All around the world people have discovered the nootropic benefits of Noopept. This powerful nootropic has steadily maintained its popularity over the past decade or so. We first wrote about Noopept in 2015 and it is just as popular today as it was then.

The nootropic benefits of Noopept can include increased focus, reduced anxiety, clearer thinking, improved mood, and enhanced memory. Users often report one or more of these effects. We'll take an in-depth look at Noopept's potential benefits, dosage, safety, and other details shortly. But first, let's examine exactly what Noopept is.

What is Noopept?

This is a powerful and popular nootropic that is used all over the world for its cognition-enhancing benefits. It is commonly referred to as Noopept, which is a brand name in Russia (Ноопепт). Noopept's actual name is N-phenylacetyl-L-prolylglycine ethyl ester. But don't worry: You don't have to memorize that. Throughout this post, we'll simply refer to it as Noopept.

Noopept was first synthesized in 1996.¹ It was based off of a neuropeptide that is found naturally in the body called cycloprolylglycine, which is known to have antidepressant and anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) properties.² Noopept is sold as a dietary supplement in the United States, Canada, and several other countries, but was originally a prescription drug in Russia.

Though Noopept is chemically similar to the racetams and is sometimes referred to as one, technically it's not a racetam. Its creation was, however, heavily influenced by piracetam and the two substances share many of the same benefits.³ But Noopept has been shown to be significantly more potent than piracetam. In fact, Noopept is estimated to be at least 1,000 times more potent than piracetam.⁴

Noopept works by affecting certain chemicals in the brain. Although its exact mechanism of action is unknown (like all substances that affect the brain), Noopept is thought to influence nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus.⁵ NGF and BDNF are both neurotrophins, which are proteins the body uses to promote the health of neurons (nerve cells).⁶

Another way that Noopept may work is by influencing voltage-gated calcium and potassium channels.⁷ These ion channels use electrical impulses to help neurons communicate with each other.⁸

Although Noopept may also have other actions in the brain, these go a long way in explaining its nootropic benefits and why it shares so many of them with piracetam. A 2011 study⁹ showed that both piracetam and Noopept had a similar effect on electroencephalogram (EEG) results, which supports anecdotal claims that the two substances have similar benefits. Speaking of nootropic benefits, now that we've looked at what Noopept is, let's explore some of those potential benefits now.

The Nootropic Benefits of Noopept

Users report that Noopept can have a variety of cognitive benefits including improved mood and memory, decreased anxiety, and increased focus. Though more research is needed to confirm many of these claims, there is a growing body of evidence that supports Noopept's use as a nootropic. Let's look at some of Noopept's benefits and the research that has been done to support them.

Improved Memory

Noopept users often report that it improves memory. There are both human an animal studies that support this claim. A human study from 2009 compared the effects of Noopept and piracetam in adults with mild cognitive disorders.¹⁰ The results showed that Noopept was not only more effective at treating the symptoms of these disorders, but it also had fewer side effects.

Numerous animal studies have also shown that Noopept improves memory. A 1997 study showed that Noopept helped to restore learning and memory in rats with part of their brains removed.¹¹ A 2008 study showed that Noopept prevented memory deficits in rats caused by the drugs scopolamine and mecamylamine.¹² Another study from 2000 showed that Noopept had an antiamnesic (memory-improving) effect in rats with brain damage.¹³

These are just a few Noopept studies that show it can improve memory but there are several others. They are all consistent with what many Noopept users report. Though some users report memory improvement being noticeable after one dose, others say it takes several weeks of daily use to experience Noopept's full memory-enhancing effects.

Decreased Anxiety

Another Noopept benefit that many users report is a decrease in anxiety. While this effect has not been extensively studied in humans, there have been some studies done that support this claim.

An animal study from 2001 found that cycloprolylglycine – the substance that Noopept is similar to and a prodrug of – has both nootropic and anxiolytic properties similar to piracetam.¹⁴ Another study found that Noopept increased inhibitory (anxiety-reducing) neurotransmission in certain parts of the brain.¹⁵

A human study published in 2009 showed that Noopept reduced anxiety in patients with mild cognitive disorders.¹⁰ The study compared Noopept to piracetam and found that, over the course of 56 days, both reduced fatigue, anxiety, irritability, and apathy. Noopept, however, was found to be more effective than piracetam overall. Though a study done on healthy participants would be needed to confirm Noopept's anxiety-reducing nootropic effect, this study certainly supports the claim that Noopept can reduce anxiety.

