Lots of people read our detailed Alpha Brain review and still come away with questions. “Is Alpha Brain a stimulant?” is probably one of the most common questions we see posted in the review’s comments section. Although we do cover this question in our review, it’s worth answering in more detail here.
Before we get into discussing Alpha Brain’s stimulant properties, it’s worth explaining what Alpha Brain is, what it is supposed to do, and so on.
Alpha Brain is a natural nootropic supplement made by Onnit. This company has gone from a niche brain supplement manufacturer to a major lifestyle brand in the US in just a few years. Onnit now make everything from instant brain supplement drinks to protein powders (and they’re now pushed by the affable, mild-minded podcast host Joe Rogan).
Alpha Brain was one of the first nootropics to brain the idea of brain supplementation to a wider audience; a decade ago nootropics were exclusively used by the Silicon Valley elite and a small number of intrepid biohackers who dabbled in everything from prescription ADHD drugs to research chemicals.
Today though, things are very different. The nootropics market has rapidly become one of the most advanced in the whole supplement industry. Alpha Brain is just one product among dozens and dozens of high-quality, premium brain supplements. If you’ve read our full review, you’ll know that Onnit have been left behind by newer brands offering more high spec nootropics.
But is Alpha Brain a stimulant?
What does it do?
Let’s find out.
Is Alpha Brain a stimulant?
Is Alpha Brain a stimulant?
The answer is a definitive no.
Alpha Brain contains no stimulants whatsoever – no caffeine, no nicotine, no theacrine, and no synthetic stimulants either.
The only substance in Alpha Brain that you might possibly think of as having a stimulatory effect is Alpha-GPC. This nootropic increase choline availability in the brain, which in turn increases acetylcholine production. As the brain’s primary executive neurotransmitter, higher acetylcholine levels means more raw brain power. This is why many people describe being on Alpha-GPC as feeling like you’re “up”.
However, Alpha-GPC is not a stimulant in any way. It just makes you feel like you have more mental energy and stamina. It does not itself decrease the perception of fatigue or increase mental energy like caffeine, theacrine or nicotine.
In fact, Alpha Brain might be better described as the opposite of a stimulant. It contains substances which are thought to have anxiolytic, relaxing effects. While there is little scientific evidence to support these claims (apart from with regards to theanine), it is true that Alpha Brain is closer to being an anxiolytic than a stimulant.
So no, Alpha Brain is not a stimulant.
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