Alpha Brain is one of the most popular nootropics in existence. It was one of the first products to bring the idea of brain supplements to a wider market; before the likes of Alpha Brain, nootropics were only used by biohackers, gamers and athletes. Today, thanks to the efforts of Onnit, nootropics are used by everybody.
While Alpha Brain remains enduringly popular, I do not rate Alpha Brain very highly. As you’ll learn if you read my full Alpha Brain review, I don’t think this is a particularly good nootropic compared to some of the brain supplements on sale today.
I have a lot of issues with Alpha Brain; dud ingredients, proprietary blend with no dosage information, skimping on the cholinergics, and side effect concerns being the major ones.
But perhaps my main gripe with Alpha Brain is that the benefits do not last very long.
Many users complain that the benefits of Alpha Brain wear off after just an hour or so. On the other hand, other Alpha Brain users and reviewers claims that Alpha Brain lasts all day long! SO who are we to believe here?
How long does Alpha Brain last exactly?
To find out, we need to take a closer look at the Alpha Brain formula, its ingredients and doses.
Onnit Alpha Brain Formula
To understand how long Onnit Alpha Brain lasts, you need to do a thorough examination of the ingredients. Here is the ingredients list:
Now you might be thinking that this looks like a nootropic that lasts a good while.
After all, there are nootropic ingredients in Alpha Brain that are definitely long-term in focus.
For example, Bacopa monnieri only really starts to produce benefits after 6 weeks of supplementation, with users typically reaching a steayd plateau of enhanced memory after 12 weeks of daily supplementation.
Another long-term focused nootropic in Alpha Brain is Phosphatidylserine. This phospholipid is an integral component of your brain cell membranes. Low phosphatidylserine levels leads to reduced brain cell formation and maintenance, which means impaired cognitive performance over the long-term. Studies show that supplementing with phosphatidylserine improves cognitive performance when measured over weeks and months.
So why does Alpha Brain not last very long?
The reason Alpha Brain does not last ver long is that it contains Huperzine A.
How long does Alpha Brain really last?
How long does Alpha Brain really last?
The truth is that Alpha Brain really only lasts a few hours.
Alpha Brain does not produce long-term benefits. In most cases, users will stop experiencing the benefits of Alpha Brain just a few hours after they stop taking the supplement.
This is because Alpha Brain is not suitable for long-term daily use due to the Huperzine A content.
Huperzine A inhibits the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, which is responsible for breaking down the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. This obviously leads to a sharp increase in acetylcholine in the brain, which is a good thing; as the key execuive neurotransmitter, more acetylcholine means sharper focus, faster reaction times, and better information processing.
However, too much acetylcholine causes problems; it leads to a loss of focus, confusion, headaches, and in some cases, depression. That’s why you need to take regular breaks from Huperzine A.
As it contains a substantial amount of Huperzine A, you need to cycle Alpha Brain regularly, taking it daily for no more than 3 weeks at a time before taking a 3 week break (minimum).
Since you can’t take Alpha Brain for more than 3 weeks at a time, ingredients like Bacopa monnieri and Phosphatidylserine will never have a chance to take full effect.
Therefore, the only effectie ingredients in Alpha Brain are those that work more immediately: Alpha-GPC being the most important.
The dose of Alpha-GPC in Alpha Brain has to be small due to the restrictions of the small proprietar blend. However, it should be enough to give you a decent lift in focus and memory.
But Alpha-GPC at this dosage (150mg or there abouts) will only last for about 2-4 hours maximum. Some users will still feel some benefit after 6 hours of 150mg of Alpha-GPC, but these effects will be very mild.
So the benefits of Alpha Brain will only last for 2-4 hours at most.
In summary: How long do the benefits of Alpha Brain last?
Alpha Brain’s benefits are only likely to last for around 2-4 hours for most users. The constant cycling required due to the Huperzine A means users are unlikely to see long-term benefits from Alpha Brain. It is not a long lasting nootropic.
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