What is Noopept and should I add it to my daily nootropic stack?

If you’re researching nootropics, at some point you’ll come across Noopept.

For someone with limited experience with nootropics, learning about Noopept can be incredibly difficult. The internet is replete with misinformation about compounds like Noopept, and people are often so attached to their nootropic of choice that they are willing to exaggerate benefits or downplay negatives in order to convince others that they should be using the same stuff.

That’s where we come in.

We’re going to try to answer the most pressing questions you might have about Noopept, and we’re going to do so in a reasonable, impartial manner.

Hopefully all of you who are looking for some sound guidance on nootropic supplementation will find this useful.

What is Noopept?

Noopept is actually a brand name, not an official compound name. Its chemical name is N-phenylacetyl-L-prolylglycine ethyl ester.

As you might have guessed from the name, it is a synthetic rather than a natural nootropic compound.

First synthesised in Russia, the brand patent for Noopept belongs to a company called JSC LEKKO Pharmaceuticals, who are an enormous Russian pharmaceutical manufacturing outfit.

Noopept is usually grouped with the racetam family of nootropics. Contrary to popular belief, this is not because Noopept is itself a racetam (it doesn’t have a 2-oxo-pyrrolidine skeleton).

Noopept is actually usually grouped with the racetams because its effects are thought to be quite similar to the likes of piracetam, aniracetam, and so on. It is structurally similar to the racetams, to the extent that Noopept can be said to be an analogue of piracetam. More specifically, it is a dipeptide conjugate of piracetam (ref).

While this similarity in effects has not been properly studied, Noopept and piracetam have been shown to cause similar EEG patterns in conscious rats.

In fact, Noopept was purposefully designed as a kind of ‘new and improved’ piracetam. As we will see, it behaves in a very similar way to piracetam in the body, but with some ‘enhancements’ that make it, in the eyes of many users, far more effective.

What does Noopept do?

Noopept’s main nootropic effect is the increase in Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) and Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) concentrations. This is an absolutely tremendous benefit as far as cognitive enhancement goes.

BDNF supports the formation and differentiation of new neurons, and the maintenance of existing neurons, in the hippocampus, the frontal cortex, and the hypothalmus (ref). These areas have particular significance with regards to learning, memory and recall – promoting neuron proliferation in these areas has a deep, lasting, and significant impact on memory function and learning.

In fact, it is hard to think of a better way to facilitate better learning and memory function than by revamping the physical architecture of the brain. This site has always put a great deal of emphasis on the importance of lasting changes, and increasing BDNF and NGF seems to be a reliable, effective way of achieving such permanent enhancements.

Noopept is not the only compound capable of bringing about an increase in NGF concentrations, nor is it just a property associated with synthetic nootropic compounds. Substances such as Lion’s Mane mushroom have been shown to be highly effective at increasing NGF production.

Of course, Noopept has long been thought to be much more than just a NGF and BDNF pro-drug, although that alone would not be a small feat for a nootropic.

One of its other main properties associated with Noopept is its ability to inhibit Glutamate release. The study referred to here found that Noopept supplementation was able to significantly reduce both the spontaneous and stimulated release of Glutamate

Why is that interesting?

Glutamate is the brain’s main excitatory neurotransmitter, and it is the most prominent neurotransmitter overall.

To quote the aforementioned study: “At present glutamate is considered to be a key mediator in the pathogenesis of brain neurotoxic damages in the course of such states as hypoxia, hypoglycemia, and neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., Alzheimer’s and Parkinson diseases along with several others).”

Basically, when we experience something that amounts to oxygen deprivation, the ability of nervous tissue to take up gluatamte is disturbed, leading to a huge release of glutamate into the intracellular space. It is posited that this is the cause of neuron deterioration and death. It is therefore suggested by these researchers that “diminishing the neurotoxic effect of glutamate could serve as one of the most important mechanisms of neuroprotection.”

It seems that Noopept was effective in this regard.

Is that important for you?

Well, you may have noticed that the neuroprotective effects have been noted in relation to extreme occurrences such as oxygen deprivation.

It is therefore questionable whether or not Noopept has any neuroprotective properties with regards to otherwise healthy individuals, at least as far as glutamate release prevention goes.

What are people saying about Noopept?

As with every supplement on the market, you can find both positive and negative personal testimonies on Noopept.

It must be said that the majority of user experiences with Noopept seem to be, overall, fairly positive.

Let’s look at a sample taken from nootropics forums and brain supplement review sites.

In response to being asked whether Noopept improved their cognitive function, LongeCity users responded:

Here’s an unprompted user testimony from reddit:

As I said earlier, plenty of people report great results from taking Noopept. Most interesting are those reports that claim that supplementation brought them benefits when they needed it (i.e when studying), and no effect when they didn’t need it (when they wanted to relax).

Such a property would make Noopept completely different from every other synthetic nootropic out there.

The reason we take natural nootropic stacks is because we want enhanced cognitive function without any kind of narcotic effect. We need to be on our A-game in a professional or academic capacity, not acting strangely and unable to break focus to concentrate on what matters.

