Kaged Mindset Review

Peak Nootropics founder Jason M brings you his Kaged Mindset review after 4 weeks of testing the caffeinated version and 1 week of testing the non caffeine version. Find out the test results below…

Kaged Mindset is a premium nootropic supplement that bucks then trend compared to almost all other nootropics on the market – in as much as it comes in a powder form that can be mixed with water to create a drink.

I tested both versions (caffeine and non-caffeine) for one month having secured a batch just prior to launch. The results might surprise you. So – let’s reveal all in my Kaged Mindset review.

Brand Overview: Kaged Mindset

Kaged have been around for close to a decade and have a very loyal fan base thanks to their reputation for creating high quality supplements that are well sourced, affordable and extremely well branded.

I have used their pre-workout supplements in the past (for which they are probably most famous) and so when I first heard they were making a nootropic drink – Kaged Mindset – I was excited.

I could barely contain my excitement when I found out I was due to take delivery of a pre-launch special edition Kaged Mindset package (containing Kaged Mindset + Caffeine and the non-caffeinated version) along with one of the coolest shakers I’ve ever seen.

So, the scene is set – Kaged are a well respected supplement company venturing in to the world of nootropics for the first time… its should be a match made in heaven right?

Keep reading this Kaged Mindset review to find out…

More About Kaged Mindset

Some nootropics focus on one or two specific areas of cognitive enhancement. Kaged Mindset takes more of an all-round approach but also puts quite a lot of emphasis on providing long lasting ‘clean’ energy.

The other potential benefits you get from taking Kaged Mindset are a boost to productivity (this goes hand in hand with improved mental energy), greater focus and attention and improvements to memory.

These are pretty substantial claims and they do point out on their website that they are not FDA approved claims – but then there aren’t any natural nootropics that have FDA approved claims. Instead, we have a small but growing bank of clinical evidence to support the inclusion of the ingredients found in Mindset.

Kaged Mindset Ingredient Profile

Both versions of Kaged Mindset actually use the exact same ingredient stack – except caffeine is included in the +Caffeine iteration.

The cost is exactly the same, so you might feel you are being slightly cheated on that front if you opt for the caffeine free version – but both are a fair price so it’s not big issue – and having the ability to opt in or out of caffeine is a positive in our book.

We shall delve in to the ingredients now so you know why they are included, the impact they can have and how they compare in terms of quality and dosage to other nootropics on the market.

Before we do that, it is worth pointing out that Kaged Mindset is vegan, non-GMO and is Informed Sport Certified so it is free from any banned substances.

There are 30 1 scoop servings per tub of Kaged Mindset – and although they do state you can go for up to two scoops per day, in my experience 1 scoop is going to be enough unless you need a really intense boost.

Coming in as low as $1.34 per serving – it offers good value for money. So long as the ingredients stack up that is – let’s see if they do…

Vitamin Complex

Vitamin C, Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12 are all included in Kaged Mindset. At doses of 75mg, 15mg, 10mg and 250mcg respectively, this vitamin B and C complex is not only comprehensive, but incredibly well dosed – especially when compared to other nootropics.

Vitamin C is well known for its antioxidant giving properties and can help reduce oxidative stress in the brain. We don’t always see it in nootropics so it is a good addition to the blend.

Vitamins B3, B6 and B12 have been found to improve blood flow to the brain and help repair neurotransmitters. B6 and B12 are more readily found in nootropics and so the vitamin complex found in Kaged Mindset is as strong as it gets when compared to the competition.

Alpha-Glyceryl Phosphoryl Choline (Alpha GPC) – 600mg

Alpha GPC is extremely well dosed in Kaged Mindset at 600mg per serving. We only see it in some of the most potent nootropics available, but if we compare it to Noocube (one of our favorites) we can see that a single serving only has 50mg – so you are getting 12 times more with each serving of Mindset.

But what’s so special about Alpha GPC? Well it is rich in choline – a key nutrient for the brain that helps increase acetylcholine – one of the most prominent neurotransmitters in the brain that is responsible for learning and advanced cognitive functioning.

