-researched beneficial effects, most of which also have long folk medicine traditions attached to them. They don't tend to be super *strong* effects compared to pharmaceuticals, and they don't tend to be super expensive, either. A lot of what these scam artists are doing is selling you a pill that may or may not have some miniscule amount of some herbs you could easily grow in your own garden or buy cheap in bulk and they charge outrageous prices while making outrageous claims.
One quick note from the Shark Tank clip: When Mark says "generallly regarded is not the same as safe"... in this case, yes it is. Generally Recognized As Safe is a legitimate FDA classification. It means that an additive has been agreed on by experts to be safe for human consumption in the amlount and application type used. It doesn't mean they'll necessarily be effective, just that it's not going to make you sick.
Idk, I feel like this one missed the mark by a tiny bit. There are nootropic * formulas * peddled by morons, but there's a few dozen genuinely life-improving and safe "nootropics" with hundreds of real, actual clinical studies. There's no question: I straight up wouldn't have been able to graduate without some of them. Edit: I DO NOT like the nootropics community. I studied pharmacology and they don't know how to actually measure efficacy over on reddit. They're sloppy and reckless.
Adam has a long history of being extremely reductive for the sake of brevity and glossing over a lot of facts (especially historical ones) that contradict his stances
I think he made his point very clear. It's not that there aren't useful medications - he mentions several times that there are prescription medicines that can be life-changing for those who actually need it. What he's railing against is influencers selling unregulated supplements and people taking random drugs to try and make themselves smart. Neither of those is a good thing!
@@reverse_engineered and repeatedly makes false statements about compounds he clearly knows little about and definitely didn’t dive any deeper than what validated his (totally legitimate) rage against the influencers
I tried every ADHD med under the sun and nothing worked 🥲 At this point I'm just convinced that it's not ADHD and my brain is broken in a more fundamental way
This is the second video in my feed today on problems with American supplements. I just finished a zinger of one on Zaza Red and the opioid epidemic. It was horrifying. How the hell are companies able to sell an addictive drug that works on opioid receptors as a supplement? It’s evil!
In the US, prescription medication has to be reviewed, tested, and approved by the government before it can be legally sold. Supplements aren't included in this regulation though, so there's a lot of snake oil in that market.
Kratom is highly addictive and it’s everywhere. It’s safer than Tianeptine (zaza red) by far but many people tout it as harmless and lead people like me into a dark abyss of addiction and desperation. I wish it was regulated, then there would have been warnings about the addictive nature of it and the hellish withdrawals.
Getting older I’ve just realized that what no one wants to believe is true, is true. Everything got better when I ate enough, slept enough, drank enough water, and exercised. Like you really do feel much better when you take care of yourself.
@@zyzyx4157 anything more than a gram a day for longer than a week is no bueno. It's invaluable to have no tolerance to it for just those right moments. It's taken me 4 years to work through a 100g and that's sharing
If you are neurodivergent, then there are pharmaceuticals that imorove brain function, but they bring to to a "normal" level. They can't raise it higher than that. And that goes for neurotypical people. You don't have a deficiency on your brain chemistry, so making up for a non-existent deficiency isn't going to do anything.
I have adhd and I’ve found that vyvanse/amphetamines bring me to an elevated state even on the lowest doses. Eventually it evens out of course but I don’t believe our brains are “broken” to begin with, society just pushes a narrative that we need stimulants to function which is just not true. We develop a tolerance and side effects just like neurotypicals do. It’s funny to me that people with adhd take stimulants and think that “this is how normal people feel?!?” Like no, it’s not, they didn’t feel like us to begin with. adding a stimulant still floods your brain with dopamine just like it would with a neurotypical, it helps us stay motivated but the flood of dopamine is unnatural.
Love to see you still going hard. It’s been a while since I’ve even seen you since Adam Ruins Everything ended. Seeing you get angry at the stupid shit affecting me today still pisses you off too. Kudos to you, Adam. You make me want to be a better person. (Better as in smarter and not a complete dumbass on nootropics LMAO)
For those looking for chemical advantage, a ban is an endorsement. Modafinil in particular can have you at 100% for three days. Just find a soft place for the multi day crash.
9:34 You read the study wrong. The individual pills contained 85-118% of the listed amount, as they said. The 830mg to 11,300mg is in reference to the dosing instructions, which asked for multiple pills or multiple times per day to reach that amount (Likely 10 combined over the course of a day). Overall point still stands obviously, but these details matter and I expect more from you Adam.
I struggle with daytime sleepiness, not necessarily narcolepsy, but I take flmodafinil (legally available online) and it keeps me awake and motived. It feels like vyvanse lite with less euphoria and more of an “awake” feeling.
I was one of those guys in the mid aughties who watched limitless, searched for a real life version and then ordered Modafinil from Canada online. It's not the limitless pill, nor is it Adderall, but it does have an effect. I never felt tired, even after working 20 hours a day. I never felt brain fog, which as a chronic coffee drinker, I experience every morning until I have my coffee. And it never kept me from sleep. Id be asleep within 5 minutes of lying down. Most importantly, I never felt any kind of high at all. I had a narcoleptic friend and tried one of theirs from an American pharma, same exact shit, so I know mine was legit. Take that info as you may. I don't advise anything thats just a moneysink.
You just described the very problem with taking modafinil when you don't need it. The drug specifically makes you not feel sleepy. You can stay up for as long as you like if you keep taking it. But then you have to come down, and when you do, you're out like a light. Your body still needs the sleep regardless - you are just preventing it from getting it.
I actually like SOME nootropics. I am NOT saying it will turn you into the Limitless guy, but some of them like Lions Mane and couple of other compounds have shown to have positive mood effects in actual, real trials.
I like the irony that nicotine has shown to have a stabilizing effect for people with adhd and they currently are doing studies on it. They are having trouble detangling the chemical from the addictive qualities is the current issues, but it supports the fact that people successfully self medicate with it. Just the health disadvantages
I had always assumed the whole "FDA approved thing" was just a lie. Also, Limitless is absolutely a metaphor for ADHD and Adderall dialed up to 1000...
You don't need to assume anything, there's a line just a couple of minutes later with movie where Bradley Cooper asks him about that and the drug dealer says "you didn't really believe that did you?"
Going on adderall was like getting my vision back after being blind for most of my life. I miss how for the first time in my life I felt like a productive normal human being
Man, I can't go more than a day without my precious dihydrogen monoxide! It's almost as if it's essential to life itself! What a perfect market to corner! Careful, though... Pretty sure Nestle wants to sue everyone for ownership.
Thank you for this. It was really good, especially the ending. I put it in my Wellness playlist on my UA-cam channel so when I talk about Wellness with people, when they're in that playlist they'll see your video. You can find your video under the physical health category which is category number three, in the playlist called "prescription / recreational / (non) medical drugs".
Anecdotally speaking, I had a positive experience with a nootropic that I won't mention by name because they don't pay me to advertise. Also, it was an herbal supplement, so... **shoulders shrug* ...ehh
Adam, nicotine is the most effective medicine for ADHD (for those who stimulates effect their ADHD) but its both extremely addictive (never understood that) and causes cancer
Can you provide studies proving that nicotine itself can be associated with cancer? Smoking, hell yes. Nicotine? .. maybe proven heart hazard.. but cancer?