Improved Mood

Another Noopept benefit that users often report is an improvement in mood. Just like with anxiety, more studies are needed before it can be conclusively stated that Noopept improves mood. There has, however, been some research done to support this claim.

The 2009 study done on people with mild cognitive impairment mentioned above also assessed mood over the course of the 56 days the participants were given Noopept or piracetam.¹⁰ Some participants showed mood improvements after the first week of treatment and several more after the third week.

Several animal studies have also shown that Noopept may have an antidepressant effect. A 2003 study done on rats showed that Noopept reduced the incidence of learned helplessness and sped up the acquisition of active avoidance.¹⁶ In other words, it reduced depression (improved mood) in rats. Another rat study from 2006 showed that, after being given Noopept for 21 days, learned helplessness was eliminated.¹⁷ These studies support the claim that Noopept can improve mood. But again, more research done on healthy participants is needed before these claims can be conclusively stated.

Noopept Safety

Noopept is generally considered safe for most people to use. Its safety has been extensively studied in both humans and in animals.

A study was done on rabbits in 2007 to test the safety of Noopept. They were given anywhere from 10-100 milligrams per kilogram (in other words 10-100 mg/kg) for six months. The results showed that Noopept didn't cause any serious side effects or toxicity.¹⁸

The 2009 study done on humans with mild cognitive impairment assessed the safety of both Noopept and piracetam.¹⁰ It found that both substances were generally well-tolerated and produced few side effects, none of which were serious. The only side effects from Noopept were mild sleep disturbances and slightly increased blood pressure, which were only reported in a couple of the study's participants. Side effects were twice as likely with piracetam than they were with Noopept. Additionally, Noopept made it through human safety trials in Russia when they first developed the compound.

Noopept Dosage

Noopept is usually taken in pill, capsule, or powder form. However, it can also be taken sublingually (under the tongue) and intranasally (through the nose).

Most users find that Noopept works best when taken on an empty stomach. However, taking Noopept on an empty stomach can cause mild nausea in some people. If this happens, it can usually be eliminated by taking Noopept with a small meal or snack.

Noopept is typically dosed at anywhere from 10 to 30 milligrams (mg), 1-3 times per day. Many users report 20 mg to be effective. However, some people say that they need as much as 60 mg to notice Noopept's nootropic effects. The only way to know if Noopept will work for you and what your optimal dosage might be is to experiment a bit.

Though some of Noopept's benefits may be felt after one dose, many of its benefits can take several weeks of daily use to become noticeable. Noopept is often effective on its own, but many users prefer to stack it with other nootropics. Some of the nootropics that Noopept is commonly stacked with include:

• Alpha-GPC
• CDP-choline
• Aniracetam
• L-theanine
• Ashwagandha

Keep in mind that it's always a good idea to check with your doctor before starting or stopping any new supplements, substances, diets, or making any major lifestyle changes that may affect your health. This is especially true if you're currently taking any prescription medications or being treated for any medical conditions.

Conclusion

As you can see, Noopept is an interesting substance with several potential nootropic benefits. Though more studies done on healthy volunteers are needed to fully explore its nootropic properties, Noopept has already been widely studied in both humans and animals. It has generally been found to be safe and many people find Noopept to be an effective cognition booster.

Being one of the more popular nootropics, several online nootropic vendors sell Noopept, mostly in capsule form. One of our favorite and most-trusted nootropic companies, Pure Nootropics, offers Noopept in capsule, powder, and liquid (for sublingual administration) form. They have excellent products, fast shipping, reasonable prices, and awesome customer service. Highly recommended.

To learn about some other nootropics that are chemically similar to Noopept, check out this article: The Best Racetams – A Comparison. And if you haven't already, please sign up for the Nootropics Zone newsletter below.

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