Optineuro Review Summary
The fundamental problem with Optineuro is dosing. This nootropic stack contains some very good ingredients, but there just isn’t enough of them to really make a difference to your cognitive functioning. Much of our full Optineuro review is also taken up with discussing the useless ingredients we find in the formula.
To put it bluntly, there’s nowhere near enough of what we want in Optineuro, and far too much of the stuff we don’t.
On top of that, Optineuro’s side effects may be a concern for some, if relatively few, users. You can get much better value elsewhere; fewer bogus ingredients, better doses, and an all-round more focused stack. More potent stacks can be picked up for a very similar price to Optineuro.
Where To Buy Optineuro
Amazon has the best Optineuro prices by far, but we do always recommend that people buy directly from manufacturers when they can.
Full Optineuro Review
Optineuro is now a well-established and highly popular nootropic supplement from Nutribioticals. Since it became a top seller on Amazon a long time ago, we are sure you’ve seen more than one highly positive Optineuro review out there. But it’s always hard to know if you can trust these review sites. That’s no doubt why you’re here.
So, what is Optineuro all about?
Nutribioticals claim that Optineuro is a nutritional supplement designed to help your brain perform at an optimal level.
They say it contains a unique blend of herbal extracts, enzymes, proteins, vitamins and nootropic agents that work together to enhance a number of brain functions, including:
- Alertness
- Concentration
- Mental energy
- Mood stability
- Memory
More specifically, the manufacturers claim that Optineuro’s ingredients are capable of increasing neurotransmitter production, and therefore brain activity, while also protecting your central nervous system and promoting overall brain health.
The Optineuro website speaks of “rewiring the brain”, which I hope is an allusion to long-term potentiation.
This all looks very promising. But is it true?
Can Optineuro deliver such wide ranging benefits to your cognitive function?
Is it safe? Are there any serious dangers?
How does Optineuro compare to other nootropics on the market today?
Let’s examine Optineuro more closely and find out. Below you will find our full Optineuro review. We look at the ingredients, their doses, and their likely side effects. If you have any questions, please let us know in the comments section at the end.
–Top 3 Brain Supplements 2018–
Optineuro Formula
Before we get stuck into a discussion about the efficacy of the Optineuro formula, here is a photo of the product’s label:
This is a fairly good list of ingredients. There are certainly some issues we’d address, but overall we have reviewed much worse formulas on this site.
Nutribioticals don’t make any ridiculous claims about this supplement being a “Limitless Pill”. They just say that it helps optimise brain health, function and performance. With this ingredient list, I can see it doing exactly that.
Let’s take a look at some of the ingredients and what they do. I’ll also give some of them the minimum dose I’d expect to see in a top nootropic supplement.
Guarana: This is a pretty powerful stimulant. You might be familiar with guarana energy drinks. The stimulant compound in guarana is caffeine. It is, however, typically much more potent than coffee bean extract. In some cases, guarana powder can contain 4 times more caffeine than the same amount of coffee powder. You can find out more about guarana here.
Theanine: L-Theanine is usually found in tea. It seems to act as both stimulant and depressant, helping you stay alert yet relaxed. It is thought to work synergistically with caffeine, helping to “take the edge off” somewhat.
Carnitine (500mg): L-Carnitine has been shown to increase the fat-burning capacity of mitochondria. By effectively increasing the ability of your mitochondria to “produce” energy, L-carnitine increases mental and physical energy levels. This is partly why it has been heralded as an anti-ageing compound. It reduces many of the symptoms of ageing, including chronic fatigue and a lack of mental ‘sharpness’.
Bacopa Extract (300mg at 50% bacoside content): Bacopa monnieri is a bit of a wonder substance as far as nootropics go. It is a well known and potent anti-oxidant, protecting brain cells from damage and promoting general brain health. There is also an increasing body of evidence that suggests Bacopa acts as an adaptogen; reducing the effects of stress in the body. It is currently undergoing studies to test its ability to increase the rate at which neurons are able to communicate with each other. Learn more about bacopa here.
TMG: I don’t normally see Trimethyglycine on the ingredient list of nootropics. It is, however, probably a good inclusion. It works as a methyl donor all over the body, helping reduce homocysteine levels in the blood. This in turn helps support vascular and arterial health. On a cellular level it can help preserve structural integrity. It does this by regulating cellular water content, just like creatine.
Alpha GPC: Alpha GPC offers a more efficient way of increasing acetylcholine concentrations in the brain than simply supplementing with choline. It is in fact one of the most efficient choline prodrugs for increasing both systemic and brain concentrations of choline. Not only can it increase acetylcholine concentrations, but it can also support cellular membrane integrity, helping maintain the health of your brain cells. Learn more about Alpha GPC here.
Phosphatidylcholine: This is a natural compound found in many foods. Supplementing with PS is another way of elevating acetylcholine concentrations. By increasing the amount of acetylcholine available to the brain, you increase the brain’s capacity for neural communication. By doing that, you boost your ability to process information and to stay focused. It isn’t as effective as Alpha GPC, but it is much better than simply taking choline.
Phosphatidylserine (PS): This phospholipid is found in the cell membranes of most living things (animal and plant). It is an essential component of neural tissue. Supplementing with PS has been repeatedly shown to be effective at inhibiting cognitive decline. In healthy individuals, it has been shown to significantly improve cognitive performance (though this has usually been in relation to athletes).
