Adderall is one of the best known prescription drugs for mind stimulation. It is often prescribed for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as well as the sleep disorder narcolepsy. Adderall works by stimulating the activity of neurotransmitters which are the brain chemicals that transmit messages throughout the body. By boosting neurotransmitter activity, Adderall increases the individual’s focus, alertness and energy. But whereas Adderall is highly effective, it is not without significant drawbacks.
First, it is a prescription drug so not readily accessible over the counter. As you would expect, there is a black market for those who want access without a doctor’s consent. This illegal market is largely driven by Adderall abuse and addiction, a dark path no one would want to find themselves on. In fact, the US DEA has categorized Adderall as a Schedule 2 substance which is indicative of the high risk of addiction and abuse.
Second disadvantage is that Adderall is a synthetic stimulant. And synthetics for all their benefits may have adverse side effects. In this case, users may experience hallucination, anxiety, headache, weakness and nausea.
These drawbacks make the case for natural alternatives to Adderall. While natural alternatives may not deliver the dramatic results of Adderall, they significantly improve mental focus and optimize brain stimulation without the unwanted side effects that accompany Adderall use. That said, these supplements have varying degrees of efficacy. Let’s take a closer look at five leading natural Adderall alternatives, the strengths and weaknesses of each brand and what customers have to say.
BEST NATURAL ADERALL ALTERNATIVES
1. NooCube
Produced by the established supplement maker Wolfson Brands, NooCube is a cognitive enhancer made from multiple nootropics. It is designed to support and enhance your memory, processing speed and concentration.
By taking this combination of herbs, vitamins, amino acids and other components vital for brain function, you can significantly grow your cognitive capabilities, boost mental energy and enjoy more seamless communication.
Each NooCube ingredient is supported by multiple research studies that confirm its effectiveness. The efficiency and productivity gains from using NooCube are designed to provide the foundation you require to not only push your limits but also overcome barriers to your success.
NooCube’s active ingredients include alpha-GPC, huperzine A (from Chinese club moss), Uncaria tomentosa (cat’s claw vine), bacopa monnieri (the Brahmi herb), oat straw (from green oats), l-theanine, l-tyrosine, resveratrol and pterostilbene.
More than 120,000 customers have purchased the product so far.
Each bottle of NooCube costs $59.99 which is apparently $15 less than its standard retail price. You get discounts on multibuy orders as well. Order two bottles at $119.99 and you receive a third bottle at no extra cost. Buy three bottles for $179.99 and you get three more bottles free. All orders qualify for free shipping. There is a 60-day money back guarantee including shipping costs.
PROS
- Sharpens memory and boosts brain function.
- Increases mental energy and improves concentration.
- Enhances multitasking and enables better communication.
- Manufactured in a facility approved by the FDA.
- Does not contain caffeine.
CONS
- You can only buy NooCube via the official website.
- Results will vary with each person in tandem with their unique brain chemistry.
Customer Reviews
Many leading supplements will look for a prominent personality to endorse the product as a means of raising their public profile. NooCube does not do that. This could be seen as a good thing and a statement of the company’s confidence in their product. In any case, celebrity endorsements can overshadow the more objective assessments given by regular product users.
Fortunately, NooCube alot of regular customer reviews. And most are positive. Among the results users reported were better concentration, efficiency, productivity, mental clarity, thriving in high pressure situations, consistent mind energy levels, better multitasking and better communication.
2. MindLabPro
Manufactured by Opti-Nutra, Mind Lab Pro combines nearly a dozen distinct nootropics to support both short term and long term cognitive function and brain health. The multitasking and research-based ingredients target pathways responsible for brain chemicals, brain waves, brain regeneration and brain protection.
Unlike a lot of nootropics that specialize in improving a specific aspect of brain function, Mind Lab Pro is a ‘whole brain’ cognitive enhancers designed to promote peak mental performance. This is realized in different aspects of everyday living including motivation, multitasking, concentration, clarity, recollection, knowledge retention, relaxation, communication and quicker thought processing.
Long term use of Mind Lab Pro can maintain healthy neural plasticity and brain structure while countering the effects of brain aging.
Mind Lab Pro’s ingredients include citicoline, the Brahmi herb (bacopa monnieri), lion’s mane mushroom (hericium erinaceus), phosphatidylserine, n-acetyl l-tyrosine, l-theanine, rhodiola rosea herb, maritime pine bark (pinus pinaster), as well as vitamins B6, B9 and B12.
A bottle of Mind Lab Pro costs $69. You get a discount when you order at least three bottles. Buy three bottles for $207 and you get a fourth bottle free as well as free shipping. The first order is backed by a 60-day money back guarantee excluding shipping costs.
