What supplements actually improve brain health?
The supplement industry for brain health is worth billions and substantially outpaces the evidence. Most supplements marketed as "nootropics" have weak or no controlled trial evidence. A few have moderate support — but none come close to the effect size of aerobic exercise or quality sleep.
| Supplement | Evidence level | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Caffeine | Very strong | Reliable short-term RT and attention improvement (~10ms) |
| Omega-3 (EPA/DHA) | Moderate | Cognitive maintenance; may slow decline in older adults |
| Creatine | Moderate — emerging | Short-term memory and processing speed benefit; strongest in vegetarians |
| Bacopa monnieri | Weak-moderate | Some memory benefit after 8–12 weeks; slow to work |
| Lion's mane mushroom | Weak (animal studies mostly) | Promising NGF effects; human trials limited |
| Ginkgo biloba | Weak — generally negative | Large trials found no benefit for healthy adults |
| Prevagen (apoaequorin) | No evidence | Active ingredient doesn't cross blood-brain barrier |
Bottom line: If you exercise regularly, sleep 7–9 hours, and eat a Mediterranean-style diet, no supplement will produce a meaningfully larger effect. Caffeine is the one exception — it reliably sharpens reaction time and attention for 4–6 hours. Test your RT before and after caffeine with the Reaction Time test.
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Quick Answer
The evidence is weaker than marketing suggests. Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA/DHA) have moderate evidence for cognitive maintenance. Caffeine has reliable short-term effects. Creatine shows some promise. Most other supplements lack robust RCT evidence.
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