Noopept

Often confused as part of the racetam family, noopept is a unique nootropic peptide that was developed in Russia to treat age-related cognitive decline. Today, it is used by elderly and young nootropic enthusiasts alike and has become one of the most potent and popular smart drugs currently in use.

Considered vastly more potent than piracetam and other memory enhancing smart drugs, noopept is currently used as a potent prescription drug for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other age related cognitive decline in countries like Russia and the former Soviet Union [1].

Although derived in 1996, noopept has much evidence to suggest efficacy for improving cognitive abilities and memory. According to one study, noopept is 1000 times more potent than piracetam, which is why the recommended dosage is so small [2]. Noopept improves memory by increasing brain chemicals called BDNF and through other means [3].

Noopept has grown in popularity over the past two decades and currently is one of the highly recommended nootropics within the community.

Also Known As

N-phenylacetyl-L-prolylglycine ethyl ester, Noopeptide, Ноопепт, GVS-111

Benefits of Noopept

Despite noopept’s purpose to improve memory and prevent cognitive decline, one of the main benefits of noopept is anti-anxiety and mood enhancement. A study concluded that noopept was more effective than piracetam as an anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) and helped with feelings of irritability [4]. Even further, noopept has been implicated in reducing depression [5], which might make it a useful (and safer) option than other currently prescribed options. This hasn’t been thoroughly tested, however.

Noopept has been shown to stimulate and promote two proteins involved in generating fresh neurons as well as preserving and strengthening damaged neurons in the Hippocampus. In one study, it was shown that Noopept may aid in treating Parkinson’s disease by alleviating amyloid oligomeric cytotoxicity (plaque that causes memory impairment and/or cellular dysfunction).

Noopept is a peptide that is promoted as a natural method of improving cognitive functions. There are still many variables though that have to be looked at with improving cognitive abilities. How well this supplement works is correlated to each users own needs and current cognitive ability as well as lifestyle choices.

Beyond mood enhancement, there are many benefits of noopept. Primary among these is memory enhancement through brain chemicals called NGF and BDNF [6]. These brain chemicals help act as fertilizer for the brain to create new connections and memories.

Many of these same properties make noopept beneficial for preventing cognitive decline. In countries like Russia, the drug is used as a prescription to treat Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and age related cognitive decline. One of the primary mechanisms (beyond NGF and BDNF) are benefits for acetylcholine processes [7].

Another benefit of noopept is how well-tolerated the drug is despite high potency. You can take a strong and impactful smart drug while still feeling safe.

Finally, this drug can be a powerful psychostimulant (concentration / focus enhancer) as well. There is some evidence noopept excites neurons [8], but more research is needed to confirm this as a main benefit of noopept.

Noopept Benefits and Research

We would be remiss without mentioning that many of the noopept benefits come from studies, which are hard to extrapolate for the common healthy adult. For example, many of the noopept benefits we have described in the section above are related to the existing scientific literature on the subject. Unfortunately, there are few companies that have the money to invest in research to uncover all of the potential noopept benefits because it is a nootropic that cannot be patented any longer.

This means that we must do our best with the information that we are given and the anecdotal evidence that we have from communities like Reddit and Longecity. Many of the noopept review articles provide insights about what the drug does for health individuals.

How Does Noopept Work?

Noopept is a synthetic molecule, derived in 1996, in order to prevent cognitive decline in elderly. One “mechanism of action” (how noopept works) is by improving alpha brain wave function in adults [9]. By improving alpha brain wave function, the user is more likely to remember facts, figures, and patterns. Noopept supports cognitive function by also improving specific brain chemicals as we have mentioned above.

The BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) chemical is responsible for forming memories and learning ability. While you may not feel any differences from having more BDNF, it is assuredly how the memory enhancement of noopept can help you.

Finally, noopept is a potent anxiolytic that helps reduce irritability and stress. The way noopept manages to do this is through an “increase of tonic inhibition in the hippocampus” [10]. Unless you deeply desire to understand what this nootropic is doing in your brain, there is no need to understand this highly scientific phrase.

Is Noopept a Racetam?

