Nootropics are a class of compounds also commonly referred to as “smart drugs”. Nootropics have been around for decades, and a few of them have been around for centuries! The reason nootropics are called “smart drugs” is that they enhance all aspects of brain function, and certain nootropics even offer neuroprotective benefits, helping stave of mental decline that can occur as a result of aging or exposure to toxins. Essentially, think of nootropics as compounds that ignite your neurological pathways that improve your creativity, thinking, memory, learning, and mental processing all while protecting those abilities from the evil forces of your external environment. How Do Nootropics Do What They Do? Given the cognitive spark that certain nootropics deliver, you probably think they’re a lot like stimulants, such as caffeine, which is a dual nootropic/stimulant compound that improves energy, focus, and alertness. But not all nootropics are stimulants in the traditional sense in that they increase mental alertness and affect cardiovascular markers (blood pressure, heart rate, etc). Some nootropics are only neuro activating, while not impacting the heart or blood flow at all. Another big difference between nootropics and stimulants is that stimulants then to have only very acute (immediate, short-lived) effects, and when the “buzz” wears off, you feel depleted, sluggish, and drained. Nootropics, on the other hand, can deliver both short-term effects as well as prolonged benefits that actually get more effective the longer you use them. •Nootropics exert profound effects on your cognitive function through a variety of mechanisms, including: •Increased production of important neurotransmitters, hormones, and enzymes •Improved neural plasticity •Reduced neuroinflammation •Enhanced cerebral blood flow •Fortified connection and communication between synapses •Decreased accumulation of β-amyloid, which can cause dementia These actions just begin to scratch the surface of how nootropics work in the body. In truth, there are a vast number of nootropics, each working a bit different than the next.