Comment · Tue, June 18, 2013 · Ceretropic
Tolerance and Nootropics: Opinions?
Original post in this thread
23423564613 · 20 points
I've noticed a lack of discussion surrounded tolerance. While reaching primary cognitive ability is of primary concern to me, it is also vitally important to avoid tolerance and adaptation.
The human body is exceptional at maintaining chemical equilibrium. Caffeine (up-regulation of adenosine receptors) is perhaps the most cited case, but it is naive to believe the body does not react similarly to unnatural levels of other chemical compounds.
For me, having to dose myself to reach a baseline, normal cognitive state--or do avoid debilitating withdrawal effects--is an serious long-term concern.
Personally, I feel like this aspect of supplementation is often brushed aside, but is perhaps the most paramount attribute--we are attempting to improve upon human physiology, and trading a long-term decrease in energy or anything else for short bursts is more hacky-reallocation and actually a net-negative.
The body is so well-optimized that one could argue against all supplementation. I do believe intelligent supplementation can be a net-positive, but only because the demands and conditions of industrialized life are very different from what our body has been optimized for.
Thoughts?
What they were answering
[deleted] · 4 points
I think what the OP is arguing here is that there is no such thing as a supplement that does not lead to tolerance as the body will self-regulate regardless. This has been dis-proven as not every long-term supplement use leads to regulation. I don't have sources handy (at work on lunch) but I know this has been discussed here many times before.
I would suggest that OP search this sub for the word tolerance perhaps as a beginning point. I believe that the OP is new to the sub and does not realize the intellectual and scholarly discussions that take place here.
u/MisterYouAreSoDumb · Ceretropic
Yeah, tolerance is a specific term. To be a true nootropic, a substance must not have significant tolerance buildup. Then there are adaptogens, which actually become more effective over time.