It's not uncommon for nootropic users to take more than one substance at a time. Many nootropics work best when combined with others. These nootropic combinations are often referred to as nootropic stacks.

We're gonna look at the top 3 nootropic stacks for people that may be new to the wonderful world of cognitive enhancement. These stacks were chosen because they're safe, effective, and simple. But just because these stacks are ideal for beginners, doesn't mean that they aren't still popular with more experienced users. Nootropic users of all experience levels can and do use these powerful combinations.

The Top 3 Nootropic Stacks For Beginners

The following nootropic stacks may look familiar to some of you. That's because they're some of the most common nootropic stacks used by people from all over the world. They all have excellent safety profiles and work well for most people.

Caffeine and L-Theanine

This is a very basic nootropic stack. It's also a very popular stack and for good reason – it works. It's no secret that caffeine can improve focus, increase wakefulness, and give you a little mood boost. But those effects sometimes come at a price: increased anxiety, insomnia, and an uncomfortable, jittery feeling. Taking L-theanine with caffeine can help to strip away those unwanted side effects, leaving you feeling awake and focused, yet relaxed and calm at the same time.

Most people who use the caffeine and L-theanine stack find that a 1:2 ratio works best. So, for every 100 milligrams (mg) of caffeine, you'd take 200 mg of L-theanine. The most common dosage used is 200 mg of caffeine and 400 mg of L-theanine. Some users find that using as much as 500 mg of caffeine and 1,000 mg (1 gram) of L-theanine is optimal. However, you should start with a low dosage to begin with and go up from there as needed. If you don't get the results you want with a lower dose, you can always try increasing it until you find the dose that works best for you.

Potential Benefits of Caffeine and L-Theanine

• Increased focus
• Reduced anxiety
• Improved mood
• Promotes a calm, focused mindset
• Improved learning
• Promotes a feeling of relaxed alertness

The caffeine and L-theanine stack is generally considered to be very safe. Most users report no negative effects. However, any of caffeine's usual side effects can occur, although are less likely to because of the L-theanine. This stack works best when taken on an empty stomach but, if you experience upset stomach, it may be taken with food.

Both caffeine and L-theanine are readily available online and in stores. You can even find caffeine/L-theanine combos on Amazon. Some products already contain both, making this simple nootropic stack even simpler. Of course, you can always buy caffeine and L-theanine separately and take each of them individually. But if you want to try this magic little combo, Pure Nootropics has a great product that combines caffeine and L-theanine together into one capsule. And it's already conveniently dosed at 1:2 ratio for optimal effectiveness.

You can learn more about caffeine and l-theanine here: L-Theanine and Caffeine – The Perfect Combo.

Noopept and Choline

This is another popular and effective nootropic stack. Noopept is a well-known nootropic that is often suggested as a first nootropic. That's because it's safe, effective, and less expensive than many other nootropics. But if you just take Noopept by itself, you could be missing out on some of its benefits.

Noopept works on several neurotransmitters, one of which is called acetylcholine. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that allow our nervous systems to communicate throughout the body. If your acetylcholine levels aren't optimized, you won't get all the benefits of Noopept. The obvious solution is to take a choline source with it.

There are a number of different choline sources available. The two that are most often used are alpha-GPC and CDP-choline (citicoline). Stacking a choline source with Noopept ensures that your acetylcholine levels are high enough to reap the benefits of this powerful nootropic.

Potential Benefits of Noopept and Choline

• Improved cognitive performance
• Reduced anxiety
• Improved mood
• Increased creativity
• Enhanced memory
• Advanced logical thinking

Noopept and choline users have reported positive effects from a variety of different dosages. Typically, Noopept is taken at a dosage of 10, 20, or 30 mg, up to three times a day. Some users report much higher doses, but this is not recommended. The dosage of choline will depend on what type of choline you're using. If you're using alpha-GPC, a typical dose would be anywhere from 500 mg to 1,500 mg a day. The dosage for CDP-choline is similar, ranging from 500 mg to 2,000 mg a day, taken in one or more doses.

