Doctor Reviews: Onnit Alpha Brain

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Can Alpha Brain really improve your memory and focus? That’s the big question. When it comes to supplements that promise to boost brainpower, one major issue is the lack of solid human research backing up their claims. While some ingredients might have been studied in humans, much of this research has focused on people with serious cognitive issues like Alzheimer’s or dementia, rather than on folks with healthy brains.

It’s important to understand this difference because if you’re hoping to sharpen your thinking and you don’t have any diagnosed cognitive issues, chances are many of these supplements won’t do much for you. So, let’s dive into the ingredients of Onnit Alpha Brain and see what they’re all about.

Ingredients of Onnit Alpha Brain

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6, along with other B vitamins like B12 and folic acid, is important for brain and nerve health. It helps in making neurotransmitters and myelin, which are crucial for nerve function.

But here’s the thing: studies suggest that taking extra vitamin B6, B12, or folic acid doesn’t seem to improve mood or cognitive function. Even more, it doesn’t appear to stop cognitive decline or slow it down in older adults.

So, despite the vital role these vitamins play in our brain health, research consistently shows that taking more of them doesn’t give our brains an extra boost or help stave off cognitive decline. Why? Well, our bodies only need a certain amount of B vitamins. Going beyond that doesn’t offer any extra brain benefits. Plus, B vitamin deficiencies aren’t common, especially in places like North America.

L-Tyrosine

L-Tyrosine, an amino acid, might help improve cognitive function, especially for folks dealing with stress or anxiety. Studies suggest it can enhance thinking abilities in noisy environments and even when you’re sleep-deprived. But here’s the catch: you need really high doses for it to work—around 150 mg per kg of body weight. For example, a 70 kg (155 lb) person would need over 10 grams of tyrosine, which is about 2 teaspoons.

Because of this high dosage, most combo supplements like Alpha Brain, which include L-tyrosine for brain boosting, don’t have enough of it to actually make a noticeable impact.

L-Theanine

L-Theanine, found naturally in green tea, might have some potential for boosting certain aspects of brain function, although the evidence isn’t strong.

Research suggests that taking L-theanine could reduce errors in cognitive tests compared to a placebo. But here’s the thing: while L-theanine or caffeine alone can improve cognitive performance, combining them doesn’t seem to offer any extra benefits beyond just caffeine alone. Plus, not all studies have shown cognitive improvements with L-theanine compared to a placebo.

Oat

When it comes to oats, there’s not a lot of research. One study looked at a specific wild green-oats extract called Neuravena. It showed a potential improvement in how quickly the brain works, but not necessarily in accuracy. However, it’s worth noting that this study used a large dose of 800 mg, which is more than what’s typically found in supplements like Alpha Brain.

Phosphatidylserine

Phosphatidylserine, a key component for nerve cells, shows promise for tackling cognitive issues. Studies involving people with cognitive problems found that taking 100 mg of phosphatidylserine three times a day for up to 6 months might improve various cognitive functions.

In Alzheimer’s disease cases, phosphatidylserine appeared to temporarily boost certain brain functions. However, these benefits seemed to fade after 16 weeks as the disease progressed. While there’s evidence it can temporarily enhance cognition in those with Alzheimer’s or cognitive issues, it’s unclear if it offers similar benefits to those with healthy brains.

Cat’s claw

There’s no human evidence supporting Cat’s Claw use for enhancing cognitive function or anything like that. It’s usually used for arthritis, but even then, there’s not much solid evidence backing its effectiveness for that. Honestly, I’m not sure why it’s included in Alpha Brain at all.

Alpha GPC

Alpha GPC, a type of choline found in foods like eggs, is said to boost brainpower. Research suggests it might help those with Alzheimer’s, but the doses needed—up to 1200 mg daily for 6 months—are much higher than what’s in Alpha Brain. Plus, these benefits seem limited to Alzheimer’s patients, not healthy adults.

The idea is that Alpha GPC boosts acetylcholine, a brain chemical linked to memory. Some believe taking it regularly could raise acetylcholine levels, improving thinking skills. But there’s no human proof to back this up. And, using Alpha GPC long-term might up your stroke risk. So unless you’ve got Alzheimer’s or a similar condition, it might be best to skip Alpha GPC.

Bacopaside

Bacopa, an herb, might boost certain brain functions in healthy adults, but the evidence isn’t clear-cut. Studies have used doses much higher than what’s in Alpha Brain.

Huperzine A

Huperzine A, taken from plants like Chinese club moss, blocks an enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine, a brain chemical linked to memory. This might improve how neurons talk to each other, potentially boosting brainpower.

In Alzheimer’s, Huperzine A has helped with memory and thinking. But for healthy folks, it probably won’t do much. Plus, it doesn’t seem to help those without Alzheimer’s.

L-leucine

Leucine, an amino acid found in Alpha Brain, doesn’t directly affect brainpower. But it’s part of a group called branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), which are believed to help build and repair muscles. They also give energy to working muscles, keeping fatigue at bay during tough workouts. However, to really see muscle benefits, you need a hefty dose, way more than what’s in Alpha Brain.

Pterostilbene

Pterostilbene, an antioxidant in blueberries, hasn’t been directly studied for brain benefits in humans. While blueberries themselves have some evidence for boosting brain health, there’s no proof yet that pterostilbene alone does the same.

Ingredient analysis summary

Let’s go over what we’ve talked about. After cutting out ingredients with doses too low to do much, we’re left with two that might help: L-Theanine and Huperzine A.

Of these, only L-Theanine, from green tea, seems to offer some perks for folks with healthy brains. The rest either don’t do much for healthy brains or have doses too puny to matter. So, Alpha Brain probably won’t do more than a cup or two of green tea.

Overall rating

Rating Alpha Brain by effectiveness for improving cognition, I’m giving it a D. It’ll functionally be about as good as drinking a cup or two of green tea.

Rating it by cost, I’m giving it a D. It can be easily replicated at a much cheaper cost by getting the generic ingredients individually.

Rating it for safety, I’m giving it a C. There are a number of ingredients that have the potential to interfere with medications, and because they mix in so many of them, it’s hard to fully untangle all the possible side effects.

Overall rating, I’m giving a D. I would not recommend it at all.

Top alternatives to Onnit Alpha Brain

• Huperzine A – 1 to 2 caps / day
• L-Theanine – 2 to 4 lozenge / day

Learn more about

• Supplement reviews

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