Nootopia Review

Peak Nootropics founder Jason M takes a look at one of the most complex nootropic stacks he’s ever seen or tested. Find out what he thought of it in his full Nootopia review below…

Nootopia is a nootropic with a difference. In fact, it isn’t just one nootropic, there are 9 separate formulas for you to ingest here – all offering something a little different, with the idea that combined, it will have a huge impact on your cognitive performance.

I was intrigued by this, so I was delighted to be asked to conduct this Nootopia Review. Could the key to unlocking my potential really be in this complicated combination of nootropic ingredients? Read on to find out how I got on.

Brand Overview: biOptimizers

BiOptimizers are a US-based supplement company. The company was formed by two personal trainers, Matt Gallant and Wade Lightheart, who listed many professional athletes among their clients. In 2004, they joined forces to create their own business.

To say that they have lofty ambitions would be putting it mildly – the website details their policy: “If we can’t build the best product in that category, forget about it.” They go on to boast that their products cost between 200% – 400% more than their competitors, which is an interesting way to market your products. Their point is that they charge more because their products really work.

This aggressive, ultra-positive attitude is apparent in pretty much everything biOptimzers does, which is mirrored by the makeup of Nootopia. Why use one formula when you can use nine?!

Gallant and Wade employed Mark Alan Effinger, a self-confessed ‘Nootropics Nerd’ to create Nootopia, which seems like a good move. Effinger clearly knows his stuff when it comes to nootropics, but does that translate to being able to create a great product? Let’s find out more as we continue this Nootopia review.

More About Nootopia

Nootopia is a complicated nootropic – there’s no getting away from that. As I mentioned above, there are nine different formulas, which they combine to create four main stacks, which they sell as individual products. (A quick note – a stack is when you take a number of different supplements to create one end result, a nice balance of different ingredients)

In this section of the Nootopia review, I am going to attempt to unravel this tangled web of formulae and stacks to help us understand exactly what the main benefits of each one is supposed to be, before we go on to look at how they hope to achieve that.

Let’s start with, what they call, their ‘Breakthrough Brain Stack #1’:

The Genius Activator

The focus here is on getting your brain to work at its best as quickly as possible. The times when you have a piece of work that’s due, or an exam to study for, and you just need to completely zone in to your work.

There are two of the Nootopia formulas that make up The Genius Activator: Nectar X and Brain Flow, and there are a number of different ways that you can take them – perhaps all at once at the start of the day, or gradually throughout the day.

It will depend on whether you are doing a short, intense task, or whether you want a larger spread of the impact to last you throughout the day.

The Genius Activator is particularly popular with students, who will often need short, sharp bursts of concentration when they are studying, but it is also popular with people in jobs that require a lot of focus all day long.

Social Command

‘Breakthrough Brain Stack #2’ is Social Command, which attempts to work on the more emotional side of your brain. The aim here is that your mood will improve, as well as being more friendly and persuasive when you are speaking to others.

Don’t think of this as just a way to make more friends, though, as there are plenty of work related benefits to becoming more charming and fun to be around. Not only will it mean that you get on better with your colleagues, which is always important, but you can use these skills when you are talking to prospective clients and customers.

The more pleasant you are, the more likely they are to buy your product or service. For this reason, the Social Command stack is particularly popular with people that work in sales and communications.

It relies on two of the Nootopia formulas – Upbeat and Power Solution. Upbeat will focus on your mood, making you more pleasant to be around, and Power Solution will help with your memory and speed of thought, meaning you can lead the conversation – recalling facts, anecdotes and jokes instantly to help the conversation flow.

The Neuro Primer

The Neuro Primer is the third ‘Breakthrough Brain Stack’, and this one is more focused on preserving and building your brain over time. In the marketing, there is an emphasis on ‘rejuvenation’ and ‘renewal’, which gives you some idea of what The Neuro Primer intends to do for you.

I get the impression that this stack is aimed at an older customer, targeting things like memory and cognitive preservation is generally a concern of older customers than the all-action, go-getting crowd that are normally nootropic customers, but there is plenty to be said for protecting your brain from an early age.