However, other users’ reports tell quite a different story. Here’s a selection:

These testimonies, and the many others like them, run completely counter to the experiences of the people quoted above.

If Noopept is able to deliver nootropic benefits for a lot of people, that’s great. But most visitors to this site require enhanced memory, verbal fluidity, and calm, focused clarity in environments where they can’t afford to be “under the influence”.

If your job relies on you staying focused and functional under stress, then a substance that can make you easily distracted, give you a headache, or exacerbate your anxiety is not what you want at all!

-Check Out Our Top Rated Natural Nootropic Stacks-

How effective is Noopept?

Noopept is held up as the nootropic king for those users who don’t mind using synthetic supplements.

And with good reason.

While the actual figures differ depending on which study you look at, Noopept is without question a significantly more potent compound than piracetam. This is obvious when you look at dosage.

Studies using, say, 400mg of piracetam, have found similar effects from using less than 1g of Noopept (ref).

Some sources suggest that Noopept is many thousands of % points ‘stronger’ than piracetam. others say a few hundred % points.

I am inclined to think that the truth is somewhere in the middle.

Whatever source you look at though, Noopept clearly packs a much bigger punch by weight than piracetam.

Noopept is very quickly metabolised, appearing in the blood in under half an hour. Studies have found that the half-life of Noopept in rats is similarly rapid, although this is contradicted by most anecdotal evidence.

Side effects of Noopept

This is the section that most of you will be interested in. Readers of this site are usually avid consumers of information on supplements, and if you’re reading this, you’ve no doubt come across the enormous array of personal reviews attesting tot he amazing properties of Noopept.

For a lot of you, there will be only one question left: is Noopept safe?

Noopept seems to be safe for most people, as far as seriously worrying consequences go. It has been shown to be safer than a comparative dose of piracetam. Piracetam seems to be well tolerated, despite the side effects, so we can reasonably infer that Noopept is similarly well tolerated.

A more apt question might be: does Noopept come with unwanted side effects?

Well, the only answer we can give you is: maybe, maybe not. Whether you have a negative experience on Noopept or not seems to be luck of the draw.

As you can see form the testimonies above, some people experience nothing but benefits from taking Noopept in sensible, relatively low dosages.

Other people feel no difference at all.

And others experience some really unpleasant side effects, including:

Irritability
Headaches
Irritability
Depression
Itchiness
Gastrointestinal discomfort

People prone to allergies should also be extra careful when taking a substance like Noopept. It seems to be able to exacerbate pre-existing conditions.

NOTE: I am talking here about small, sensible dosages of Noopept. At high dosages, users report side effects as serious as severe hallucinations. If you are going to take a synthetic drug, then you should talk to a doctor first, and ALWAYS stick to the recommended dosage.

Should I take Noopept?

Clearly, Noopept works well for a lot of people.

However, when people say it works well for them, we have to consider what it is that they look for in nootropics.

As many user testimonies evidence, Noopept can be useful for some people, but completely counter-productive for others. Its effects also seem to be fundamentally inconsistent, user-to-user.

So not only might two people completely disagree on what actually constitutes a benefit, but they might also have completely different experiences anyway.

Take, for instance, the person who uses nootropics to stay focused during marathon poker games. This person will like anything that makes them focused and awake, even if they are incapable of interacting with other people, and even if they are unable to switch their focus between tasks.

Such a person has completely different needs to someone looking for some assistance staying focused during a busy day of meetings, or to someone who wants to enhance their mental performance every day, in all situations.

In weighing up whether or not to take Noopept, you also need to bear in mind that this is a synthetic drug designed to be immensely powerful – significantly more powerful than piracetam, which many people find overbearing.

Noopept vs. Natural Nootropics

Our recommendation would always be to stear clear of synthetic nootropics and use natural nootropic stacks instead.

For one thing, natural nootropic stacks do not produce any overwhelming feelings of being ‘under the influence’.

Many of our readers are busy entrepreneurs and professionals. They need to interact with people all day, juggling multiple tasks, and continually responding to problems. These people can’t afford to feel even the slightest bit off balance. They can’t afford to be acting strangely, and even temporary mental impairment can be disastrous.

Synthetic nootropics, like Modafinil or Noopept, can therefore be a bad decision.

Natural nootropic stacks can be taken on a daily basis. They work by gently pushing your brains performance to its potential without interfering with its normal functioning. They simply give your brain everything it needs to operate at maximum capacity.

All of your faculties stay as they are, and you are highly unlikely to have any moments of “feeling weird” that so many people experience when taking synthetic brain boosters.

At the end of the day, you should always think very carefully before putting anything new into your body. That is why our highest ratings always go to products that we deem natural, and of a high manufacturing quality.

Noopept might sound like exactly what you’re looking for. All we can do is give you our opinion on the most effective, healthiest, and safest way of enhancing your mental performance. That is with natural nootropic stacks from reputable manufacturers.