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Alpha BRAIN review: focus-enhancing nutri-combo myth
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If you’ve been looking at how to improve your memory and focus, you’ve probably heard of the Alpha BRAIN supplement by the same name. Onnit, a company specialising in health and fitness supplements, have come up with a brain supplement aimed to boost memory and focus with its combination of nutrients like Alpha GPC and 10 other ingredients, often being proposed as the next best thing on social media. Being supported by Joe Rogan, founder of the Top 100 podcasts and The Joe Rogan Experience, the question is does Alpha BRAIN work? Get answers from a study and discover more about the science behind boosting your memory and focus with this Alpha BRAIN review.
What supplements are in Alpha BRAIN?
Onnit’s Alpha BRAIN contains some well-known supplements like Vitamin B6, Tyrosine, Alpha GPC, Phosphatidylserine, L-Leucine and Pterostilbene. They’re mixed with additional extracts of plants, mostly used in traditional medicine like Oat, Cat’s Claw, Bacopa or Brahmi and Toothed clubmoss. The star ingredient of the focus blend - Alpha GPC - is a form of a nutrient called choline which is a building block to your memory and learning chemical acetylcholine. Hence its feature in Onnit’s memory and focus formula. Whilst choline can be found in foods like beef liver, eggs, almonds, and baked beans, Alpha GPC is a potent form boasting an impressive 41% choline by weight and has easy access into the brain for optimal production.
Does Alpha BRAIN really work?
Since Alpha GPC is the only ingredient in Alpha BRAIN that has been well-studied for benefiting cognitive function, the jury is still out on the effectiveness of the talked-about supplement. To understand this better, let’s quickly touch on your memory and learning chemical acetylcholine that gets boosted with Alpha GPC. Supplementing with Alpha GPC was shown to increase attention scores, due to an increase in acetylcholine[1]. It has also been shown to reduce stress-induced memory loss in animal studies[2]. Another study found that cognitive symptoms in older adults with mild to moderate dementia improved after Alpha GPC supplementation when added to standard medications[3]. This suggests Alpha GPC may benefit those with age-related cognitive decline. With all this positive evidence It's clear why Onnit included it in their formula, however, it's important to note the majority of these studies on Alpha GPC have shown benefits when supplemented in isolation rather than as a combination.
Is there anything better than Alpha BRAIN?
Alpha BRAIN is one of the brain supplements on the market that contains Alpha GPC. However, it contains Alpha GPC as a part of their 3 ingredients focus blend. Herbal ingredients in Alpha BRAIN like cat’s claw, bacopa and toothed clubmoss can have varied levels of active ingredients owing to the differences in nature, therefore, it is harder to ascertain exact levels. Onnit conducted a small study where 63 participants took Alpha BRAIN for 6 weeks and found improvements in some cognitive tests, though specific details were unavailable[4]. Despite the product being supported by Joe Rogan, Alpha BRAIN and its particular combination need more research to establish its effectiveness. Looking for an Onnit Alpha BRAIN alternative? Introducing brain feed's Alpha GPC. Based on multiple studies on safety and efficacy each capsule contains an evidenced-based 500 mg of Alpha GPC, that's 7 times the Alpha GPC content of Alpha BRAIN! Here's how else they compare:
|
Alpha BRAIN |
brain feed’s Alpha GPC |
|
|
Alpha GPC dosage |
69.8mg/capsule |
500mg/capsule |
|
Nutrients |
Vitamin B6, L-tyrosine, L-theanine, oat (straw) extract, phosphatidylserine, cat’s claw, Alpha GPC, Bacopa extract, Toothed clubmoss extract, L-leucine, Pterostilbene. |
99% Alpha GPC |
|
Price and availability |
$79.95/90 tablets (£62.67) + shipping. This equates to 1.1mg Alpha GPC/ £1. |
£21.99/30 capsules with free international shipping. This equates to 22.7mg Alpha GPC/ £1. |
|
Features |
caffeine free, dairy free, gluten free. |
sugar-free, vegan, caffeine free, dairy free, gluten free, and free of unnecessary fillers and flavours. |
Is Alpha BRAIN just a placebo?
Alpha BRAIN could just be a placebo since the actual content of the active ingredient is very low. brain feed provides 500 mg Alpha GPC per capsule. This is more than 50% of your recommended choline needs (400mg) in one capsule. Alpha BRAIN, on the other hand, provides 240 mg of an Alpha GPC blend that contains 100 mg bacopa extract and 0.4mg toothed clubmoss in 2 capsules. Though the amount of Alpha GPC is unspecified, it can be estimated to be 139.6 mg per 2 capsules or 69.8 mg per 1 capsule. That’s only 7% of brain feed’s Alpha GPC. brain feed has created the world’s 1st 500 mg Alpha GPC capsule containing 99% Alpha GPC* (the purest form of Alpha GPC).