PROS
- Targets multiple pathways of brain performance unlike standard nootropics that have a narrow focus. Supports both short-term and long-term cognitive health.
- Improves motivation, drive, enthusiasm, calmness and clarity.
- Enhances task focus while improving multitasking capability.
- Grows knowledge retention, memory recollection and processing speed.
- Manufactured in a GMP-certified and FDA-approved facility in the US.
CONS
- Results will vary based on each individual’s unique brain chemistry.
- May cause sleepiness in some users.
- You can only buy Mind Lab Pro on the official product website.
Customer Reviews
When it comes to endorsements by prominent persons, Mind Lab Pro outdoes most of the competition. From clinical neurophysiologist Dr. Paul Nussbaum and base jumper Clair Marie, to chess grandmaster Nigel Short and poker pro David Williams. They all offer glowing reviews of the product and are not afraid to put their reputation on the line in endorsing Mind Lab Pro.
Away from celebrity endorsements though, Mind Lab Pro does have largely positive reviews with regular users as well. Among the gains customers reported include improved focus, alertness, energy levels, task performance, clarity, awareness and mental processing. Mind Lab Pro was also said to lower stress, reduce anxiety and even lead to more lucid dreams.
3. Thesis
Each of the five natural Adderall alternatives we cover here are unique in their own way. But Thesis stands out by being the only one that allows you to customize ingredients based on what your goals are. Your objectives could be improvement in memory, mood, motivation, energy, focus, or, as is the case for most people, a combination of these.
How does it work? You answer a set of questions. Thesis thereafter determines which would be the optimal ingredient combination for you. You initially get a preliminary starter kit of four blends that you use for a month to see the effects of each formulation. Thereafter, you engage with nootropics experts and a coach for free to further refine your blends if need be based on your preliminary experience.
Thesis selects from dozens of ingredients when crafting each blend. These ingredients include choline, ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), ginseng, alpha-GPC, artichoke, lion’s mane mushroom (hericium erinaceus), l-theanine, theobromine, phosphatidylserine, forskolin (from the Indian Coleus or plectranthus barbatus), agmatine, epicatechin, ginkgo biloba tree, caffeine and vitamin B12.
More than 550,000 people have obtained blend recommendations via Thesis.
The cost of the Thesis one-month starter kit is $109. If you subscribe to receive future orders automatically, you save about $40 dollars on your order. All orders are eligible for free shipping. There is a 30-day money back guarantee.
PROS
- Improved creativity, clarity, motivation, logic and mental energy.
- Personalized blends.
- Starter kit refined with assistance of a coach and nootropics experts.
- About 85 percent of preliminary blend recommendations are consistent with the customer’s needs. 96 percent customer satisfaction score.
- Thousands of reviews.
CONS
- Time-consuming process before you eventually find the ideal blend for you.
- Multiple possible ingredient combinations mean reviews refer to different ingredient combinations. Might not apply to your ingredient combination.
- Results will vary as per the unique brain chemistry of each person.
Customer Reviews
There are thousands of Thesis customer reviews. But since the blends are so personalized, it is perhaps safe to say that the reviews should be seen in the context of how well each customer felt their ingredient combination achieved the intended purposes.
Overall though, customers reported improved alertness, focus, motivation, productivity and energy in addition to a reduction in anxiety and procrastination.
Performance Lab Mind is a nootropic formulated to improve brain health, brain power as well as burnout resistance. Like the product name suggests, it focuses on brain performance by boosting mental energy, increasing motivation, accelerating brain speed, enhancing memory and sharpening focus. It supports peak performance, encourages oxygen delivery to the brain and supports a healthy and flexible neural structure.
Performance Lab Mind claims to be the only nootropic that speeds up recovery from exhausting cognitive activity and stress-related burnout.
The product is made from citicoline, sunflower lecithin, l-tyrosine and maritime pine bark (pinus pinaster). This small set of ingredients is consistent with Performance Lab Mind’s narrow focus on brain performance.
Each bottle of Performance Lab Mind costs $69. There is a discount when you order at least three bottles. Buy three bottles for $207 and you get a fourth bottle free in addition to free shipping. The first order is backed by a 60-day money back guarantee excluding shipping costs.
PROS
- Boosts mental energy, increases motivation and accelerates processing speed.
- Enhances memory, sharpens focus and optimizes multitasking.
- Resists burnout while accelerating recovery from exhausting mental activity.
- Manufactured in a GMP-certified facility.
- Does not contain caffeine. Is vegan and vegetarian friendly
CONS
- Results will vary thanks to the unique chemistry of each person’s brain.
- Narrow focus on brain performance.
- Few customer reviews.