Another common point of confusion is whether noopept is a racetam. Because the properties and effects are similar (and comparisons have been made in scientific literature), there is some confusion about the provenance of the drug. This synthetic smart drug was created with the structure of piracetam in mind, but it is actually an unrelated dipeptide.

Noopept vs. Piracetam: Which is Better?

The two drugs are different families with different effects, but if we had to choose noopept vs. piracetam, we would go with: Noopept.

Even though noopept is part of a different family than piracetam, the two drugs interact very similarly to each other. Noopept is considered to be more potent and studies suggest around 1000 times more so [1].

Also, when comparing noopept vs. piracetam, it is important to consider the side effect potential for each. Studies show that noopept was 1.8 times less likely to to cause side effects than piracetam (when equitable doses were given).

Thus, noopept is both considered more potent than piracetam and at the same time safer.

The Community Speaks: Noopept vs. Piracetam

The summary above is based on very little evidence about noopept and piracetam because there are few studies comparing the two. In general, the effects are similar and anecdotal reports will give you a better idea of which one you could take.

People that use noopept report it has a greater propensity to increase stimulation, concentration, and general cognitive abilities. Noopept is more potent and thus seems to have more stimulating effects on people in the community that use the drug.

Besides the stimulation aspect, there are people who use noopept for anxiety relief as well. This may have to do with glutamate and GABA receptor modulation, which is more potent than piracetam as well.

Despite all of this anecdotal evidence in favor of noopept, there are uses for piracetam as well. For one, piracetam is a good beginner nootropic for people to get started. Also, piracetam tends to be a longer-term play that has profound effects after a while. Noopept is similar to an extent, but piracetam is a long term memory tool.

Which One Do I Buy? Noopept vs. Piracetam

If you are looking for one thing to buy, our recommendation would depend how long you have been using nootropics.

New user – if you are new, it is a good idea to use piracetam to start off and see whether this has a positive influence on your cognitive abilities over time. Be patient as piracetam is a long-term nootropic that doesn’t have a high sense of stimulation
Veteran user – for those who have a little more experience (and maybe even with piracetam), then noopept might be a good next step up. It will be something your body is a little more used to (and you can gauge properly).
Devout memory enhancer – if you are looking for memory enhancement as your main goal, using both noopept and piracetam together is not a bad idea. There are plenty of people who do this.

Whatever you decide, these drugs are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States. That means you need to find a vendor that is trustworthy and reputable. To do that, we recommend you use a Nootropedia recommended vendor.

Here is a source for you to buy noopept and here is one for you to buy piracetam.

A Scientific Diversion

There may be some who are skeptical without scientific research or evidence and I understand the sentiment. It's natural for intelligent people to limit their downside and decrease the likelihood that side effects or permanent damage might create problems.

Unfortunately, there are few studies comparing the two compounds together. The existing studies show noopept was likely to have fewer side effects than piracetam (by around 1.8 times) given the same dosage, but that doesn't say much about the possible benefits.

To look towards benefits, we must view the drugs individually and strip their merits. Noopept and piracetam both interact with cholinergic functioning. Most of the studies of both drugs are with elderly or senile dementia patients, which makes it harder to compare for healthy adults.

Either way, the evidence is clear that both are useful cholinergics. The only question is which might be more effective. Some of the noopept research is pointing towards added benefits compared to piracetam. One study showed noopept encouraged NGF (nerve-growth factor) and BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor), which are both like fertilizer for the brain. With these added memory and learning benefits, it is easy to see how someone might choose the noopept over the piracetam.

References (Click to Expand)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12596521

Side Effects of Noopept

Given the potency of noopept compared to other nootropics (particularly piracetam), there are actually relatively few side effects. Some people record side effects of noopept as irritability, nausea, and anxiety. Others find that noopept creates a sense of insomnia if taken too late at night.

By the registered manufactures of Noopept, the substance has been deemed safe in clinical trials. Their drug studies have shown it to be effective and low in toxicity at the recommended dosages. However, if taken in high doses it will likely lead to unpleasant side effects like headaches, irritability, etc. Below are some of the common side effects of Noopept that are likely to occur at higher dosages.