The two formulas that are employed here are The Apex and Brain Flow – we’ll go into more detail on all of the formulas later in this Nootopia review, but basically, Brain Flow helps to protect your brain, while The Apex helps you to increase your brain’s energy.

Deep Work Support

The fourth and final ‘Breakthrough Brain Stack’ is called Deep Work Support. This is aimed at those days where you know you’re going to need to stay motivated for a long time – to keep in the zone for a full day, ignoring the distractions, and making sure you are at the top of your game.

The way it intends to do this is to direct its attention on both your mood and motivation – if we are unhappy, and feeling a bit low mentally, we are going to struggle to work well for an entire day. We’ll get distracted by little things, we’ll make mistakes and we’ll start feeling really tired. Deep Work Support is what they recommend you take when you want to reach your goals for the day or week – not compromise on doing less today because you just can’t get into it.

This is perfect for people that regularly have big projects that they need to work on – work that requires not just short bursts of focus, but long periods of hard slogging. When you’re not at your best, your work will really suffer and mistakes can happen.

Deep Work Support is made up of the Upbeat and Focused Savagery formulas – Focused Savagery for increased brain energy and Upbeat for improved mood and greater motivation.

So those are the four main stacks – although they do go to great lengths to emphasize how customizable their formulas are, so that you can create your own stacks to tailor them to your exact needs.

Nootopia Ingredient Profile

Buckle up, because this is by far the biggest section of this Nootopia review, but it’s an important one. The best way to get an idea of what a nootropic supplement can do for you is to look at its ingredients, and why they have been included.

What makes this section a bit more complicated is that Nootopia is made up of 9 different formulas, So let’s take a look at each of them individually to see what they are made up of and why, so that we can work out what sort of benefits you can hope to experience if you were to start taking them.

Important note: biOptimize doesn’t actually publish how much of each ingredient is included in each of these formulas, which does make it difficult to judge their effectiveness.

Power Solution

Power Solution is focused on improving your brain’s energy as providing a boost to your mood – so it’s aimed at people that want to work for long periods of time and that need to stay motivated.

Full ingredient list: Omnipept-O™, Uridine Monophosphate, DL-Citrulline Malate 2:1, DL-Phenylalanine, Arginine AKG, D-Ribose, Rhodiola, Acetyl-L-Tyrosine, Acetyl-L-Carnitine, Trimethylglycine, L-Theanine, Ascorbic Acid, L-Glutamine, Calcium Citrate, B5 Pantothenic Acid, Methylcobalamin B12, HMB, Theacrine, Omnipept-1™, Omnipept-S™, Caffeine Anhydrous, Nandina Extract, Guarana, Schizandrol-A, Huperzine-A, Maltodextrin, Xylitol, Mannitol, Stevia, Aspartame, Citric Acid, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF Natural Flavor, Magnesium Oxide, Acesulfame Potassium, Blue 1, Red 40.

Okay, you will have seen from the large list of ingredients that this is a complex formula. Part of the reason for this is that Power Solution comes in the form of a drink, which will require more ingredients than the standard capsule. (We will see that the Nootopia supplements come in a variety of different forms).

I don’t have space in this article to go through each individual ingredient, so I will just take a look at the first few, which presumably are the most prominent.

Omnipept-O™

Omnipept-O™ is itself a nootropic blend that has been specifically formulated by the Nootopia team. It is made up of triacetyluridine and an amino acid blend. Without wanting to go into too much detail, there are two main perceived benefits of Omnipept-O™ – that it boosts your mood and that it helps to protect the neurons in your brain.

Uridine Monophosphate

Uridine Monophosphate is a component of ribonucleic acid, which is present in all cells. It helps decode and encode information, and it is essential for any organism to survive. As such, it is thought that by increasing the uridine monophosphate levels in your brain will increase your brain’s ability to function. It has been used to treat depression, so it should also help to improve your mood.

Citrulline Malate

Citrulline malate is a nitric oxide enhancer, which has been used a lot for enhancing aerobic performance, but in recent times it has also been linked to an improved mood and better cognitive function. The theory here is that the more nitric oxide we have in our bodies, the quicker our brains can work.