@@dark_fire_ice temporary in the case of gum means during six months or more and even there the risk associated are limited a lesser sleep quality and cardiovascular issue for people with preexisting conditions, not much compared to modafinil’s side effects
So some nootropics do work. However, they are less effective than just exercising regularly. The greatest improvement is usually to working memory which overall does not make you smarter nor better at puzzles. It can help you be slightly more productive but again you could exercise regularly and find better effects. Also one small thing is that almost everything correlates to working memory. So in truth, the nootropic might just be acting as a placebo.
The few of them that do work are typically (1) analogues to better established prescription drugs, or (2) drug candidates that were abandoned in research by pharmaceutical companies because of side effects. Also, as Adam discusses, they're totally unregulated, so it's still very hard to know what you're actually getting when you buy.
There has been very limited research in some "nootropics", there needs to be more, and the market definitely needs to be monitored. a lot of things I've seen being sold are not beneficial to people at all. It does not help when you're trying to find lion's mane extract and everybody is selling mycelium which is essentially like selling the root to an orange to help with vitamin c.
the moment you said "dihydrogen monoxide" i just about died laughing. I remember when people talked about it in the pipes, all the dangers it could potentially pose, etc.... and because nobody ever thought about its chemical name, people campaigned to ban it. all over a *joke*.
"Theres nothing that you can take that will make you a supercomputer, and thats a good thing" Not for people with cognitive deficits and brain problems though lol. Especially memory problems lol. Im not asking to be a supercomputer. I just want to live the life i once had. Study what i want and for people to not notice my speech problems lol. It sucks.
It makes me feel good when Adam starts a video off with, "So many UA-camrs and podcasters are trying to sell X," and I have no idea what X is and have never heard of it. It tells me I am running with the right crowd!
Flashback to when I was buying ephedrine online from a shady website because I was an insecure teenager who felt disgusting and fat for being over 130 pounds, lol. No way that was healthy or safe or even a consistent dose
Get an additional 15% off any annual membership at masterclass.com/factually
great vid hope to see more of them
Link for the promising nootropic you promoted? Sounds nteresting😂
Missed your chance to make a bigbrainboy website that redirects to you master class.
I love that big Brain boy is just water.
Adam, you ruin everything!
I think there's a term for using 100% of your brain at the same time, it's called a seizure.
I dare say a cannibal could use 100% of your brain.
You are right. When you have a seizure it does cause over activation in multiple parts of the brain. I don't know if it completely activated every part of the brain, but it is definitely way more than you need. People should really view a brain like a computer. You do not use 100 percent of your computer at any given time and if you use too much of your computer at one time it can cause it to crash similar to how a seizure works in the brain.
An epileptic here. You may be using 100% of your brain, but you won't be aware of it.
Yeah. People dont realize it's like saying that when you curl a weight with your forearms , you are using 5% of your muscles, and if you use 100% of your muscles, then you will be able to lift incredible amounts. But if you use 100% of your muscles, you would just be doing crazy motions, since using 100% of your muscles would mean while you curl, you also do squats to activate quads, while at the same time you curve your spine to activate those muscles, while at the same time you do sit ups to activate abs. etc. etc. and it becomes a nonsensical, contradictory mess of actions. Same for brain.
Also that whole "10%" of your brain thing comes from a study that found that only about 10% of the brain causes a visible reaction(muscle movement, etc) when stimulated with an electrode(poked with a stick).
The other 90% is used for stuff like thinking, regulating heartbeat, processing memory, remembering that embarrassing thing you did when you were 5, blinking, regulating hormones, breathing, making lists, and more.
this is personal...
its hard having adhd while not responding to conventional meds
Your parents can be really abusive in this too...
I'm bipolar and unmedicated because nothing worked, and not for lack of trying. Okay, there was one exception... a drug whose name I've forgotten now, but it literally made me feel better in a situation where I should *not* have felt better (under severe abuse). Thankfully, I only had about a two-week trial of it from a free clinic... heard later it got recalled, wondered why but couldn't find info. Heard much later it was because it killed people.
@@tirsden Damn, I'm so sorry...
But yeah, as a bipolar person, you should be medicated and so should I...
I responded... strongly. Severe nausea (really more like over active gag reflex. I was never sympathetic gagger before, and worked changing adult diapers just fine. On the meds jt all made me gag) and resting heart rate of 100.
Cognitively though just minimal improvement. Couldn't go beyond like second dosage. (Due to heart rate) So couldn't get full results
Yup, I was diagnosed 55 years ago, still no relief other than creating habits and realization of the situation.
Saying "we only use 10% of our brains" is similar to saying "we only use 1/3 of a traffic light". Different cognitive tasks require different parts of the brain to be active. Having all of it active at all times wouldn't make you smarter, it'd make you a paranoid schizophrenic because you'd constantly be feeling every emotion to its max strength simultaneously.
It should be a trivial thing to recognize that you can overclock or improve brain functions in any number of ways.
This one ranks up there are with, "Are you a cop? You have to tell me if you're a cop."
@@jackdavinci Yeah, like with caffeine. But not through magical mystical pills that just make you better, that's nonsense.
Isn't using 100% of your brain at once a seizure?
A whole lot of your brain is also tasked with, y'know, making your body work.
This video REALLY could have benefited from an ADHD (maybe autism) section. That's what most of those people are probably going through. I wasn't taking just ANYTHING but I was definitely on the hunt for something that made me function. Turns out that issue was AuDHD. Healthcare is bad enough with the usual stuff. Navigating it with two of the most stigmatized conditions ever is a hell im still suffering from.
Yeah like some of the points are fair...except ADHD basically has a opposite reaction to neurotypicals on some of the substances.
Seconded. My body responds strangely to a lot of things and the official medical approach is to just try a bunch of different drugs until you find something that works.
Yeeeeah... Adam accusing all new Modafinil prescriptions as "not actually needing it" feels close to ableism. Like probably true to an extent, but word of mouth can lead to more people getting their legitimate conditions treated. I didn't get my ADHD properly medicated until I heard just how much stimulant treatment has helped others.
💯. I am always trying to figure out how to make my brain be more consistent rather than waking up each day without any idea how well my brain, memory, processing speed, and executive function is going to do.
Being ADHD + Autism Spectrum but “functional” is like the worst of both worlds. If I were not very functional, my struggles wouldn’t be invisible to others and I wouldn’t have unreasonable expectations put on me by society.
I have prescription meds, but always trying out different supplements and so forth to find ways of helping out my brain.
@@Toothilydefinitely. Also since Modafinil is actually sometimes prescribed for ADHD. Which there has of course been a rise in awareness of the last few years.
Jesus, Adam. You can't just peddle dihydrogen oxide like that. Don't you know how an overdose of that stuff can kill you!?
Not to mention that most of Earth's natural supply of dihydrogen oxide contains dangerous levels of sodium....
hyponatremia can happen in as little as 1.4 gallons.
@@orionx79 let alone the sever tissue damage risks of dihydrogen monoxide in its solid or gaseous forms, its one of the most dangerous chemicals and almost completely unregulated
Or its close relative diprotium-monoxide.
My Dad was so convinced of dihydrogen oxide's ability to help his body odor. He used to, I'm sorry, bathe in it!
Did you know that humans only use 10% of their fingers at a time when pointing at things? Imagine how much better we could point if we used all our fingers for it!
I point with my middle finger. Uses about 12% of my total finger length per body, and conveys accordingly.
"Unlimited Power!" - the guy pointing with all five fingers on one hand
@@vitoc8454 no that was all 10 fingers 5 per hand
Point upwards with all five fingers on one hand, in the air, at a 45° angle.
You’ve got a point
The true secret brain enhancer: Enough sleep.
NAPS(R), coming to an afternoon near you.
