For millions of Americans, the early morning alarm means a straight shot to the coffee maker. As the cliché goes, many people simply cannot get started in the morning without a cup of coffee. In this situation, a cognitive enhancer has become a necessity with few positive effects beyond the baseline. Drinking coffee every day (or more so) is the most common example of overusing a substance. Some people can get away with it no problem, but others require ever higher doses of caffeine to simply get through the day.
Not for Regular Use
A perfect example of using something daily, which probably shouldn’t can be found across internet forums like Reddit. One person complained: “I am currently on a little break from caffeine…I am on Day 3. Noticing some headaches, mild/moderate depression, and lethargy. How long should I keep this break going for ideal results in reducing my tolerance…Definitely missing my coffee. Was even debating getting some decaf just for the taste.” This does not seem like a situation where he is enhancing his cognitive performance!
Many of the substances (especially stimulants) are better used in some type of cycle whereby the user takes a substance one day, a different one the next, and somehow circles back after a period of time. This isn’t always possible and it is a case by case basis, but hopefully the example we’ve provided make it clear there are some situations where taking something daily is simply not a good long-term decision.
Best Nootropics for Daily Use: Memory Enhancers
As many nootropics are NOT useful daily, there are substances scientifically proven to be better when used consistently. Many of these substances are helpful for improving memory formation and learning ability over time.Because memory development and learning is complex and requires time, it is no wonder memory enhancers work over extended periods. There are two particular nootropics (highly popular ones too), which are considered useful for daily consumption.
Bacopa MonnieriTraditional Ayurvedic medicine was onto something those many thousands of years ago.Nonetheless, there are a few things to be conscious of with daily use of bacopa monnieri. It is a fat soluble nootropic, which means it’s best taken with some type of fat source (or with food). Finally, while the product is safe and helpful on a daily basis, getting a poor quality product with heavy metals (as can be the case in Ayurvedic medicine) is NOT good daily. Heavy metals are not good at all so make sure you buy with caution. Our Bacognize is specifically patented to avoid that problem.
Nutrients for Daily Use
Besides the memory enhancers that are proven to require daily usage for best results, there are plenty of nutrients where modern people have deficiencies. Our diet isn’t the same as it used to be and our body is significantly less well off in certain areas than it used to be (without over glorifying the hunter-gatherer days).
Creatine monohydrate
Creatine is a basic building block for cellular ATP (energy), which makes it a helpful daily nootropic. Because it requires saturation of the cells, taking it daily is almost imperative to see any of the results, but if you do the results are well-measured.
Magnesium
One of the most common deficiencies is magnesium and in the western diet, this is still true as much as the third world. A great supplement to our diet is magnesium, which can be taken daily assuming you don’t get enough (likely the case). The best forms of magnesium are magnesium glycinate (well absorbed) and magnesium threonate (crosses the blood brain barrier).
Fish oil (DHA / EPA)
Our ancestors spent a lot of time near fresh (and salt) water in order to survive. Naturally, they ate many of the foods that came from that water and fish are high among those foods. Due to our imbalanced omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids ratio, regular intake of DHA and EPA supplements is advisable. Note that each individual is unique, and nutrients beneficial for one person daily may not apply to others. One example of this is exemplified by 23andme genetic analysis and the accompanying results. For some people, methylfolate is the best supplement one can take (for those with a MTHFR polymorphism). For other people, vitamin D is even more valuable as a daily nutrient. It is highly suggested to get 23andme results and see if they can help.
Selecting daily nootropics can involve guesswork or relate to personal goals and genetic factors, influencing your choice. Each person differs, but using certain nootropics sparingly and others daily can significantly benefit both short and long-term outcomes. There are occasionally times when cycling off of all nootropics for a period of time is a great idea. After all, we always want to have a healthy relationship with the tools that we use for our performance. If you plan to use certain nootropics more regularly, make sure they are the best options for the job.
Also read our blog on 5 Ways Nootropics Can Increase Your Success In Business And Life
