#PILLS FOR THE BRAIN FREE#

'Right now we have to avoid all supplements that are being marketed as brain boosters,' he continues.

#PILLS FOR THE BRAIN FREE#

'We can't be assured that products that are being sold to improve memory, sharpness, wit, you name it, are free of foreign drugs.' 'If you wanted to shop for some of these supplements with these unapproved drugs on the label, they would be tremendously easy to find,' Cohen tells Inverse. Cohen has a history of finding that companies that sell supplements, ranging from workout supplements to sexual energy concoctions, don't always accurately report what's inside. The fact that these drugs were present in supplements isn't exactly surprising to Pieter Cohen, the study's first author and a general internist at Cambridge Health Alliance in Boston. In two of the supplements, phenibut and picamilon were present but not listed on the label вЂ“ which means consumers would never know they were there. In the ten supplements the scientists studied, drugs like omberacetam, vinpocetine, and aniracetam were listed directly on the label, despite being illegal for use in supplements in the US.

Picamilon: another Russian prescription drug used to treat neurological conditions.

Phenibut: a drug used to treat anxiety, but also hyped as a study drug that can cause overdoses in large amounts.

The FDA has waffled on whether this ingredient should be allowed in supplements, but as of 2019 does not allow it.

Vinpocetine: a prescription drug used to treat stroke and cognitive impairments in China, Russia, and Germany.

Aniracetam: Once used to treat stroke aftermath in Japan, and Alzheimer's in Europe, according to a 2002 paper.

Omberacetam (also called Noopept): used to treat traumatic brain injury in Russia (and in animal models), according to the study.

These drugs are licensed in other countries, where they've been used to treat conditions ranging from the aftermath of a stroke to traumatic brain injuries.

These are supplements, sometimes referred to as nootropics, that are easy to purchase online. What you actually get inside of that bottle, is likely to be something quite different.ДЇor instance, it might include a drug licensed in Russia to treat traumatic brain injuries, or one used to treat stroke complications in Europe, according to new research.ДЄn analysis published Wednesday in Neurology: Clinical Practice found that eight cognitive enhancement supplements and two workout supplements contained five potent drugs that are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

The packaging of so-called 'brain boosting' supplements typically promises buyers exciting results like mental clarity, enhanced creativity, and a razor sharp memory.

Pills for the brain