I could not emphasize this enough. Nothing is better for your brain than getting enough sleep, and almost nothing is worse than _not_ getting enough sleep.
I feel personally attacked
Sleep + exercise + diet + creating a dopamine and reward system that surrounds learning useful things - toxic habits = brain and body growth
The one thing I never get:
To be fair, there would have been zero searches for "real limitless pill" before the movie was released, so statistically any amount of searches would be considered "skyrocketing."
Don't get smart with me or I will take away your limitless pills
@@bestaround3323I don't take limitless pills, I take limitless powders 😎 *80s synthpop music starts*
I've been living with ADHD my whole life that my parents refused to ever get medicated no matter how much I struggled. Then my wife convinced me to go to the doc and get a prescription for adderal. NGL it almost made me feel like Limitless.
I feel like Limitless was always written to be about Amphetamines but no side effects.
Literally me w my Ritalin!!! Like OH YOU MEAN IM ALLOWED TO FEEL LIKE A PERSON???? I’m allowed to function in everyday life and and not feel like I’m swimming upstream
Once I got on Adderall, I felt so cheated. Like, everyone else lives like this all the time? Other people don't see cleaning as an insurmountable task? Everyone else is living on easy mode!!!
@sophiedowney1077 This is how I felt! Like it's so nice to be able to do things without the executive dysfunction.
Same here, though I've been taking adderall for about 7 years now. I do recommend taking a few breaks when you can afford to spend a day or two resting so you don't get desensitized. Also, I strongly recommend sticking to a good exercise regiment to keep up momentum, because once you lose that, adderall or not, you won't feel like doing anything.
MODAFINIL MENTIONED WOOO 🎉🎉🎉 as a person with recently diagnosed with narcolepsy and now takes modafinil, I can definitely see how modafinil would be seen as a "limitless pill". It changed my life, giving me almost double the amount of active and alert time in a day than I had before while needing only half as much caffeine. I just can't imagine what modafinil would do to a person without a sleep disorder.
I'm so glad it is working for you! I was diagnosed in 2018 and tried all the treatments. The one that worked the best for me is the scariest one, Xyrem. Unfortunately, my new insurance refuses to cover it, so I'm now on a combo of Sunosi for the stimulant and Doxepin for the ideosympatic hypersomnia that makes sleeping at night so hard.
I've found modafinil to be a kind of controlled focus. I could pop one and easily take a nap an hour later, but once I start something, I'm all in. One day I decided to sort through my gigantic random screws and nails jar. I definitely didn't feel "super powered" when I started, but I 100% finished the job. Like, meticulously organized.
Adderall, on the other hand, I would describe as a more uncontrolled focus. It's like I'm just running around looking for stuff to do because I can't stop. And sleeping? Eating? Forget about it.
Modafinil = Start Me Up by The Rolling Stones
Adderall = Maniac from Flashdance
@@sleepystrugglz4586 Xyrem is one of the ones that was going to be next for me to try if modafinil didn't work. I really feel like it should be illegal for insurance to deny treatment a doctor recommends
According to an extremely cursory Google search, not a lot, which makes sense. I get the same effects from my CPAP machine but that doesn't mean it will make someone who doesn't have sleep apnoea never need to take a nap again. (It *would* probably help with normal snoring but the air does come out the front of the face mask in my experience so if you're that bothered by your SO snoring you're not going to have a lot more fun with air blowing in your face)
I was on it for a while to try and treat post COVID symptoms and it was worse than the original issue. The original issue was that I'd have these spells where I would become so tired and weak that I would sleep for 12+ hours and couldn't physically stay awake or lift myself off of the bed. They thought maybe narcolepsy, despite the long spells being uncharacteristic, so we tried modafinil. Now when I would have one of these terrible lethargic episodes, I would lie in bed for hours unable to lift myself off the bed and delirious, but I couldn't sleep it off. It was awful!
I'm not saying modafinil is bad - it's super important for people with narcolepsy. I'm just saying that using a medication to force you to stay awake can be worse than just sleeping if that's what you really need to do.
If only we trusted the government, had universal health care, believed doctors can do research, didn’t have the supplements loophole, and weren’t so desperate to earn a comfortable living for a capitalist system that values efficiency over the health of employees, perhaps we wouldn’t be driven to try this stuff.
yes, it would be nice if those institutions would respect the gravity of their roles & give people a reason to respect them
💯🎯
*if only the goverment was trusthwordy
Whew!! This is it! What makes me angry is that, if the 1% were taxed fairly. We can have universe healthcare, free higher education, and solve the food crisis. 😢 I hate it here sometimes
Depends on the government.
I´m suffering from severe adhd and as many of my fellow patients, I tried pretty much every method under the sun as a remedy before getting properly medicated, including "nootropics." As far as my experience goes, those are on one level with homeopathy or microdosing. They literally do nothing but costing you an arm and a leg.
I'd compare it to essential oils rather than homeopathy, because for example Adderall actually works if you have the condition it treats and lavender essential oil will actually make burn blisters go down in minutes, but not one homeopathic remedy works better than placebo by the very nature of homeopathy. But also like nootropics most aromatherapy claims are false (I say most because topical application of volatiles is also called aromatherapy, which is sort of like calling an iodine supplement chromatherapy because iodine is purple sometimes) and most EOs have no practical function.
I thought ancient people obsessing over a fictional "Philosopher's Stone" was stupid and modern people would never do it. But the Limitless Pill really hit that capitalist sweet spot.
@@skollseye7068 dont forget the fountain
Why would looking for something to make your perfectly capable brain operate at an efficiency that would make everyday life trivial allowing you to never experience mental exhaustion ever be popular under a capitalist system?? /s
I say this as someone who takes prescription Adderall and has looked into nootropics before I had insurance and a diagnosis. Work is stressful and imbalanced by design if you work full-time and have children or other significant responsibilities. It can feel like all stress all the time, but back in the day you'd have the enjoyment of at least being able to afford housing, food, entertainment, luxuries etc. Now you work and maybe have a house and food but you're extra stressed because you're cutting it close. It's sad but.. late stage capitalism gonna capitalism.
@@Kev1nL Oh I want it too for sure. It's just funny to think people used to want to magically create gold or panacea. Meanwhile we want to... Be more productive.
@skollseye7068 I'd like to hope for it, but even then it would only be affordable for millionaires I'm sure. And you'd need a prescription subscription I'm sure lol
@Kev1nL our brains are way too complex for a single pill or supplement to make it work optimally.
People hate hearing this but the only thing that will get you that result is a combination of good diet, frequent physical and mental exercise,a low stress lifestyle, good social connections, and good mental health/spirituality resources, plus good genetics.
I have to echo what a lot of others have said in these comments: Without having addressed the need for medication, the current health care crisis, and a historical problem with diagnosis and treatment of conditions like ADHD and autism, this video can come across as being anti-medicine, or even anti-science. The conclusion sounded like it came from a writer, but taken literally it discourages people from looking for help when it does exist.
How is it anti-medicine when supplements are not medicine?
It is worth noting that a lot of people do self medicate their adhd with cigarettes.... It's not healthy, but it happens
WTF that like aiming a gun at yourself for nothing but with ruin lung, cancer, and other bad stuff
@@USSAnimeNCC-nicotine is clinical proven to help short term memory, focus, and executive function. That's why people with poor Healthcare self medicate with it.
People talk about how kids these days all have ADHD so it must be fake and I'm like... look, my dad died of COPD, is that what you think I should be doing instead?