You can learn more about Noopept and choline here: Noopept and Choline – A Winning Combination.

Aniracetam, Oxiracetam, and Alpha-GPC

Our third and final stack contains 3 different nootropics: aniracetam, oxiracetam, and alpha-GPC. Like the stacks above, this combination has been used safely and effectively by countless nootropic users. Lets look at each of these nootropics and what they contribute to the stack.

Aniracetam – This is a close relative of the first nootropic ever created: piracetam. Aniracetam is chemically similar to the compound it was created from and, like piracetam, aniracetam has been found to have a number of potential nootropic properties. It's been around for a long time, has an excellent safety profile, and can be very effective. Aniracetam can improve learning, enhance memory, improve mood, increase motivation, and even reduce anxiety. That's what separates aniracetam from many of the other racetams – its ability to reduce anxiety. It can be highly effective on its own, but taking it with a choline source (like alpha-GPC) can make it even more so. Aniracetam is the backbone of this simple, yet powerful stack. You can learn more about aniracetam here: Aniracetam for Anxiety and Focus.

Oxiracetam – Like aniracetam, oxiracetam is also in a family of nootropics called racetams. These are chemically similar substances that each have slightly different effects. Oxiracetam, again like aniracetam, is effective for many people and has an excellent safety record. It's been shown to improve focus, memory, and learning without affecting mood or anxiety. Adding oxiracetam to this stack will add to aniracetam's ability to also improve focus, memory, and learning. You can learn more about oxiracetam here: Oxiracetam – A Safe & Effective Nootropic.

Alpha-GPC – The last nootropic in this stack is our choline source, alpha-GPC. There are a number of different choline sources that would work fine here, but we picked alpha-GPC because it fits perfectly with the rest of this stack: It's safe, effective, and affordable. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter in the brain that plays an important role in memory and learning. It's also one of the neurotransmitters that the first two nootropics in this stack work on. Alpha-GPC increases levels of acetylcholine, making the aniracetam and oxiracetam even more effective. You can learn more about alpha-GPC here: Alpha-GPC – A Choline-Boosting Nootropic.

Potential Benefits of Aniracetam, Oxiracetam, and Alpha-GPC

• Improved learning
• Enhanced memory
• Increased focus
• Improved mood
• Reduced anxiety
• Overall cognitive enhancement

Unfortunately, unlike the first two stacks, no one sells these three nootropics together in a single capsule – they have to be purchased separately. However, all three of these are common nootropics that can be purchased from most online sellers. Paradigm Peptides offers all three and their quality is excellent, prices reasonable, and they have amazing customer service – highly recommended.

It would be wise to start with the lowest recommended dosage of each nootropic and increase them as necessary. That would mean 750 mg of aniracetam, 600 mg of oxiracetam, and 500 mg of alpha-GPC. Some users report amazing benefits from these low doses and never need to increase them. Others notice little effect and have to increase the dosage of each to get the benefits they want. Everyone is different, so you may have to experiment a bit to figure out what works best for you.

Conclusion

While most nootropics can be used effectively on their own, many people like to stack several nootropics together. We've listed the top 3 nootropic stacks for beginners, based on safety, effectiveness, cost, and ease of use. Most people will experience at least some benefit from these three stacks. However, everyone's brains are wired a little bit differently, so not everyone responds the same way to the same things. You may have to experiment on yourself a little bit to see what works best for you.

These 3 stacks are very popular and well-researched, but they're certainly not the only nootropic stacks that people are using. It's not uncommon for experienced users to take several nootropics every day. If you're interested in learning more about advanced nootropic stacks, you may want to check out this post about The Adderall Stack.

And if you haven't already, make sure to get The Ultimate Nootropics Quick Reference Guide. It lists all the basic info for 37 of the most popular nootropics used today. You can get it for free when you sign up for the Nootropics Zone newsletter below.

[This article was originally published on November 19, 2016. Updated March 3, 2023.]