What is a natural alternative to Alpha BRAIN?
All of the nutrients in Alpha BRAIN can be found within your diet. If it's Alpha GPC you’re interested in you can read more about the natural sources of choline Alpha GPC. brain feed's Alpha GPC is an isolated nutrient that naturally occurs in the brain. brain feed’s Alpha GPC contains 99% Alpha GPC as the sole nutrient as it’s been tested as a sole ingredient in research studies.
What are the downsides of Alpha BRAIN?
The price and availability of Alpha BRAIN are the main downsides. Alpha BRAIN costs $79.95/90 tablets (£62.67). This equates to 1.1mg Alpha GPC/ £1. brain feed’s Alpha GPC costs £21.99/30 tablets. This equates to 22.7mg Alpha GPC/ £1. Since Alpha BRAIN is a US product it also needs to be shipped to the UK which adds to the final price. brain feed, on the other hand, offers free international shipping.
Is Alpha BRAIN safe for you?
Yes, Alpha BRAIN is considered safe. To add to this, Alpha BRAIN is caffeine-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free.Similarly, brain feed’s Alpha GPC product is sugar-free, vegan, caffeine-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, and free of unnecessary fillers and flavours.
If you are looking for a combination brain supplement, Alpha BRAIN might be a good option to try. If you are looking for evidence-based single nutrient high potency Alpha GPC or trying to buy Alpha BRAIN, UK brain feed’s Alpha GPC is more economical and a better option.
Does Joe Rogan use Alpha BRAIN?
Alpha BRAIN is a part of Joe Rogan’s supplement stack. The host and namesake of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast tends to hype up “the new best supplement there is” every week during his podcast[5]. And, while Joe Rogan supplements stack boasts some science-backed options like omega 3, the Onnit stakeholder also swears by a few that are big on hype and low on research. He takes supplements for building muscle, gut health, immunity, boosting testosterone, and finally, for cognition[5]. To boost his brain performance, Joe Rogan takes:
- Nutrient and vitamin gummies called Neuro Gum which is his podcast’s sponsor,
- Alpha BRAIN by Onnit, in which Joe Rogan has his shares, and
- A natural supplement called Lion’s Mane whose exact effects are yet to be confirmed.
All of those 3 supplements are lacking in the research-based department - either they haven’t been studied in such a format yet or the evidence is inconclusive. This begs the question:
Do any of the brain supplements actually work?
To sum up, high-quality and high-strength brain supplements that were shown to boost the memory chemical acetylcholine through studies, actually work. To dive deeper into it, the brain's chemical acetylcholine is crucial for maintaining your abilities like attention, memory, time management, and planning. Alpha GPC increases choline levels faster than other forms, showing an increase in acetylcholine levels 1-3 hours after consumption[6].
References
[1] Klinkenberg, I., Sambeth, A., & Blokland, A. (2011). Acetylcholine and attention. Behavioural Brain Research, 221(2), 430–442. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2010.11.033
[2] Jeong Yu, H., Lin Kim, Y., Jung Kim, M., Mee Park, J., Young Park, S., Nae Park, S., & Won Yang, D. (2022). The effect of choline alphoscerate on non spatial memory and neuronal differentiation in a rat model of dual stress. Brain Research, 1786, 147900. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2022.147900
[3] Murray, M., & Michaux, M (2023). Alpha-GPC. Examine. https://examine.com/supplements/alpha-gpc/
[4] Solomon, T. M., Leech, J., deBros, G. B., Murphy, C. A., Budson, A. E., Vassey, E. A., & Solomon, P. R. (2016). A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, parallel group, efficacy study of alpha BRAIN® administered orally. Human Psychopharmacology, 31(2), 135–143. https://doi.org/10.1002/hup.2520
[5] Harding, R. (2023). Joe Rogan’s Supplement Stack Is as Controversial as His Opinions. Hone Health. https://honehealth.com/edge/health/joe-rogan-supplements/
[6] Schettini, G., Ventra, C., Florio, T., Grimaldi, M., Meucci, O., Scorziello, A., Postiglione, A., & Marino, A. (1992). Molecular mechanisms mediating the effects of l-α-glycerylphosphorylcholine, a new cognition-enhancing drug, on behavioral and biochemical parameters in young and aged rats. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, 43(1), 139–151. https://doi.org/10.1016/0091-3057(92)90650-5
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