Like with our bodies, citrulline malate can help our brains have more energy. We are sharper and more focused.

Phenylalanine

As an essential amino acid, phenylalanine is a building block of protein. It is found in many foods, as well as mother’s milk, and there are definite links between it and cognitive function. It helps to control our levels of certain chemicals in our brains, such as adrenaline and dopamine, which can impact our focus and mood.

However, too much phenylalanine in our bodies can cause some people health issues.

Arginine

Another amino acid, arginine, is usually found in foods like red meat, fish and dairy. It is a signaling molecule, which means that it helps information between cells in our bodies. It also helps with blood flow – and the more blood that we can get to our brains, the clearer we can think and the more energy we have. If we don’t have enough oxygen in our brains, we’ll start to feel tired and experience brain fog.

Arginine has also been linked to improving our memory and protecting our brain cells from age-related deterioration.

Obviously there are plenty of other ingredients included in Power Solution. Notable ones are L-Tyrosine, L-Theanine and Rhodiola.

Upbeat

Billed as ‘positivity in a pill’, Upbeat is focused on providing you with a happier outlook on life, as well as increased confidence and more creativity. There are a multitude of situations where this combination of benefits would come in handy, both socially and professionally.

Full ingredient list: DL-Phenylalanine, Theobromine (from cacao), 5HTP, Theacrine, Methyl-B-Complex, Grape Seed Extract, Forskolin, Piperine, Cayenne, Ascorbic Acid, Curcumin, Guarana, CDP Choline, Vitamin D3 + Vitamin K2 in Sunflower Seed Oil (Softgel), Caffeine Anhydrous, Omnipept-A™, Omnipept-N2™, Omnipept-1™

Phenylalanine

As covered in the Power Solution section above, phenylalanine is thought to help improve both our mood and focus.

Theobromine

Found in the cacao bean, theobromine is a water-soluble alkaloid most known for its bitter taste, but it is also thought to have a variety of health benefits. It has been known to help people with asthma or other respiratory diseases, but we are more interested in the cognitive benefits here.

While it has been thought to boost our ability to learn, that wasn’t the case during one small trial – however, there were signs that it helps us to improve our memory and verbal fluency  – ideal for social situations.

5HTP

5HTP, or 5-Hydroxytryptophan, is an amino acid which can be converted into serotonin in our bodies. In turn, serotonin can help us to regulate our mood and general behavior. Low levels of serotonin has also been associated with brain fog, so by ensuring we have more in our bodies, we can help prevent poor cognitive performance.

Theacrine

You’ll find theacrine in some tea and coffee. It’s similar to caffeine in that it acts as a stimulant in high doses – however in low doses it can act as a sedative (which makes the fact that we don’t know how much is used here all the more frustrating!).

Unfortunately there isn’t enough scientific evidence to tell us what we can expect from theacrine, but it is thought that it helps to improve our memory and general cognitive function.

Methyl-B-Complex

Methyl-B-Complex is a supplement in its own right, packed full of B vitamins in a methylated form which is supposed to make it easier to absorb into your body.

Again, without knowing the precise dosage here, it is difficult to draw any concrete conclusions about what we can expect, but it’s safe to say that if we are low on our B vitamins, we can start to perform poorly, and it can also cause depression. By including the Methyl-B-Complex here, the hope is that you will maintain your peak mental performance.

Of the other ingredients in the Upbeat supplement, Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C) and Vitamin D look particularly useful, but I am not sure about some of the others – more information from the producers would have been helpful here.

The Apex

The Apex capsules are the ones that are recommended if you want calm focus. They can help, it is claimed, you work for longer and with increased levels of positivity and optimism. They also claim that it helps your brain feel rejuvenated, while also improving your memory and focus. An excellent all-rounder, it seems.