B vitamins: Essential for energy synthesis and bodily health. Deficiencies in B vitamins can have dangerous ramifications later in life, affecting everything from your brain to your bones.
Many of the other ingredients are relatively ineffective. Apart from CoQ10, I wouldn’t call any of them ‘fillers’.
I would however point out that many of the remaining ingredients, such as choline, do the same thing as one or more of the ingredients listed above. The only difference is that they do it less effectively.
-Check Out Our Optineuro Xcel Review-
Our Thoughts On Optineuro’s Formula – Good & Bad
While this is a fairly good ingredient list in terms of the components, it leaves a lot to be desired in terms of dosages, and the huge amount of B-vitamins is perhaps unnecessary (we will deal with that in Side Effects).
Many supplements contain a great list of ingredient but then let us down on the serving sizes. Optineuro nootropic stack commits exactly the same crime.
Put simply, there is not enough of the good and far too much of the bad in this formula.
Poor Dosing
For instance, there is a fair bit of guarana extract in your two capsule recommended dose.
While 110mg of caffeine isn’t a great deal (the equivalent of about two strong cups of coffee), it can quickly add up.
Bare in mind that you will be taking that much in one go, every day. You’ll also probably continue to consume caffeine in the form of tea, coffee and soft drinks.
We don’t necessarily have a problem with a supplement that contains a decent amount of stimulants. We do have a problem with products that rely on stimulants to boost your performance. Filling you with caffeine is not what natural nootropics are all about.
The manufacturers have compensated for the meagre Alpha GPC content by including other forms of choline in the formula; namely, choline bitartate and phosphatidylcholine.
This really doesn’t wash for us. Instead of going low on the much more effective and much pricier cholinergic and making up for it elsewhere, we would have much rather Nutrabioticals just went all-in on the best ingredient: Alpha-GPC.
Considering the myriad benefits afforded by taking Bacopa for a number of weeks, this stuff should also be in there in spades.
We think every comprehensive nootropic should contain Bacopa monnieri, but consuming it in doses below 100mg will not come close to delivering the effects you would experience if you took 150mg.
That is a serious let-down from a stack claiming to be a full spectrum nootropic.
That said, there are things that we like about this formula.
-What Is Bacopa Monnieri & Why Should You Care?-
Good Ingredients
The inclusion of phosphatidylserine is, in our opinion, very welcome.
Top nootropic manufacturers would do well to take note of this. I believe it is a vital ingredient in achieving long-term potentiation.
Long-term potentiation refers to the adaptions made by the brain to cope with significant increases in cognitive activity. As you maximise your brain’s capacity to think, learn and memorise, your brain will slowly begin to adapt to this higher “load”.
Essentially, the brain “upgrades” itself in order to cope with the new burden placed on it.
We can continue to benefit from these adaptations long after we stop taking nootropics. This is a timeless principle; it applies to building muscles, flexibility, lung capacity, and pretty much anything else that requires the body to change.
While all of this shows promise, however, there are things in this formula that mean we need to think carefully about Optineuro’s potential side effects.
-Can You Boost Your Creativity Naturally?
Optineuro Side Effects
While we expressed our displeasure at the amount of active caffeine in these pills, that wasn’t because we think such a dose is dangerous.
Nor do we think it will necessarily produce unwanted side effects (assuming you aren’t also drinking 10 cups of coffee a day).
Our displeasure was aimed at the relatively large amount of guarana compared to other, more effective, ingredients.
While the caffeine content itself is low, it is still relatively high compared to the other ingredients, and it will still be unsuitable for some daily users.
Theanine also promotes mental energy and alertness, and can make the effects of caffeine feel stronger. This is likely to make Optineuro’s side effects much more prevalent.
These concerns are, of course, only minor.
In fact, it is thought that at the correct doses, L-Theanine can help to dull the negative side effects of high caffeine consumption.
However, for the vast majority of users, we think any Optineuro side effects are likely to be mild.
As always though, we are speaking generally, and we are not qualified doctors. Everyone has different constitutions, tolerances, and allergies. Please check with your doctor before taking anything new, especially if it contains refined caffeine.
Optineuro Review Conclusion
Optineuro does not seem like a bad product by any means.
It contains a lot of great ingredients, but the main problem is that the dosages are too small for the ingredients we really want, but too big for those we care less about.
The formula is too tilted in favour of stimulants and other ingredients that really don’t make the difference between a good and a great nootropic.
There is a tonne of B vitamins, caffeine and L-Theanine, and a great deal less Alpha GPC.
It could have been a fantastic supplement if the manufacturers had concentrated more on top end ingredients and on the extracts that you can’t get from your normal diet. We would have also preferred it if Optineuro had more long-term orientated ingredients (e.g. bacopa) and less of the short-term boosters (e.g guarana).
We don’t think this would be a terrible purchase by any means. The company doesn’t seem to be a scam, and there are some good ingredients in there.
However, we do think that there are better ways to spend your money if you are genuinely interested in boosting your brain power in both the short and the long term. You can get a much more potent and a much more focused nootropic for a similar price.
We have reviewed hundreds of nootropics and this supplement is still the most impressive. Our review team used this product for months and all experienced:
- Heightened focus
- Enhanced memory function
- More mental energy
- Better mental performance under stress
Read our full review to find out if this is the nootropic you have been looking for.
Helder Conceicao says
I bought Opti neuro a week ago and nothing happened. It is a BS.
Nothing change in my mind in my body. I did not fell anything different.
I mean disappointed with this.