Headache
Insomnia
Fatigue
Nausea
Gastrointestinal Problems

At this time, there are no records of dangerous drug interactions or side effects with Noopept; however, this does not mean they cannot or will not occur. Tolerance and withdrawal with Noopept is not serious and should not be a concern. There does not seem to be a serious physical dependence problem with Noopept and tolerance is most likely to result in loss of beneficial effects that can be eliminated with cycling.

References (Click to Expand)

Although the anecdotes from communities like Reddit and Longecity are valuable, the scientific literature shows almost no noopept side effects. In fact, most of the research has no mention of noopept side effects at all and the toxicity issues were not problematic. The lack of noopept side effects is one of the main reasons why the drug was approved for use in medical settings.

In general, noopept is considered well-tolerated even with a direct comparison of piracetam. Researchers took equitable doses of noopept and piracetam (measured by their effect on cognition) and saw 1.8 times less side effects associated with noopept than piracetam.

Noopept Dosage

Standard doses of noopept are between 10 – 30 mg per day depending on age, cognitive decline, and goals. Many healthy adults who use noopept for cognitive enhancement purposes find a dosage of 10 mg three times per day to be the most effective start point.

What is the right dose for you? It works in the same manner that Piracetam does. However, according to “Experiments in Clinical Pharmacology”, a Russian article, Noopept is 1000 times stronger than Piracetam. As a result, be very cautious when it comes to your dosage amounts. It’s recommended you take between 10 and 40mg of Noopept each day, and to spread the dosing throughout the day. For example, with a 40mg dose each day, take 10mg four times or for 30mg, take 10mg three times throughout the day.

As a good starting point, if you weigh less than 140lbs, begin with taking only 10mg. If you fall in between 140-200 pounds start at taking 20mg. For those of you that are over 200lbs then take 30mg. All these figures are per day dosage figures. Again, it’s up to you how you divide up your dosage throughout the day with what works best for your body and the results you are looking for. If you find that you start to feel uncomfortable from taking a high dose, quickly find a quiet, relaxing space and drink lots of water.

Noopept is available in powder, tablet and liquid form. When it comes to something like Noopept, many people prefer the sublingual option. Primarily, the sublingual method helps to bypass many of the enzymes that are inside the stomach and intestines. This often leads to the drug being more potent and effective when it comes into the bloodstream and eventually the brain.

After administration, Noopept appears to provide a neuro protective effect; however, researchers have yet to explain exactly why this neuro protective element occurs. It is a peptide that can be taken orally and passes readily through the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB). Do not use a mega-dose unless you have extensive experience taking it as normal administration quantities first.

A Common Noopept Stack

The noopept effects are quite strong according to the research, but there are ways to increase the efficacy of the drug even further. Many of the scientific studies (rightly) focused on the noopept effects alone, but there are anecdotal reports of various stacks that may be beneficial for cognitive performance.

Similar to the racetam family (which is a cholinergic compound interacting with the acetylcholine neurotransmitter), adding noopept to a few choice nootropics can make a big difference.

Noopept Choline Stack

Noopept is used to increase concentration, enhance learning capacity and to hone reasoning skills. For some people, it also offers heightened perceptual awareness. Choline supplementation is combined with Noopept to potentiate its function in the brain and to reduce onset of headache sometimes brought on through acetylcholine fatigue.

Combining noopept with a choline source seems to be synergistic in some people. Because choline sources (such as CDP choline) provide raw choline, the noopept can increase utilization and uptake into parts of the brain where memory enhancement is taking place.

When stacking Noopept and Citicoline (CDP Choline) together, a more common dosage ratio is 1:30. This means if you were to use 10 mg of Noopept, you would use approximately 300 mg of Citicoline over the course of a day. If you do use Noopept with other nootropics, you may want to take a smaller dose to prevent over-stimulation.

The combination can be with alpha gpc and noopept or the choline source mentioned above. Some even mention positive effects using a new cholinergic called centrophenoxine alongside noopept.