Full ingredients list: Celastrus Seed, Caffeine (from coffee bean), L-Theanine, CDP Choline, Theacrine, Uridine Monophosphate, Huperzine-A, Saffron, Grape Seed Extract, Methyl-B-Complex, Forskolin, Piperine, Cayenne, Ascorbic Acid, Curcumin, Guarana, Nandina Extract, Vitamin D3 + Vitamin K2 in Sunflower Seed Oil (Softgel), Omnipept-O™, Omnipept-1™

Celastrus Seed

This is quite a rare nootropic ingredient – I haven’t seen Celastrus seed used very often in other products, but it is here in The Apex. Usually grown in India, it has been used to treat a variety of cognitive issues over the years, thus its inclusion here. It is supposed to be particularly beneficial to our memories.

Caffeine

Any of us that feel like we need a cup of coffee before we properly wake up will know the benefits of caffeine on our brains. It can help to improve our focus and attention span.

L-Theanine

Also included in the Power Solution supplement, L-Theanine is a great nootropic ingredient that increases the levels of serotonin in our brains, and helps up with memory and focus. It is thought to work even better when combined with caffeine.

As you can see, we are already seeing some doubling-up in the ingredients – the same ones being used in different supplements like Uridine Monophosphate and Methyl-B-Complex.

Ultimate Focus

No prizes for guessing what Ultimate Focus is aiming to do for us! Ultimately, it is all about productivity – the more we are focused and the sharper our brains, the more work we get done.

Full ingredient list: Omnipept-N™, Triacetyluridine, Omnipept-A™, Centrophenoxine, CDP Choline, Pregnenolone, Omnipept-S™, Theacrine, Theobromine, Acetyl-L-Tyrosine, Huperzine-A, Caffeine (from coffee bean), Nandina Extract, Grape Seed Extract, Forskolin, Curcumin, Cayenne, Ascorbic Acid, Piperine, Vitamin B Complex, Guarana, Omnipept-1™, Vitamin D3+K2 in sunflower seed oil (softgel, gelatin)

Omnipept

There are two Omnipept formulas here – N and A. While they are made up of different things, the two of them combined should help with memory, focus, motivation and general mood.

Triacetyluridine

Triacetyluridine is very similar to uridine monophosphate, but potentially more potent (but again, knowing the dose would help work out what difference we might be able to expect). It is aimed at improving your mood and general sense of well-being.

Centrophenoxine

This cholinergic compound is a dietary supplement that is aimed at fighting off the symptoms of dementia. There needs to be more independent research done on centrophenoxine to work out what we can expect, but it is thought to help improve performance in memory tests – thus its inclusion here.

Nectar X

Another drink now, Nectar X, which is aimed at a little bit of everything from feeling more drive and energy to an increased sex drive. It’s recommended you sip this throughout the day to spread its impact over a number of hours.

Full ingredient list: Omnipept-O™, Uridine Monophosphate, DL-Citrulline Malate 2:1, DL-Phenylalanine, Arginine AKG, D-Ribose, Rhodiola, Acetyl-L-Tyrosine, Acetyl-L-Carnitine, Trimethylglycine, L-Theanine, Maltodextrin, Ascorbic Acid, L-Glutamine, Calcium Citrate, B5 Pantothenic Acid, Stevia, Mannitol, Methylcobalamin B12, Xylitol, Phenylethylamine HCL (PEA), Eremursine, Omnipept-N2™, Theobromine, Caffeine Anhydrous, Theacrine, Omnipept-1™, Omnipept-S™, Aspartame, Citric Acid, Potassium Citrate, Calcium Phosphate, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF Natural & Artificial Flavor, Acesulfame Potassium, Soy Lecithin, Artificial Color, Red 40, Blue 1, Tocopherol (Preserves Freshness)

I won’t spend too long on this one as we have covered the main ingredients further up this Nootopia review, plus the ingredients at the bottom are specifically about the experience of the drink, rather than what it might do for you.

Brain Flow

A more traditional nootropic now, as Brain Flow looks to enhance your focus, memory and general mental performance. It is also aimed at regulating your mood and increasing your cognitive endurance, which covers most of what you’d probably want from a nootropic. 

The formation of the capsule itself is intriguing – half of the ingredients are suspended in an oil around the rest of the ingredients that are deeper inside the capsule.