Customer Reviews
There aren’t many customer reviews of Performance Lab Mind and that is certainly something to be concerned about. A small number of reviews may not always provide a true picture of a product’s efficacy across a wide range of people.
Nevertheless, there are reviews and this should be seen as providing some level of insights on how well Performance Lab Mind works. Customers report improvements in memory, focus and mental energy.
5. Alpha Brain
One of the best known brands in the nootropics industry, Alpha Brain is a nootropic that boosts cognitive function including concentration, memory and processing speed. A product of Onnit Labs Inc, the blend of carefully-selected ingredients is designed to improve brain performance by encouraging the increase of alpha waves as well supporting neurotransmitter production. Alpha Brain promises to move your mind to an elevated space of optimal functioning.
Perhaps as a sign of consumer confidence as well as its position as one of the earliest movers in the space, more than a million bottles of Alpha Brain have been sold. It is a tried-and-tested nootropics you should consider going for if you are contemplating taking a natural Adderall alternative for the first time.
Alpha Brain’s ingredients are Vitamin B6 (as pyridoxine HCI), Cat’s Claw (uncaria tomentosa) bark extract as well as three proprietary Onnit blends. The blends are Onnit Flow Blend (contains phosphatidylserine, Oat straw extract, l-tyrosine and l-theanine), Onnit Focus Blend (contains alpha-GPC, bacopa monnieri and toothed clubmoss) and Onnit Fuel Blend (contains pterostilbene and l-leucine).
You have the option of buying a 30-capsule Alpha Brain bottle for $34.95 or the 90-capsule bottle that goes for $79.95. Subscribe for future orders and you get 15 percent off the standard retail price. There are discounts for bulk purchases. For instance, order two 30-capsule bottles for $52.43 and you receive a 25 percent discount on the single bottle price. Buy three bottles and you enjoy 30 percent off. There’s free shipping for orders of more than $150 and that are to be delivered within the contiguous US.
PROS
- Improves brain processing and cognitive speed.
- Sharpens concentration and the ability to think clearly under stress.
- Grows memory capability.
- Has shipped more than a million bottles and has thousands of reviews.
- Contains no caffeine, nuts, gluten or dairy. It is keto friendly too.
CONS
- Some users complain of sleep disruption, nausea, suppressed appetite and/or irritability on taking Alpha Brain.
- It may be about a month or two before you see significant changes despite the manufacturer recommending you give the product two weeks.
Customer reviews
No supplement brand would mind having the endorsement of a famous individual. And in Joe Rogan, Alpha Brain happens to have just that. Joe praises Alpha Brain for improving his communication and reenergizing his mind. But celebrity endorsements are often symbiotic meaning there is likely something in it for the endorser.
You need not worry about celebrity endorsement with Alpha Brain though. There are thousands of regular customer reviews. More than a million Alpha Brain bottles have been sold after all. Customers report better thought transitions, sharper recollection, improved focus, less brain fog, greater productivity and vivid dreams. Some users however complain that Alpha Brain caused nausea, disrupted their sleep cycle, increased irritability and suppressed appetite.
Conclusion
Adderall can be a powerful tool for not just containing the symptoms of conditions such as ADHD but also improving brain health and overall quality of life. But for all its strengths, Adderall does have side effects the severity of which will vary from person to person. That means this prescription medication is not necessarily the best solution for everyone.
The five natural Adderall alternatives covered here can deliver the positive benefits of Adderall but without the undesirable interactions and side effects. How well they do that varies from product to product. The product that is most suitable for you will ultimately depend on what capabilities you are looking for as well as what disadvantages you cannot tolerate.
As always, talk to your doctor first before you get on any of these supplements. This is especially important if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, are on medication or have a long term illness. Chances are you may still be able to take the supplement but this is simply erring on the side of caution.
TRY THE BEST NATURAL ADERALL ALTERNATIVE:
NOOCUBE
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Natural Adderall alternatives are formulated to improve brain health and function. Actual results will vary by product and individual. By product depending on the ingredients and by person depending on the individual’s unique brain chemistry.
Unlike Adderall, natural alternatives are made from ingredients that are safe for virtually everyone. However, before you get onto a natural alternative, talk to your doctor about the benefits and risks in the context of the state of your own health.
The speed of results will vary from person to person as well as from product to product. Also results may be short term or long term. Often, you should experience short-term impact after anywhere between 30 minutes and a few hours of taking the supplement. It may be days, weeks or months before you notice the long term benefits.
The natural Adderall alternatives covered here do not have any known side effects. However, before you start using any, talk to your doctor about the benefits and risks in the context of your own state of health.
As most nootropic manufacturers would recommend, It is best that you avoid taking more than one supplement at a time. That way, you can be certain about how your mind responds to the supplement on its own.