One point to bear in mind is that it comes in the form of AlphaSize – whilst this is a very high quality form of Alpha GPC, it actually only contains 50% of Alpha GPC – so your 600mg dose is really 300mg – still, that’s 6 times more than you get with Noocube.

It remains the shining light of the Kaged Mindset blend.

L-Tyrosine – 500mg

L-Tyrosine is dosed at 500mg in Mindset which puts it on a par with the highly dosed Hunter Focus. It’s an amino acid that is known for improving our ‘flight or fight’ response – which means it can aid us in dealing with stressful situations.

In addition, there are also some clinical studies that support L-Tyrosine as improving stimulation of neurotransmitters that elicit motivation.

It’s always an ingredient we welcome in any nootropic.

L-Carnitine – 500mg

L-Carnitine is another amino acid that is important for the central nervous system. In Mindset we get Acetyl-L-Carnitine which can help boost energy metabolism. This helps with providing that long lasting energy and balancing out the impact of the fast acting caffeine.

L-Phenylalanine – 150mg

L-phenylalanine is an essential amino acid. It has a wide range of uses and there is a growing body of clinical evidence to support it as a nootropic. In fact, it is used in some cases to support sufferers of depression and ADHD.

The reason it’s used in these use cases is that it has been found to improve mood thanks to it supporting the production of tyrosine, epinephrine and norepinephrine in the body. In turn, it also helps with the production of mood boosting hormones such as dopamine.

There is not enough clinical evidence to give a clear guide as to dose, but 150mg per serving is safe and is likely to carry some impact when taken over a long period of time.

Caffeine – 150mg (Mindset+Caffeine only)

Probably the most well known nootropic of them all is caffeine and in that sense it needs no introduction. That being said, with Kaged Mindset you are getting a very specific blend of caffeine.

We get the standard caffeine in the from of PurCaf – which comes from organic coffee beans. This is fast acting and you will feel the boost from this within 30 minutes of drinking Mindset+Caffeine. But then you also get a slow release form of caffeine from zümXR®.

This slow release caffeine has been shown to provide sustained energy levels for 5-6 hours. The idea here is that it smooths out the impact from the fast acting caffeine and eradicates the energy crash that you can have when caffeine wears off.

As mentioned, there is a caffeine free version of Kaged Mindset and of course this doesn’t include either form of the caffeine mentioned here.

Ginseng Root Extract – 100mg

Ginseng has been used in traditional medicine for centuries, but over the last couple of decades it has become far more prominently used in the West. Often referred to as Panax Ginseng, it comes from the root of this herb and is an adaptogen.

Dosing at 100mg puts it at more than double what you get with the likes of Hunter Focus and benefits around attention span, calm focus and improved mental energy are all likely to be felt.

Mineral Complex – 50mg

We then come on to this proprietary blend of minerals – 50mg in total. Usually I am not a fan of proprietary blends, but as it’s only the mineral complex that is labelled in this way I can forgive Kaged on this occasion.

The fact they include these minerals in the first place is a real feather in their cap.

You get the likes of calcium, magnesium, zinc, chromium, copper, iron, boron, vanadium and more included in this complex. Some of these have more known nootropic benefits than others, but either way they are important for your overall health and should carry with them positive physical and mental health benefits if you take them in the long term.

We usually take a lot of these minerals in micro doses so 50mg is a very optimal amount – even if we don’t know the breakdown of each individual dosage.

Phosphatidylserine – 50mg

Phosphatidylserine is a chemical that forms part of the cell structure in the body – and this includes brain cells. It is considered a key phospholipid for the brain and body and is often used to treat ADHD, Alzheimer disease and those suffering with memory and thinking disorders.

There is little evidence to support its use in the long term but there are studies that show it helping in shorter time spans with most studies taking place over a period of 3-6 months.

Huperzine A – 5mg

Huperzine A helps with the production of acetylcholine – or rather it helps prevent the loss of it. When taken in tandem with Alpha GPC you are getting a double pronged attack to both increase production of acetylcholine and keep more of it in the brain.

At 5mg this is an acceptable dose, although nootropics such as Noocube include 20mg per serving which is closer to where we’d like it to be. This is perhaps the only ingredient in Kaged Mindset that could be considered as under-dosed but I applaud them for including it.