@@USSAnimeNCC- I think you're missing the point, everyone already knows that smoking is bad for you health, the conversation is about desperation
@@kay.gochii I don't think they're missing the point, I think they believe it's truly not worth it. Desperations has limits.
Mind you I might be bias, I am ADHD but dad died of lung cancer, and this after he'd lost his own father to lung cancer when he was 15. I'll just drink extra coffee. I'm not willing to risk leaving my kids like that.
Intrigued by the title. I haven't watched the video yet but I'll give you my personal experience. I've suffered from major brain fog and generally feeling of stupidity all my life. I started taking various mushroom supplements (mostly lions mane mushrooms), and within 3 years I have been promoted TWICE. My thoughts are structured, I am able to deal with stress more appropriately, and I am a generally happier person. My memory has improved like I couldn't imagine. I work in a hospital and have to remember an entire ward of patients - their names, diagnosis, treatment plans. Before, I could remember 5 at most. Now, I have no issue remembering every improtant detail for every patient. It's definately not a concidence.
My last boss got a prescription for ADHD medication, and then he'd just pound them all weekend long, not sleep, and come in at 9 AM on Monday with a whole new org chart and process for the department.
Every.
Week.
What the fuck
Ew
St. Joseph's Baby Meth ™
Yikes. It's crazy how some of the things people do to "maximize productivity" actually just get in the way and make things worse.
Yeah, he´s not gonna keep that up for long. lol
I just do the nootropics that work- they’re called DRUGS 💊😵💫
At 5:05, the poster is asking about nicotine instead of Adderall because nicotine doesn’t need a prescription. I think this could be a person with a healthcare access issue rather than someone being risky like one of the other examples.
Good call. When people don't have access to the medication they need, they will self medicate with other things. Nicotine is a stimulant, as is caffeine, which is why so many ADHDers use both to excess. If we are lucky, that poster will stop there and not pursue methamphetamine from the streets, as happens all too often.
Can confirm. ADHD is hard for anyone to take you seriously on and they make obtaining what is basically a life saving medicine an insurmountable task due to terrible healthcare and stigma. People with ADHD are more likely to become addicts because of our brain chemistry, trying to compensate for the brain functions that are impaired in us. So the actual answer to the drug problem would be to make them less of a hassle for people to whom basic tasks are already a hassle. But that assumes the war on drugs was ever actually about public welfare.
What makes you think nicotine isn't risky? It is very addictive in any form, in many different ways.
@@britaeirikr8609 True. But it’s relatively tame compared to the other examples in the video.
@@AcappellaTidbitsI’m 42 and was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 8, I’d been on Ritalin, then Adderall, Vyvanse, MyDayIs, and it’s worked great, been on and off it my whole life until it became such a financial and time burden with the scheduling meaning I might not have access at any given point because I couldn’t afford it, lost insurance, or my quarterly doctors appointment to get my new scripts fell through. That inconsistent access and ability to compensate with nicotine when I couldn’t get access to my meds is why I chose to stop taking prescription amphetamines and stick with nicotine (not smoking but vapor products). I tracked my mg of nicotine consumed, when on ADHD drugs I’d use about 6mg per day consistently when off the meds I’d use about 18mg a day and felt the same benefit.
Perhaps I’m atypical for ADHD and addiction but even when changing the strength of the liquid I’m using in vapes, I kept track of the number of mL I used and the strength and it would average 18mg a day regardless of the strength. The same thing applies to THC, then again I use these substances for their effect and the same amount of the active ingredient has the same effect, for THC that’s about 8mg a day on average (not a daily user) and for nicotine that’s about 18mg a day.
I also supplement with 100mg caffeine and 100mg L-Theanine (found in high amounts in most tea), twice a day with no other caffeine sources and no other stimulants.
Then again I do care about my health and monitor things like heart rate and blood pressure. Stimulants do significantly raise both of those but they stay within the normal range, if things start to get out of wack and climbing too high then I’ll need to reconsider the amount of stimulants I use to combat my ADHD.
If you find yourself seeking nootropics it might be worth getting yourself evaluated for ADHD.
For most people this is true, but if you have adhd the right medications really do feel like magic pills sometimes. Just make sure you are taking actual medications prescribed to you by a doctor in the way your doctor recommends. It's also perfectly normal to spend time trying a few different adhd meds to find what works for you, and it's normal for meds to not work for you.
Very fair
If you don't have ADHD the right medication is going to feel like a magic pill too lol, it's just not legal
I don't think that really counts, though, because taking medicine for ADHD is meant to reduce the effects of a disabling affliction, as opposed to taking someone regular and making them even better. It's like taking ibuprofen for a headache-the headache impairs your normal functioning so you take ibuprofen to reduce the negative effect of the headache. Taking ibuprofen when you don't have pain doesn't make you even more powerful.
@@Elriuhilu Of course ADHD meds aren't actually newtropics, but they do feel like magic pills to people with ADHD and I want to encourage people who are struggling with ADHD to see if meds are a good option for them. It's been a while since I've actually watched the video so I don't remember why exactly I felt the need to share this here, but I think I just wanted to share something that has genuinely helped me with other people.
@@AuroraBorealis-dh6nr Not really. If you don't have ADHD, stimulant medications make you high. You could call this a "magic pill", but it's different from someone with ADHD. For me, when I take my stimulant ADHD meds, I actually don't feel high at all. When I first started taking medication I actually couldn't notice I was on it unless I was doing something I had a lot of trouble with, like doing math in school. Even then, I only noticed that I was doing it faster, rather than really feeling different while working. Even now, when I forget my meds I don't feel different. I only notice because I notice that I am spacing out more often. ADHD meds aren't supposed to make people with ADHD high, and that's why it's a "magic pill" for people like me. It makes it easier to focus without causing your brain to act abnormally.
The sad thing is that there are actual benefits to taking nootropics, but they get overlooked because of these predatory "become a super human" companies. Things like Brahmi, Rodiola, Lion's Mane, Reishi, ect. have a natural calming effect on the body and help your mind function as it normally should, not super human, unlocking hidden potential good, just normal and that is a wonderful thing alone.
Ive learned (admittedly the hard way at times) that if they use the phrase "my affiliate link" or "use my code" then anything they say about it should be utterly disregarded, no matter their "expertise." That applies to anything.
Agree, it's important to be critical of any products, do research, and pay attention to skeptics. It's time consuming but worth it.
Also "sponsored by" and "paid for"
I recently encountered a video (uncharacteristic of the rest of the channel it was on) with a bunch of affiliate links in the description where every single product was something he made fun of and said never to buy, followed by something like "but I'll go ahead and drop an affiliate link in the description." Pretty funny bit
Listen. Most of what people perceive as “smart” is just: creativity, attentiveness in conversations, attention to detail, and knowledge of trivia. You can absolutely improve those things with application
My creativity shriveled up and died. I don’t even have imaginative dreams anymore
@@evilsharkey8954If it was there before, why couldn't it return again? Have hope bro
It would be kinda funny if you did sell "big brain boy" but instead of a bottle of pills, it's a bottle of reminders like "take your prescribed meds", "take a break from social media and take a walk", "read a new book", "read a scientific research paper", etc, that actually do help with improving yourself and your mind.
a bottle of reminders is actually not a bad idea 👁👁
ohhh I wish he had one of those " read a scientific research paper " reminders, that would make it so this video wouldn't exist, or would have made it to be informative instead of a carousel of logical fallacies
@@Z.0001-7oh please enlighten us about those logical fallacies
@@AgentHomer *_"Start by what is called the straw man fallacy and you'll be "enlightened "._*
It's been quite a while, I don't remember all the details offhand and certainly not planning to re-watch a 15 min video just to respond a kid with an attitude problem. It is concerning how you attempt to be dismissively sarcastic about something you have ZERO knowledge about, your tone is nothing short of ludicrous and I hope for your sake that you don't do that in public.
