Comment · Thu, August 13, 2015 · Ceretropic
Consumer Reports: A look at anti-aging treatment claims
What they were answering
Direct reply to the original post in this thread.
u/MisterYouAreSoDumb · Ceretropic
Proponents say that these drugs—some of them prescription-only, others sold over the counter or online—can improve memory, focus, and attention. One group of “smart drugs,” collectively called nootropics, includes supplements containing such ingredients as caffeine, fish oil, herbals, and piracetam, which isn’t approved in the U.S. but is prescribed in the United Kingdom for movement disorders. The other main group of smart drugs includes the ADHD prescription medications methylphenidate (Ritalin and generic), and amphetamine and dexamphetamine (Adderall and generic); narcolepsy and sleep-apnea drug modafinil (Provigil and generic); and Alzheimer’s drug donepezil (Aricept and generic).
There’s limited evidence that nootropics improve cognition. And some may cause side effects or interact with medicine you’re already taking. In addition, what’s on a container’s label might not reflect what’s inside unless the supplement has been verified by a group such as the U.S. Pharmacopeia. “There can be tremendous variability among manufacturers,” says Gary W. Small, M.D., director of the UCLA Longevity Center.
Did they actually do a study, or just Google a few compounds, and talk to a few "experts" about it? This seems like lazy reporting.