Full ingredient list: 

Oil – Malkangni Seed Oil, Black Pepper Oil, MCT Oil (from coconut), Ginger Oil, Peppermint Oil

Capsule – Omnipept-N2™, Caffeine Anhydrous, CDP Choline, Omnipept-1™, Piperine, Pregnenolone

Malkangni Seed Oil

Malkangni seed oil is thought to help with symptoms of anxiety, as well as helping to prevent damage to your brain cells. It has been used as a ‘brain tonic’ with a particular focus on how it can help our memories.

Omnipept-N2™

Omnipept-N2™ targets the production of dopamine, and includes our old friend uridine monophosphate, which is used in many of the different Nootopia formulas. The main benefits that they are looking for here are drive, mood and memory.

Other formulas

The other three formulas in the Nootopia arsenal are all ‘boosters’: Mental Reboot AM, Mental Reboot PM and Zamner Juice. These are there to enhance the performance of the other formulas, and to provide you with an energy boost. The idea seems to be that you take a combination of their formulas, and then top up on some of these throughout the day.

The big takeaway from this humongous section of Nootopia ingredients is that there is so much going on here, and I’m not convinced that’s a good thing. Going through all of this, I was a bit overwhelmed – so many different stacks, so many different ingredients, and then the boosters on top.

My Experience With Nootopia

I have to say, I was a little apprehensive when I was asked to try Nootopia. I have had many wonderful experiences with nootropics, and I love trying new ones, but the confusing and complicated structure of Nootopia made me uneasy.

If nothing else, there is a bit of a legality issue at play here. The Omnipept ingredients that they use are a little bit questionable. They are basically different racetams which are merged together with natural ingredients, which are there to make them more potent.

Racetams are illegal in Europe and many other countries, and are very similar to prescription drugs. I think it’s fair to say that they are a gray area in the world of nootropics, and it is not something that I am too keen on using.

Having said that, I have to also admit that I was a little attracted to the idea of all of the complicated system of ingredients – while it is overwhelming and bewildering, it also made me think that maybe there could be something in this…? Why would they go to all of this trouble if it wasn’t to create a game changing nootropic? So I went for it.

I opted for the mid-range ‘Focused Ferocity’ package, which includes all of the formulas that we listed above, as well as the boosters. It was a lot.

I downloaded the Nootopia App, which helps you to note down how you are feeling, as well as keep on top of what you are taking and when. It was very helpful, but the fact that it requires an app to keep track of is a great example of how complicated this product is to use.

I did start to notice a bit of improvement in my work in the first couple of weeks. After a bit of experimentation, I narrowed it down to the Brain Flow formula that seemed to have the biggest impact on me. I was getting more work done, and could feel myself really focused on every task – the best way I can describe it was being in the zone.

Unfortunately, though, I did have some negative side effects as well. I found myself suffering from headaches in the second week. Again, I experimented with what I was taking to try and pinpoint which formula(s) were causing this, and I narrowed it down to Focussed Savagery – which seems to be the most potent one, but it was far too much for me.

It was hard to completely review each individual formula in a trial that only lasted a month, but I stopped taking the Focussed Savagery altogether as soon as I realized that it was making me ill. I would always recommend that, if you ever feel any negative side effects from taking a nootropic – whatever the benefit, it is never worth risking your health.

At the end of the trial, I was happy with my increased productivity, but was disappointed with the side effects.

Verdict

One thing I haven’t really focused on up to now is the price. Nootopia is the most expensive nootropic that I have ever encountered. By some margin – it is ludicrously expensive.

Now, if it performed better than any other nootropic, I could understand, but the truth is that it doesn’t. While I was happy with the increased productivity that I experienced, I can’t say that it was any better than, or even as good as, other nootropics – like Noocube or even Hunter Focus if you want something more potent.

And there are the unnecessarily complicated formulas, the lack of detail about the ingredients and the general lack of evidence to back up the claims about what Nootopia can do for you. All of this makes me think that, yes, they have made a decent product, but there’s a lot of stuff around this that puts me off. Perhaps if all I had tried (and paid for) was Brain Flow, I might feel differently, as that seemed like a great formula.

I would much rather spend a lot less money on a much simpler product that does a lot more for me. So rather than Nootopia, I would go for Noocube every time.