As for your question, you should google "common logical fallacies" and re-watch the video after having absorbed the information. Connect the dots and the experience shall be "enlightening" for someone like you ( should be if it not by your inflated ego anyways... ). Start by what is called the straw man fallacy and you'll be "enlightened ".
Hope that helps you " see the light" ;)
Bye.
No if you've been on both US pharmaceuticals and nootropics you'd be very angry about what you're being prescribed it's unnecessarily giving you brain and neurological damage and addiction problems instead of of health and cognitive benefits and doesn't work any better for your symptoms
We are only using 50% of our hard drives because we wastefully write zeros instead of ones.
When Rogan is your proof of concept, you're already in trouble.
I hate AI, but I am a sucker for AI Rogan going on a rant with Alex Jones or whatever. Ridiculous.
Rogan is pretty successful tho
Rogan preys on the gullible
@@KissSlowlyLoveDeeply-pm2je He also told his followers to take horse pills, which led to lots of them dying
@@KissSlowlyLoveDeeply-pm2je Just because you're successful doesn't mean you're smart or should be trusted.
@15:20 - Adam doing an impression of me every time I meet a dog.
8:12 is when I see my friends dog and I pet it even though I'm super allergic
Alt Title: Adam Ruins Nootropics
I will never forgive Patagonia
Your name doesn't make much sense - wouldn't you be a Rowdy Ruff Boy?
@@Obiwancolenobi
"i KNOW! You know, i know, i got it, i got the concept."
-Hades, 1997
not even a little lol
@@vileliveTLDR.
also, THiS is the one blowing up?
In the movie limitless the drug dealer definitely lied about the drug being FDA approved and tested. That was literally a piece of the plot. The drug had dangerous withdrawal symptoms and Bradley Coopers character had to figure out how to secure his supply.
These always bothered me. But what bothers me more is that dumb 10% of your brain myth that somehow spawned multiple Hollywood movies. I’m glad you tackled both today!
Oh I use this to tell my boss why asking for my best isn't healthy.
They could easily just write that it supercharges your brain or something. Why be specific and wrong when you can be vague and unprovable.
It needs to be said, sadly, and every day at this point...
Lucy (2014) one-upped Limitless' BS by saying that the remaining 90% of your brain straight-up gives you psychic powers
@@vitoc8454 Lot's of things have done that. Stargate SG1 did the same thing pretty much.
Well, Adam, this is the first time I actually disagree with you.
I suffer from ADHD (tested as a kid, and I was too bored to continue with the test. They couldn't force me. My mom told me the doc thought I had it.)
I don't have a prescription for ADHD. When I take a Nootropic (from reputable brands), I absolutely feel a positive effect. These also have no caffeine. (I take that separately or drink coffee.)
Mind Lab Pro works wonders for me. There are also clinical studies that suggest Lions Mane mushrooms can support stronger brain function and can even slow the progression of dementia/alzheimers.
There's one way in which the 10-20% brain thing is kind of true, and it's that, at any instant in time, a lot less than 100% of your neurons are firing. Of course, the only state in which they all are firing is seizures, because "not firing" is actually an important state your neurons can be in, in the same way that computers wouldn't work if every bit in them was set to 1 instead of 0, and I'm sure some people going way too hard with random mixes of possibly pharmaceutically active nootropics wind up experiencing that state from time to time
Basically you'd be writhing on the floor in a puddle of every excretory substance you could produce, as every one of your neurons and bodily functions simultaneously overloads, and you shit, piss, come, vomit and bleed from every orifice (and possibly a few other places) at the same time.
wait ... I think it's working ... I'm feeling something....
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Only about 2% of neuron are firing in the human neocortex (the big wrinkly part on the outside) for anyone curious. Putting aside the fact the the circuitry depends on that fact, the brain would also be producing about 1kW of heat if they were all firing at all times. Your brain would literally burn up.
Feels like nowadays Adam can't upload without UA-cam telling me 6 days later
Honestly, limitless would have been such an amazing movie if it had all just been a drug induced delusion from the main character's perspective and at the end we reveal that he's just been doing some Uncut Gems shit the whole time, but with an unreliable narrator.
Remember when cricket got a girlfriend
I might have to look into uncut jams at this point
@@banquetoftheleviathan1404 lol cricket, always fun
that exists i think, it's called maniac
It's an enjoyable movie, it just shouldn't be taken as fact....
The thing that drives me *really* nuts is that the idea is supposed to be that we use "20% of our brain's *potential*", not literally 20% of our brain. Both claims are completely false, but at least one makes *some kind of sense*.
Piracetam is described in the European pharmacopoeia. It is used widely in Bulgaria to treat patients after strokes. It is a prescription only drug and it is not used to make you smarter but for recovery and prevention after seizure. Like every approved drug the mechanisms of action is described in the Summary of product characteristics in the Pharmacodynamics part of the SPC. Another thing - in Bulgaria it is partially reimbursed by the
National health insurance fund that means it is a legit drug that works. Some drugs have gingko biloba extract like Tebokan. So some plants can have nootropic effects too and are not to be underestimated. Vinpocetine is a sintetic vinca alkaloid drug also used for treatment of patients after seizure.
P.S. I like your chanel but as a pharmacist i couldn't stay silent after i watched your video.
100% True, as a nootropic user I feel the Piracetams are the weakest and barely do much, sadly for me I can't use piracetam since it increases my visual snow to an unbareable amount.
You forgot to sign your post Joe Rogan
@@chadnoneo9769 So anyone who says something that doesn't directly contradict Joe Rogan's opinion is a Joe Rogan stan?
I fully agree, Piracetam and some other nootropics make my verbal fluency and executive function much better. The most important stuff is always sleep, diet and stress reduction but nootropics can seriously help some people. I have OCD and ADHD and some nootropic mixes really helped me.
Fully agree! L-theanine from green tea and bacopa are another examples
Psilocybin microdosing absolutely does work, but there is no mystery there. It's known to lower stress levels and anxiety, which generally helps you think more clearly. There are also studies concluding that it increases neural connectivity. It's the real deal, but unfortunately it's still illegal in the US. Buying spores and sterile grow bags isn't though....
Wait. Tell me more about this spore growth idea.
"absolutely" is an overstatement. Research into its efficacy is in it's infancy
@@Tyler9001-h3k Fair. But there is compelling scientific evidence to suggest it does work, as opposed to the claims made by people pushing nootropic supplements.
@@hueyandmo Buy spores, buy sterile grow bag, inject the spores into the grow bag. There is a lot more nuance than that of course, but that's the gist of the process. Do your research before buying anything though. Also look up Uncle Ben's Tek.
Interesting video, but I think that framing the consumers of nootropics as just being victims of their own decision making is a bit reductive and mean spirited. The holistic steps needed to fight depression, anxiety, general dissatisfaction with your life, are difficult and require a wider support network; these things aren't available to a lot of people, but nootropics are.
The realisation by some consumers that nootropics are junk isn't going to change anything, people will just move onto the next scam. It's more productive to talk about this issue from a systemic perspective rather than an individual one. Why are people obsessed with productivity? Why do they view "being smart" as the be all? Why are so many people depressed?