Noopept and Racetam Stack

In addition to choline sources, there are ways to combine noopept with racetams to good use. Even though they sometimes get clumped together, these drugs are different and operate in different ways. Besides piracetam, it can be helpful to combine noopept with aniracetam, oxiracetam, and even some of the more experimental options like phenylpiracetam and coluracetam.

Noopept and Unique Blends

There are some unique blends that already include noopept (the early version of Qualia did), but most will stay away as it is not an FDA regulated compound. It's possible to combine noopept with other unique blends like Mind Lab Pro or Alpha Brain considering both of these have cholinergics and are not highly stimulating.

Noopept and Natural Nootropics

Noopept is a synthetic peptide and adding natural nootropics like bacopa and pycnogenol (pine bark extract) can help with memory retention and learning. Other natural options include Ayurvedic anxiety supplement ashwagandha, holy basil, and gotu kola. Some people enjoy tongkat ali as a natural (but powerful) nootropic and alongside noopept there doesn't seem to be any issues from anecdotal perspectives. Keep in mind that none of these stacking ingredients have been tested with scientific rigor.

How and Where to Buy Noopept

This drug is ubiquitous in the nootropics community. As an intermediate / beginner nootropic, it is easy to find noopept for sale. Unfortunately, like many other nootropic compounds, it is not regulated by national (or international) agencies. This means there is less strict laws and regulations, which is beneficial in some ways, but requires self-regulation.

To achieve peace of mind when you buy noopept online, it is useful to look for vendors that have a solid reputation and back that up with facts and figures. This is often done in the form of testing their products and providing customers with results (such as assay tests for purity or heavy metals for harmful additives).

When wondering where to buy noopept, consider the online portals that have the most evidence and support. Nootropedia recommends Pure Nootropics noopept because the owner has a full array of testing and analysis (including third party verification). Also, the brand has produced their own sublingual noopept solution, which tastes okay and helps improve efficacy of the drug.

Selected Community Experiences

“To summarize, the closest substance to NZT-48. The people in my life are nothing short of shocked. In mbti terms, my personality changed from an INTP in a manic depressive state to a healthy ENTP. Best way to describe it.. I feel the way I should feel.” [11] – stoicjoker

“I drank eight beers and two generous glasses of Maker's Mark over the course of five hours while watching a couple movies and hanging out with my girlfriend. I'm no stranger to drinking for fun, and I know my limits. This was well beyond them, and yet I felt none of the fuzziness or lack of focus I usually feel when drinking heavily.” [12] – dubyrunning

“I have definitely noticed improvements in language skills as well as my ability and willingness to empathize with people, especially people I don't know. I have also noticed an increase in my ability to be mindful about my own thoughts and feelings. I am less likely to follow any particular emotion down its path without first considering where that path begins and ends.” [13]- Pixeleyes

Noopept Review Online

As with any other nootropic drug, the noopept review you read from an individual is going to be in stark contrast to the rigid scientific studies found in the NCBI database. That being said, a noopept review in the online communities still has value.

Most of the research is done on disease patients or animals rather than healthy adults looking to improve their cognitive performance. Although the scientists who manage studies pay more attention to detail and the scientific process, you have more in common with the noopept review online than you do with the Alzheimer's sufferers who are part of the study. For that reason, the selected community experiences above are important markers for your decision to buy noopept or not.

Author's Thoughts on Noopept

I can see why people think noopept is similar to piracetam given the sensation and results. From what I’ve read, it was created to imitate piracetam (among other things), so there is no surprise there.

The potency of noopept is quite a useful tool (even at a low dose of 10 mg) especially when I don’t have the time or patience to consume grams and grams of powder. I prefer to use noopept with a sublingual dropper, which makes for easy administration throughout the day that I use it.

Noopept has helped with focus somewhat, but primarily it is a mood enhancer and helps with creativity in my experience. Unless I use it at higher doses, there is no improved concentration or anything similar.

For people who have already tried piracetam and others, noopept is a good secondary foray. It is what I would consider an “intermediate” nootropic, but I think it is pretty valuable.

Mansal Denton, Nootropedia Contributor

References (Click to Expand)