What’s Missing From Kaged Mindset?

All brands like to create their own blend and some include ingredients that are a little more ‘out there’ than others. That being said, there are a couple of mainstream nootropic ingredients that I would like to have have seen in Mindset which just aren’t there.

These include:

• L-Theanine
• Bacopa Monnieri
• Reservatrol
• Ashwaganda

These ingredients would have made for a perfect stack if they were included. But the focus on long lasting brain energy has perhaps caused Kaged to lean away from L-Theanine, Bacopa and Ashwagandha.

My Experience With Kaged Mindset (Both Versions)

I received Kaged Mindset as part of their pre-launch campaign. I’ve always said there are benefits to be being obsessed about nootropics – and the gorgeous presentation box, branding and the incredible mixer were certainly that.

But, once I looked past the branding and packaging, I was left with the two different versions of Kaged Mindset – one with caffeine and one without.

I tested the non-caffeinated version for one week and the caffeinated version for 4 weeks. Spoiler alert – I have continued to use both versions since the test so that likely tells you all you need to know – but I will go in to more detail.

The biggest selling point and biggest turn off for potential users of Kaged Mindset are likely the same thing – and it likely depends on your lifestyle as to which side of the fence you sit on… I am of course talking about the fact it comes in a powder form that has to be mixed with water to create a drink.

It’s perhaps not surprising that Kaged have gone for this approach – given how prominent they are in the pre-workout circles and already having products they create in this way.

But when most nootropics come in capsule format, it is either a brave or genius move on the part of Kaged to offer their first ever nootropic using this delivery mechanism.

I personally loved it.

But I totally get that for someone on the move, or who works differing shifts – it could prove more problematic.

The reality is, most people will drink it in the morning. I tended to drink it either mid-morning or just after lunch. I wouldn’t personally consume it later that 1pm if I was having the caffeinated version, but I did take the non-caffeine version as late as 3pm and had no issues with my sleep.

The Taste

Let’s talk about mixing and taste first.

It’s easy to mix – with around 300ml of water per scoop – and you can either stir or shake it. I found shaking gave it the best consistency and got rid of all lumps – but shaking it in any sort of bottle is fine – it doesn’t need to be a protein shaker or anything like that.

It can also be pre-mixed. So, if you are heading out to work but don’t want to drink it before you leave, then you can pre-mix it or mix it when you arrive. It’s not too inconvenient.

The best part for me though – the taste. I was genuinely impressed with the taste. So much so that I actually look forward to drinking it.

At the time of writing this Kaged Mindset review, there is only one flavor – that is Orange Mango – but it is delicious. It has a slight artificial sweetener taste, but you can dilute this by adding more water if you wish.

I enjoyed it though – so was happy to have it pretty strong.

The Impact

As great tasting as Kaged Mindset is, I’m not drinking it for that – I want results.

For me, I can tell you now that this is a great nootropic. Certainly for short term results it is great.

I prefer the caffeine version, but the standard version is also great for those days when I need an afternoon boost and want to make sure I’m not going to interfere with my sleep in any way.

You feel the energy boost from the non-caffeine version. But Mindset+Caffeine is on another level. It really just gets you going after 20-30 minutes and that feeling of focus and productivity lasts for hours.

I’m not sure if it kept me going for 6 hours, but I’d say on most occasions it was at least 4 hours of real focus and real mental energy.

Most nootropics bring additional benefits after taking them for a month or two and the same is likely to be said for Kaged Mindset. This is hard for me to bring any concrete references to the table, such is the fast acting impact of taking it on a daily basis. But what surprised me was that even after a month, the impact certainly wasn’t waining – so I’m pretty confident it was not just the caffeine at play.

Verdict

Kaged Mindset has entered what is one of the fastest growing areas of the supplementation market and has gone straight in for the kill with a top tier product that is well dosed and well presented.

Overall, I love Kaged Mindset. It’s affordable, it ships all over and it’s a great alternative to taking capsules – which I’ve never been a fan of. But most importantly – it works!

It’s right up there with the industry leaders – bravo Kaged, bravo!