So much this. As someone currently getting into childhood trauma therapy as a career, the sheer number of people I see who are deep into this stuff almost all are just desperate for healing or answers. That goes for anyone struggling beyond trauma but _wow_ is it common for that.
you are not really wrong here, but this demand is unreasonable. The explanation of this stuff is basically leftist thought in its entirety - you can't pack it in a single video. Besides, from the video headlines I skimmed on the channel (first ever vid I've seen of Adam lol) - he seems to already do that. And another thing - even in a world where all of these problems are solved, and every human being is provided with a good living, if that kinda pill existed, I'm fucking taking it man, hell yeah. The pill that makes me smarter and therefore enriches my experience of life itself? Our intellect is the thing that makes human life more important than that of a, say, cow - sure, we both feel pain and such and such, but our obviously superior intelligence gives us much bigger emotional range as well. Not that animal's lives are unimportant, ofc, but you get the point. No one has a problem with eating good food or drinking clear water or eating some vitamin pills or whatever - why exactly the nootropics, *conceptually*, should be something off-limits? So it's not necessarily a bad framing here, because nootropics, if they existed, would be appealing in literally any system
I would say about 80% of them are a scam, but I have used supplements and nootropics to mainly cure my depression, better my ADHD, and hopefully increasing my lifespan. Will definenlty take consistent usage of the right things to increase lifespan my any significant amount, and some things probably will reduce it since we do not know all long term effects of everything. I will 100% keep looking and using them for the rest of my life.
Couldn't agree more
+1
Have ADHD and multiple disorders that each individually result in mind fog and fatigue. Every ADHD med they've put me on has felt like a bad joke. Most stimulants feel like extremely unpleasant muscle relaxers - hell, Concerta was so bad, I couldn't hold muscle tension at all for more than a few seconds. Like, melted out on the couch, I couldn't watch TV, because I couldn't keep my eyes focused or even aimed at the damn thing. I could walk, but if I stopped, I'd slump over onto the ground because I could not hold tension in my legs. That shit SUCKS. All the non-stimulant ADHD meds I tried either did nothing or exclusively exacerbated anxiety. It took me years to secure a modafinil prescription and to date, it's the only stimulant I can take that helps at all with focus and reducing fatigue. For reference, as per my last round of neuropsych testing, I was down in the 0.02 percentile for ability to maintain focus. It should not have taken years to secure that prescription.
I don't know where I'm going with this. Just annoyed modafinil gets lumped in with the nootropic nonsense. Feel like that just creates an additional barrier to access for a medication that I've found genuinely helpful.
I'm a bit annoyed too. I have ADHD and had to go off stimulants due to side effects, even though they were helping my symptoms. I don't think I'd heard of Modafinil before, but when Adam mentioned briefly what it's actually for (falling asleep at work) I looked it up, because that's currently my only concern being unmedicated. There's some research to suggest that ADHD is partially a sleep disorder, and I believe it. I may ask my doctor about Modafinil. Thanks for sharing that it worked for you! Hopefully it won't take me as long.
@@banquetoftheleviathan1404 I agree in part, but oftentimes struggle to do even the stuff I genuinely want to get done. Sitting unproductive for hours when all you want to do is draw is awful. Not being able to start anything because you have an obligation in five hours isn't great, either. Sometimes the plate isn't spinning at anyone else's behest, I mean.
I think part of that's due to the anxiety from excess adrenaline, though. Was prescribed beta blockers to help with POTS and that really cut down on the obsessive preoccupation with perfection.
Not sure I count as "lazy" so much as "erratic," though. I leave to go shopping and wind up in another town, because I got to the store and wanted something they weren't going to have. I went for a walk this summer and wound up walking 26.5 miles, because it struck me that I could *probably* walk a marathon and I might as well test it. When I was younger, I moved cross-country on less than a month's notice following an internet search for what state had a low cost of living. I just... need some help keeping my thoughts together, I guess. They are ever wont to wander.
@@dresdenvisage ask about Armodafinil instead. ADHD here, VERY happily medicated with (ar)Modafinil.
The difference is weird chemistry stuff (chirality) and corrupt patent stuff (slight tweak, 20 more years!), but Armodafinil just has slightly milder side effects.
The actual effective element of it for ADHD, I believe, is the DAT modulation effect. It’s still pretty murky, because the patents are expired and there’s no money in it.
You might consider asking about Viloxazine, which is a new non-stimulant ADHD medication that also works by DAT modulation, but it’s also brand-name-only (qelbree), and currently only labeled for treating children.
@@Wikrin, that is an epic tale of adult ADHD!
NALT was the most effective antidepressant I ever tried - got to the point where I could tell if I missed a dose in the morning. Was like low-key adderall without the hyperfocus and irritability.
L-theanine is also a genuinely effective nootropic, with well-documented synergy with caffeine.
Bromantane does *something*, just not the kind of something I like....
Adam: Nootropics are placebos! Also Adam on truTV: Placebos work, even when you know they're placebos!
nothing to see here just adam being a bad faith hypocrite.
@@GaiatheSage That's his.... *checks notes* entire show! Oh, also with a healthy serving of condescending attitude to really round out the package.
Those are both correct. You can "feel" smarter even by taking a sugar pill - and many of these are sugar pills. Are you actually smarter? No. But you might feel like you are. And in some cases, simply thinking you are can make a real difference in your life. Having the confidence to tackle something instead of being anxious about it makes a big difference. Sometimes we can be our own worst enemies. But just because your false confidence helps you doesn't change the fact that it's false: the supplement is completely inert.
So take a sugar pill for cents on the dollar than spending $50 dollars on Brain Blast supplements. It’s not hypocritical of him, you’re just finding reasons to call it that. You’re reaching.
I find the spice Melange does a great job enhancing my brain. CHOAM's mark up is out of control though. Need to get me a Fremen contact guy...
I'm in a poor conservative county of South Carolina. My doctor refuses to prescribe me ADHD stimulant medication but does prescribe Modafinil / Provagil. I used to take adderal two or three times per week and I was beautifully productive. It was incredible for my mental health and reduced my rumination, I was finally able to make progress on my inner mess of CPTSD, but now I'm a mess again.
I used to take a drug test for every single refill so there was no abuse on record but my doctor still refuses to prescribe it.
I never had medical pros treat my distress but it's better than experimenting on me. I've encountered way too many gals chopped up by doctors "practicing" medicine. This is why I gotta wonder about Big Pharm profits.
It might be a blessing in disguise. Amphetamines will help in the short term but over time you develop a tolerance and you keep upping the dose until you get side effects. If you do, develop healthy habits for the first few months and then taper off. Amphetamines aren’t good for you long term, idc what anybody says. The studies are curated by big pharmaceutical companies.
ADHD guy here... Adderall kinda of works but it's a horrible drug and the way you explained using it sounds like you really used it recreationally because it made you more productive that's not how it works for people who really need it...for you it's like a pill form of cocaine 🤣🤣🤣🤣 if you need it 2 or 3 times a week just find you a good dealer 😜🤣🤣🤣.
@@brianpulley8652 wdym? adderall is literally meant to make adhd people more productive bro u ain’t making sense
I felt my brain expanding the moment I opened the video. The Conover Effect is too powerful, more research needs to be done. 🖊️
20 years ago my sister switched from supplement chemist to radiology tech because of the deregulation. She wanted nothing to do with the now unregulated supplement industry.
To be fair, you gotta stay hydrated.
I was so hoping for an AG1 ad read.
Pretty ironic that Bradley Cooper ended up being the villain in the Limitless TV show.
