Nootropics for Intelligence: Can a Pill Make You Smarter?

Nootropics are drugs or supplements designed to improve cognitive functions such as intelligence, memory and attention. They are also known as smart drugs, cognitive enhancers, memory enhancers and intelligence enhancers. Their use for cognitive performance is widespread.

The reputable science journal, Nature, launched an informal survey on the use of cognition-enhancing drugs by readers and found that a large scale of people used them. One out of every five of the respondents said they had used the drugs to stimulate concentration, memory and focus.

Many of the people looking for pills to make them smart usually explore nootropic supplements. They help with academic performance, grasping difficult concepts and developing better memory among other benefits. They work on a fundamental level to enhance basic cognitive functions that happen millions of times daily in the brain.

Consumption of certain nootropic supplements increases the number of synapses and neurons in your brain while others expedite communication between neurons. All these tiny changes sum up to improved intellectual power and mental performance.

Nootropics and Intelligence

Before we delve into how nootropics boost intelligence, let’s start with the types of intelligence we have. The results you are looking for will depend on the type of intelligence being looked at. The two main types of intelligence are fluid and crystallized intelligence which we use in our day to day activities and without one the other is ineffective. Therefore the nootropic supplements need to increase the effect in both categories in order for it to make you truly intelligent.

Crystallized Intelligence: is the ability to make use of acquired knowledge and experience that you have gained during the course of your life. How much someone knows is based on their crystallized intelligence. The more experience one gains, the more the growth of their crystallized intelligence.

Examples of crystallized intelligence include; speaking in your native language, driving and repeating techniques that have worked for you in the past. Crystallized intelligence is mostly correlated with our long-term memory volume. Nootropics that you should take to improve this area of intelligence are those that boost long-term memory formation, storage and recall.

Fluid Intelligence: is the ability to solve new problems without previous knowledge or experience. It has less to do with what you know and more with what you can do cognitively. It reflects one’s ability to solve problems, learn something new and reason.

Examples of fluid intelligence include; acquisition of new skills, imagination and creativity and problem solving. Crystallized intelligence often results from fluid intelligence. To boost fluid intelligence, use nootropics that enhance synaptic plasticity and short term memory.

How to Increase Intelligence with Nootropics

Factors related to both fluid and crystallized intelligence can be addressed in different ways by nootropics and smart drugs.

It is important to note that the sole use of nootropics will not have a dramatic impact in the increase of your crystallized stores of knowledge. They facilitate better long term storage the same way protein supplements facilitate the growth of muscles. It is not enough to simply add some protein powder to your glass of milk every so often, for your muscle tissue to increase in size you also have to put in some work and exercise to get your desired results. Similarly, you should engage your mind by trying out new experiences or reading to ease the development of better crystallized intelligence, should you be using memory boosting nootropics.

Nootropics used to better fluid intelligence are more capable of affecting changes on their own. This is done through increasing your working memory capacity and supporting the formation of new connections in your brain.

A study in 2010 showed that working memory compared to other traditional measures like measuring IQ scores was a better predictor off academic success. Your short term memory also includes being able to manipulate data and make mental calculations. Synaptic plasticity allows for your brain to make these types of operations and learn new information. Some people naturally have higher degrees of neuroplasticity; this however declines as you age. Taking certain nootropic supplements boost the activity of certain neurotransmitters and as a result, it increases your synaptic plasticity.

Acetylcholine and Glutamate

These two neurotransmitters are the most important for memory, learning and reasoning. Neurotransmitters are released at synapses to communicate and react at different neurons. They are basically the messengers of your neurons.

There is more brain activity when the levels of these neurotransmitters are high and the synaptic receptors are more sensitive. You can contribute to increasing your ability to remember and learn by increasing glutamate and acetylcholine activity in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. The stimulation of glutamatergic and cholinergic systems also help to make calculations with data and performing manipulations easy.

Best Nootropics for intelligence

The best supplements to take if you want to increase fluid intelligence and synaptic plasticity are the Racetam family of nootropics. Those that stimulate the glutamate and acetylcholine synapses include Piracetam, Aniracetam, Pramiracetam and Oxiracetam which are important for your cognition and your memory.

You can increase intelligence by increasing the production of acetylcholine in the brain through taking nootropic supplements like Alpha GPC,CDP Choline and Centrophenoxine. The acetylcholine neurotransmitter is naturally made in the brain from choline sources found in your food. Most people however do not get enough of this compound from their food and hence the use of supplements.

Herbal and natural nootropics can also increase your acetylcholine levels. Examples include Huperzine A, Iodine, DMAE, Pyritinol, ALCAR and Galantamine.

While not directly resulting in greater fluid intelligence, energy boosting compounds can make performing any number of cognitive functions easier. Examples of some include Modafinil and Adrafinil. Similarly, some indirectly lead to better focus and increase in productivity like Inostol, Picamilon and Theanine which fall under the category of mood enhancing and anxiety reducing nootropics.

The best way to determine what to determine what works for you is by trying out the nootropics yourself and measuring any changes that you may take note of with regards to your intelligence.