Bacopa (Bacopa monnieri) Whole Plant Extract (Synapsa™) – DOSE UNKNOWN

Bacopa monnieri is easily one of the best natural nootropics in existence when it comes to enhancing memory function, so it is great that Optimind has included it. Supplementign with bacopa monnieri significantly improves memory function in as little as 6-12 weeks. The effects are particularly pronounced in older people, and those with signs of mild cognitive decline.

Bacopa monnieri seems to work by stimulating dendritic arborization. In simple terms, this means your neurons grow more interconnections. however, with Bacopa monnieri, dosage is important. We don’t know how much is in Optimind, but it needs to be at least 300mg (which I highly doubt is present)./div>

L-Taurine – DOSE UNKNOWN

Taurine is a simple amino acid. It performs some vital functions in the body. However, it has no nootropic properties or effects to speak of. I have no idea why it has been included in Optimind, other than to bulk out the formula; Taurine is very cheap to buy in large quantities, with minimum recommended serving sizes starting at 1g!

GABA(gamma-Aminobutyric acid) – DOSE UNKNOWN

GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the human central nervous system. In other words, it is GABA which largely keeps control of your CNS and prevents it from becoming overexcited. Many people assume then that supplementing with GABA helps reduce anxiety, soothe muscle soreness, and promote sleep – that’s certainly why it has been added to Optimind.

Sadly, GABA doesn’t do any of these things when consumed orally. Most of the GABA you consume is destroyed in the gut (as is the case for most neurotransmitters). If you do absorb any of the neurotransmitter, it is probably used in the gut by the enteric nervous system. This is a complete waste of Optimind formula space, and a waste of your money.

L-Tyrosine – DOSE UNKNOWN

Tyrosine is an amino acid with some exceptional nootropic properties. Clinical trials have found that Tyrosine supplementation is highly effective at enhancing focus and memory function in people subjected to acute stressors, such as sleep deprivation or extreme cold. No doubt this is because Tyrosine is a precursor to dopamine, the brain’s “motivation” neurotransmitter.

Yet again, talk of Tyrosine’s benefits are pretty much pointless as we have no idea how much of this ingredient we get from Optimind. If it is less than 100mg, then you are unlikely to see any cognitive enhancement from the Tyrosine in Optimind.

Huperzine A Complex (Huperzia serrata) Aerial Parts Extract – DOSE UNKNOWN

Huperzine A is a unique nootropic substance in how it goes about enhancing brain function. huperzine A, and extract from the Huperzia serrata plant, inhibits the enzyme acetylcholinesterase. This causes a steady build up of acetylcholine in the brain. Acetylcholine is the brain’s chief executive neurotransmitter; more acetylcholine means more raw brain power.

The problem here once again is dosing. Huperzine A is not suitable for long-term use. How long you can safely use it for depends on the dose you’re taking. Optimind doesn’t say how much Huperzine A we get per serving, so we can’t work out a cycle length.

Formula analysis: Is Optimind a good nootropic?

To put it bluntly, this is a terrible formula. Optimind commits several unforgivable sins: it uses a propruietary blend, it contains obvious filler ingredients, and some of the ingredients are useless.

Proprietary blends are always a major red flag. there is no good reason to hide your ingredient dosages; the most popular nootropics on the market today all have totally transparent formulas. The only reason you’d hide ingredient serving sizes is if you’re packing the formula with fillers.

Optimind contains several ingredients that are obvious fillers. Taurine and Alpha Lipoic Acid both have very large minimum effective doses and are cheap to buy in bulk. I suspect these two ingredients make up the majority of the Optimind proprietary blend.

There are other problems too.

GABA is largely destroyed in the gut, like all neurotransmitters, so oral consumption is pointless.

Huperzine A needs to be cycled, which means you need to take prolonged breaks from Optimind. This makes the likes of Bacopa monnieri and Phosphatidylserine less effective.

We don’t know the caffeine dose, making this an inrcedibly dangerous, risky brain supplement.

Optimind side effects: Is it safe?

Is Optimind safe?

Will it cause side effects?

After doing a thorough review of Optimind’s formula, I need to say that this does not look like a safe nootropic to me at all.

The main side effect risk from Optimind comes from the fact that we don’t know the caffeine dose. Caffeine is an extremely powerful stimulant drug; 60mg is enough for anyone to feel serious effects, and doses of 120mg or more almost always cause side effects. For all we know, Optimind could contain 1000mg of caffeine (an outrageously dangerous dose).

Then there’s the lack of Huperzine A dose information. Consuming Huperzine A for prolonged periods without a break will inevitably cause side effects. The length of time you can take it, and the severity of those side effects, depends on dosage.

As we aren’t given information about either of these ingredients’ dosages, we need to consider the worst case scenarios with Optimind.

The potential side effects of using Optimind are serious, and include:

• Headaches
• Hypertension
• Elevated heart rateTremors
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Anxiety
• Irritability
• Paranoia
• Sweating

Using Optimind on a daily basis for a long period of time will make these side effects both more likely and more severe.

With this in mind, I need to stress that I do not recommend Optimind to anyone, and I do not think it is a safe nootropic for anyone to use.

Optimind reviews and complaints

Given Optimind’s whopping $56 a month pice tag ($28.45 for 16 day’s supply), it’s worth checking out what other users are saying about the nootropic in terms of value for money.

First of all, here is a testimonial given by a Food “Scientist” who is totally not on the Altrnascript payroll:

The first thing you’ll notice is that this sentence makes no sense. You don’t process information faster “for your brain”; your brain does the processing. This is a small mistake, but someone intimatel familiar with neuroscience wouldn’t make it.

Then there are Optimind reviews from regular users:

Doesn’t look good does it?

Optimind review conclusion: Is it worth it?

Is Optimind an effective supplement for focus and memory? Is it a potential Adderall substitute?

No, not at all!

Optimind looks like a terrible nootropic as far as I’m concerned.

For starters, we have the proprietary blend stuffed with cheap, ineffective filler ingredients.

Then there’s the side effect risks from the unknown doses of caffeine and Huperzine A.

Finally, there’s the fact that Huperzine A needs cycling. Taking constant, prolonged breaks from Optimind will drastically reduce the efficacy of the bets ingredients in Optimind: the Bacopa monnieri and Phosphatidylserine.

There’s no cholinergic in Optimind either, which is a major flaw in a “complete” nootropic.

If you want a supplement to help improve your focus, learning, memory and mood, don’t watse your money on Optimind. Better nootropics are out there for sure!