"...Yeah but I'm different. I could control my urges" every drug user ever
If anybody wants to be scientific about nootropics, one needs to learn biochemistry, pharmacology and physiology first. If a particular substance does something in the body, and you want to enhance its function, you need to find the chemical precursor that the body uses to make it, and take that precursor. An "activator" chemical may also be necessary. For example, if you want more dopamine, you should take the amino acid L-phenylalanine. This will not make your brain release more dopamine by itself, but it will boost your brain reserves of dopamine. This is where an activator comes in, like caffeine. Taking L-phenylalanine with caffeine together is a potent experience. I would not take it for productivity, but it is pretty good for having fun. L-phenylalanine can be dangerous for people with "Maple Syrup Disease", and I would personally avoid taking L-phenylalanine in combination with drugs (legal or otherwise) that cause dopamine to be released in large quantities, or prevent dopamine re-uptake.
This is why I say that one needs to learn biochemistry, basic pharmacology and human physiology first, before diving into nootropics, because it can be dangerous. It also helps to learn how to read scientific papers to see what different dosages can do.
Nootropics aren't new. There was a lot of buzz in the early 90s about smart drugs. Where did those get us?
We're so much smarter now, aren't we folks? A lot of people are saying this. All the best most qualified people. In the whole world.
I took a test, it says that I use more of my brain than anyone they've ever seen. They said it's incredible. They said it's thanks to my nootropics, order now! /s
Idiocracy?
To the ones we have today? The ones that actually do something.
Yeah, "smart drinks" were a thing. Just spent $12 on a bunch of fruit juice and powdered supplements and don't feel any different? See, you're smarter already 😂
@@spoofbaby Dumb buyers doesn't equal bad products...
I took two limitless pills to limit myself
I didn't expect to hear Adam tell us "one day, you will die" but I think we all needed to hear it
Next time: Adam Ruins Dying
There actually was a death episode of "Adam Ruins Everything."
@@shawnparkspostthat episode hits hard too!
"My name is Corneliu E. Giurgea, but everybody calls me Giurgea."
*Daft Punk starts playing*
Snake oil got rebranded?
Snake oil constantly gets rebranded but never truely goes away.
Do you want your snakes getting stuck?
Not all are snake oil, but most are.
For example it's well documented in the literature that taking the amino acid L-Theanine reduces anxiety, and even notes the mechanisms.
This is in the Nootropic category, but is also a simple amino acid.
Sadly people need to wade through the snake oil swamp to find those compounds that deliver results. Skepticism is absolutely required.
Just not that many people who want to oil a snake.
There's actually loads of herbals out there that have at least some well-researched beneficial effects, most of which also have long folk medicine traditions attached to them. They don't tend to be super *strong* effects compared to pharmaceuticals, and they don't tend to be super expensive, either. A lot of what these scam artists are doing is selling you a pill that may or may not have some miniscule amount of some herbs you could easily grow in your own garden or buy cheap in bulk and they charge outrageous prices while making outrageous claims.
One quick note from the Shark Tank clip: When Mark says "generallly regarded is not the same as safe"... in this case, yes it is. Generally Recognized As Safe is a legitimate FDA classification. It means that an additive has been agreed on by experts to be safe for human consumption in the amlount and application type used. It doesn't mean they'll necessarily be effective, just that it's not going to make you sick.
It grifts the obtuse with an empty promise to be smart.
Idk, I feel like this one missed the mark by a tiny bit. There are nootropic * formulas * peddled by morons, but there's a few dozen genuinely life-improving and safe "nootropics" with hundreds of real, actual clinical studies. There's no question: I straight up wouldn't have been able to graduate without some of them.
Edit: I DO NOT like the nootropics community. I studied pharmacology and they don't know how to actually measure efficacy over on reddit. They're sloppy and reckless.
this is correct (except I'd argue that he missed the mark almost entirely).
why didn't he interview *anyone* with *any* knowledge on the matter?!
Adam has a long history of being extremely reductive for the sake of brevity and glossing over a lot of facts (especially historical ones) that contradict his stances
I think he made his point very clear. It's not that there aren't useful medications - he mentions several times that there are prescription medicines that can be life-changing for those who actually need it. What he's railing against is influencers selling unregulated supplements and people taking random drugs to try and make themselves smart. Neither of those is a good thing!
@@reverse_engineered and repeatedly makes false statements about compounds he clearly knows little about and definitely didn’t dive any deeper than what validated his (totally legitimate) rage against the influencers
@@reverse_engineered while he made that one point clear, and it is a good point, he fails entirely on the rest
Adam using 100% of his brain trying to pronounce that Romanian name at the end
I feel like Bradley Cooper in Limitless when I take ADHD meds to clean my room
“Wow, the grout lines in my kitchen are really dirty, I should clean those right now at 1am” - me on adderall
I tried every ADHD med under the sun and nothing worked 🥲
At this point I'm just convinced that it's not ADHD and my brain is broken in a more fundamental way
This is the second video in my feed today on problems with American supplements. I just finished a zinger of one on Zaza Red and the opioid epidemic. It was horrifying. How the hell are companies able to sell an addictive drug that works on opioid receptors as a supplement? It’s evil!
In the US, prescription medication has to be reviewed, tested, and approved by the government before it can be legally sold. Supplements aren't included in this regulation though, so there's a lot of snake oil in that market.
Kratom is highly addictive and it’s everywhere. It’s safer than Tianeptine (zaza red) by far but many people tout it as harmless and lead people like me into a dark abyss of addiction and desperation. I wish it was regulated, then there would have been warnings about the addictive nature of it and the hellish withdrawals.
Getting older I’ve just realized that what no one wants to believe is true, is true. Everything got better when I ate enough, slept enough, drank enough water, and exercised. Like you really do feel much better when you take care of yourself.
Powerthirst is now available in NOOTROPICS
I mean... modafinil doens't NOT work
Phenibut is great for certain situations like taking in conjunction with psychedelics, but definitely not for daily use.
I started taking it daily and now I’m stuck doing a slow taper cuz I’ve heard the wds are so bad.
@@zyzyx4157 it's pretty safe to just half the dose every day. It's a pretty mellow detox compared to pretty much anything else.
@@Jones-pj2jk I’ve heard iv heroin users say phenibut was their worst withdrawal. It probably depends on the amount you’re taking.
@@zyzyx4157 anything more than a gram a day for longer than a week is no bueno. It's invaluable to have no tolerance to it for just those right moments. It's taken me 4 years to work through a 100g and that's sharing
If you are neurodivergent, then there are pharmaceuticals that imorove brain function, but they bring to to a "normal" level. They can't raise it higher than that. And that goes for neurotypical people. You don't have a deficiency on your brain chemistry, so making up for a non-existent deficiency isn't going to do anything.
I have adhd and I’ve found that vyvanse/amphetamines bring me to an elevated state even on the lowest doses. Eventually it evens out of course but I don’t believe our brains are “broken” to begin with, society just pushes a narrative that we need stimulants to function which is just not true. We develop a tolerance and side effects just like neurotypicals do. It’s funny to me that people with adhd take stimulants and think that “this is how normal people feel?!?” Like no, it’s not, they didn’t feel like us to begin with. adding a stimulant still floods your brain with dopamine just like it would with a neurotypical, it helps us stay motivated but the flood of dopamine is unnatural.
Look...i know it's a placebo, and it might actually harm me, but i still want some Big Brain Boy.
Love to see you still going hard. It’s been a while since I’ve even seen you since Adam Ruins Everything ended. Seeing you get angry at the stupid shit affecting me today still pisses you off too.
