Whether you’re looking to protect yourself against ailments that affect your memory and develop as you age, or are studying a course and want to improve information retention, nootropics can be a good option for Baby Boomers to explore.
In this article, we’ll explain what exactly a nootropic is, how Boomers can benefit from nootropics, and how you can go about finding the right nootropic for you.
What is a Nootropic?
The term “nootropic” was coined by a Romanian chemist and psychologist, Dr. Corneliu Giurgea, approximately five decades ago.
He inadvertently ended up creating a nootropic (called Piracetam) while working on developing a sleeping drug. According to his definition, a drug must meet all of the following five points for it to be a nootropic.
It must:
- Improve or enhance memory
- Improve behavior under adverse or difficult conditions
- Protect the brain from injury from physical or chemical means
- Improve tonic cortical and subcortical control mechanisms
- Have a low toxicity and side effect profile
- However, nowadays, the definition of a nootropic is much looser. Any drug which can improve memory, cognitive function, or promotes good brain health, in general, is referred to as a nootropic (sometimes called brain enhancers or “smart pills.”)
Can Nootropics Really Improve My Memory?
Various studies conducted in recent decades have found nootropics to be effective at improving one’s memory – both in the context of memorizing and retaining information for an exam, or simply improving your memory as part of everyday life.
Boomers aren’t the only ones who can benefit from such memory improving nootropics, also known as memory enhancers, but they can be especially useful for Boomers who have decided to go back to college or are taking an online course and want a helping hand with their studies.
Perhaps more importantly, they can also be taken to try to fight against memory-related ailments which often develop as we age, such as Dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. However, keep in mind that evidence which suggests nootropics can help fight against such conditions is pretty limited at the moment.
What’s the Best Nootropic For Me?
When deciding which nootropic is likely to be most effective for you, you should first identify exactly what you’re looking to achieve from taking a nootropic. For example, are you looking to improve your memory and information retention, or are you trying to manage your anxiety?
You must do this right at the start, as while there are some more general nootropics which promote brain health in a broad sense, most are quite specific – and you should, therefore, only take a nootropic which has been designed to help with your particular issue.
So, if you want to improve your memory to help you study for an exam and retain relevant information, you should only consider taking memory enhancers. These nootropics are specifically designed to help your brain absorb and retain information.
Do I Need a Prescription for a Nootropic?
Some nootropics can be purchased online or in-store without a prescription, but some do indeed need a prescription from your doctor.
There’s no simple rule which determines whether or not a particular nootropic can be purchased with or without a prescription, so you’ll need to check yourself once you find a nootropic you’d like to try out.
A Quick Nootropics Summary
- Nootropics can be taken for various reasons, such as improving your memory (for an example or for everyday life), improving your mood, or to promote good brain health in general.
- The term “nootropic” was coined about 50 years ago by a Romanian chemist and psychologist, and the definition has become a lot looser since then.
- Any drug that can help improve cognitive function, memory, or other aspects of brain health is considered a nootropic.
- Boomers may take a memory-improving nootropic, frequently referred to as memory enhancers, to help them study for an exam or to improve memory for non-academic reasons.