Kudos to you, Adam. You make me want to be a better person. (Better as in smarter and not a complete dumbass on nootropics LMAO)
Interestingly Modafinil is banned in all high level chess tournaments.
For those looking for chemical advantage, a ban is an endorsement. Modafinil in particular can have you at 100% for three days.
Just find a soft place for the multi day crash.
Or, if you have ADHD, 200mg Modafinil daily can make the day surmountable and still have you sleeping like a baby
9:34 You read the study wrong. The individual pills contained 85-118% of the listed amount, as they said. The 830mg to 11,300mg is in reference to the dosing instructions, which asked for multiple pills or multiple times per day to reach that amount (Likely 10 combined over the course of a day). Overall point still stands obviously, but these details matter and I expect more from you Adam.
You do know modafinil is a prescription wakefullness drug used for narcolepsy, but hey you dont have narcolep so you wouldnt know
He said that. He specifically talked about narcolepsy.
I struggle with daytime sleepiness, not necessarily narcolepsy, but I take flmodafinil (legally available online) and it keeps me awake and motived. It feels like vyvanse lite with less euphoria and more of an “awake” feeling.
I was one of those guys in the mid aughties who watched limitless, searched for a real life version and then ordered Modafinil from Canada online.
It's not the limitless pill, nor is it Adderall, but it does have an effect. I never felt tired, even after working 20 hours a day. I never felt brain fog, which as a chronic coffee drinker, I experience every morning until I have my coffee. And it never kept me from sleep. Id be asleep within 5 minutes of lying down. Most importantly, I never felt any kind of high at all.
I had a narcoleptic friend and tried one of theirs from an American pharma, same exact shit, so I know mine was legit.
Take that info as you may. I don't advise anything thats just a moneysink.
You just described the very problem with taking modafinil when you don't need it. The drug specifically makes you not feel sleepy. You can stay up for as long as you like if you keep taking it. But then you have to come down, and when you do, you're out like a light. Your body still needs the sleep regardless - you are just preventing it from getting it.
Micro dosing Psilocybin definitely works.
I actually like SOME nootropics. I am NOT saying it will turn you into the Limitless guy, but some of them like Lions Mane and couple of other compounds have shown to have positive mood effects in actual, real trials.
I'm pretty sure Joe Rogan only uses 10% of his brain...
I like the irony that nicotine has shown to have a stabilizing effect for people with adhd and they currently are doing studies on it. They are having trouble detangling the chemical from the addictive qualities is the current issues, but it supports the fact that people successfully self medicate with it. Just the health disadvantages
I had always assumed the whole "FDA approved thing" was just a lie. Also, Limitless is absolutely a metaphor for ADHD and Adderall dialed up to 1000...
You don't need to assume anything, there's a line just a couple of minutes later with movie where Bradley Cooper asks him about that and the drug dealer says "you didn't really believe that did you?"
Going on adderall was like getting my vision back after being blind for most of my life. I miss how for the first time in my life I felt like a productive normal human being
Man, I can't go more than a day without my precious dihydrogen monoxide! It's almost as if it's essential to life itself! What a perfect market to corner! Careful, though... Pretty sure Nestle wants to sue everyone for ownership.
I'm just here to say that your channel description is very sweet. And weird. But mostly sweet!
Have you ever considered getting help for this addiction you have??
Kratom is pretty good for me. Powder, not extracts or tinctures
14:28 I'm a dog.
Mood.
I feel this Comment 💯
Thank you for this. It was really good, especially the ending. I put it in my Wellness playlist on my UA-cam channel so when I talk about Wellness with people, when they're in that playlist they'll see your video. You can find your video under the physical health category which is category number three, in the playlist called "prescription / recreational / (non) medical drugs".
2:37 Okay but the Limitless tv show was actually pretty good
My son tried to get me to watch that. Is it really that good?
It's a delight @@TheOfficialTarynTots it's CSI with brain boosters.
haven't watched the show, but i watched the movie- it was.... alright? too many sex scenes tbh
Anecdotally speaking, I had a positive experience with a nootropic that I won't mention by name because they don't pay me to advertise. Also, it was an herbal supplement, so... **shoulders shrug* ...ehh
Haven't even watched yet, but JFC thank you. I was finding it way too hard to find credible info
Last nootropic I've tried turned out to have psilocybin
Interesting video from a guy who used to voice AG1 ads with claims on his podcast.
The stupidest part of the movie limitless is that he didn't figure out how to synthesize it immediately. But then I guess we wouldn't have a movie.
Adam, nicotine is the most effective medicine for ADHD (for those who stimulates effect their ADHD) but its both extremely addictive (never understood that) and causes cancer
Can you provide studies proving that nicotine itself can be associated with cancer?
Smoking, hell yes.
Nicotine? .. maybe proven heart hazard.. but cancer?
Nicotine gums don’t cause cancer, there’s a lot of way to reduce the side effects of nicotine
@@omnirath there's no significant risk, if directions are followed, to the letter, meaning exceedingly temporary
@@dark_fire_ice temporary in the case of gum means during six months or more and even there the risk associated are limited a lesser sleep quality and cardiovascular issue for people with preexisting conditions, not much compared to modafinil’s side effects
Love your content Adam, always informative.
On a side note, the mosquito in my room at night : 8:12
So some nootropics do work. However, they are less effective than just exercising regularly. The greatest improvement is usually to working memory which overall does not make you smarter nor better at puzzles. It can help you be slightly more productive but again you could exercise regularly and find better effects. Also one small thing is that almost everything correlates to working memory. So in truth, the nootropic might just be acting as a placebo.
The few of them that do work are typically (1) analogues to better established prescription drugs, or (2) drug candidates that were abandoned in research by pharmaceutical companies because of side effects. Also, as Adam discusses, they're totally unregulated, so it's still very hard to know what you're actually getting when you buy.
do you think any of the studies account for placebo? or do they just pretend it doesn't exist?
There has been very limited research in some "nootropics", there needs to be more, and the market definitely needs to be monitored. a lot of things I've seen being sold are not beneficial to people at all. It does not help when you're trying to find lion's mane extract and everybody is selling mycelium which is essentially like selling the root to an orange to help with vitamin c.
Piracetam is actually helpful in treating ADHD varieties that are resistant to the main drug types.
I’m drowning from the first joke.
the moment you said "dihydrogen monoxide" i just about died laughing. I remember when people talked about it in the pipes, all the dangers it could potentially pose, etc.... and because nobody ever thought about its chemical name, people campaigned to ban it. all over a *joke*.
"Theres nothing that you can take that will make you a supercomputer, and thats a good thing" Not for people with cognitive deficits and brain problems though lol. Especially memory problems lol. Im not asking to be a supercomputer. I just want to live the life i once had. Study what i want and for people to not notice my speech problems lol. It sucks.
It makes me feel good when Adam starts a video off with, "So many UA-camrs and podcasters are trying to sell X," and I have no idea what X is and have never heard of it. It tells me I am running with the right crowd!
First you tell me nootropics are bullshit, then you hit me with “you’re gonna die one day”. I’ve got a lot to process.
Still waiting on that FDA research on eating ass to come out.
Didn’t you promote AG1???
I distrust AG1 simply because they seem to advertise with every podcaster and UA-camr I watch. They are the Raid Shadow Legends of supplements.
Do you even know what AG1 is ? XD how about a 7 sec google session before making a comment (;
Flashback to when I was buying ephedrine online from a shady website because I was an insecure teenager who felt disgusting and fat for being over 130 pounds, lol. No way that was healthy or safe or even a consistent dose