The Most Expensive "Smart Drug" [2024 Update]
| By Jonathan Roseland |
I'm not a doctor, medical professional, or trained therapist. I'm a researcher and pragmatic biohacking practitioner exercising free speech to share evidence as I find it. I make no claims. Please practice skepticism and rational critical thinking. You should consult a professional about any serious decisions that you might make about your health. Affiliate links in this article support Limitless Mindset - spend over $150 and you'll be eligible to join the Limitless Mindset Secret Society.
NZT-48, the fictional "Limitless" drug cost $800. Are pricey real-life Nootropics worth it?
The most expensive Nootropic I'm aware of is...
World Domination offered by Nootopia, contains nine different Nootropic stacks like Focused Savagery, Zamner Juice, and my favorite Brain Flow.
It's the most comprehensive Nootropic product I've ever encountered with an app that guides you on a dynamic Nootropic journey. The hefty World Domination package will set you back $400, is it worth it? For someone with money to invest in their performance enhancement who wants to dive right into the world of Nootropics, it's a decent choice.
The second-most expensive Nootropic I've encountered is...
Qualia Mind by NEUROHACKER COLLECTIVE, it's a Nootropic stack that combines 28 different synergistic ingredients...
Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid) 100 mg, Vitamin D3 (as cholecalciferol) 25 mcg ( 1,000 IU), Thiamine (as thiamine HCI) 50 mg, Niacin (as niacinamide) 50 mg, Vitamin B6 (as pyridoxal 5' -phosphate) 20 mg, Vitamin B12 (as methylcobalamin) 1000 mcg, Pantothenic Acid (as calcium pantothenate) 50 mg, Acetyl-L-Carnitine HCI 500 mg, Artichoke Leaf Extract (4% cynarin and related flavonoids) 500 mg, Bacopa monnieri Leaf Extract 300 mg, Rhodiola rosea Root Extract (3% rosavins; 1% salidrosides) 300 mg, DL-Phenylalanine 300 mg, Uridine-5' -Monophosphate heptahydrate disodium 250 mg, N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine 250 mg, Taurine 200 mg, L-Theanine 200 mg, Alpha-Glycerylphosphorylcholine (alpha GPC) 200 mg, Cognizin® 150 mg, Organic Coffeeberry® ( 90 mg caffeine) Whole Coffee (Coffea arabica) Fruit Extract 129 mg, Velvet Bean (Mucuna pruriens) Seed Extract 100 mg, Phosphatidylserine (from sunflower lecithin) 100 mg, Theobromine 100 mg, DHA (as Docosahexaenoic Acid from Algae) 80 mg, Celastrus paniculatus Seed Extract 60 mg, Ginkgo biloba Leaf Extract (24% glycosides) 50 mg, Coleus forskohlii Root Extract (20% forskolin) 20 mg, Pyrroloquinoline Quinone disodium 10 mg, Huperzia serrata Leaf Extract (7% Huperzine A) 5 mg
That's a lot!
At +$100 a bottle Qualia is a lot cheaper than the $800 price tag of the fictional drug, NZT-48, and some people say it makes them Limitless. Should you shell out the big bucks for it? I'm not sure, I actually have some critiques of this product (and others like it) that I break down here...
To summarize my objections to Qualia...
1. It contains ingredients at insufficient dosages. I believe in taking Nootropics in the dosages that are demonstrated as being effective in human trials. For example, it contains 200 milligrams of Alpha GPC which I question, the dosage range recommended in studies is 400 - 600 milligrams. There's little good reason to assume that it benefits you in a minuscule dosage.
2. Nootropic stacks deprive you of the opportunity to experiment with different dosages and figure out what dosage works for your unique neurobiology.
3. Dosage tolerance curve, if you use all of those Nootropics daily you build up a tolerance to them. I recently designed a cool infographic where I have two data plots illustrating this.
4. Questionable quality of ingredients. When they include 28 different ingredients you have to question the quality of the individual ingredients. They have no incentive for the quality of the individual ingredients. There's no public COA for the ingredients, although according to the FAQ on their website: We receive and review a COA (Certificate of Analysis) for each batch of every raw ingredient coming in, conducted using HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) and MS (mass spectrometry). You have to believe that it contains all 28 of those ingredients on the label.
5. They pay their affiliates a pretty high commission percentage (25%), so you have to consider the financial incentive of those recommending it so enthusiastically. It looks like the true price of Qualia is around $100 so I'm not sure if I want to pay $25 to someone just for sending me a sales email with a link.
To my surprise...
The main man over at Neurohacker Collective, Daniel Schmachtenberger, called me up and did his best to address my objections to his product. He actually did a bullet-pointed write-up responding to every point I made which you can and should read (here) before trying Qualia. A lot of Entrepreneurs would try to use dastardly lawfare to get me to take down a video like the one above, but Daniel handled it diplomatically in a high-integrity way. This just about changes my mind about Qualia. If you can afford it, you might want to try it...
It's a popular product and a lot of Biohackers swear that it's the best Nootropic stack they've ever tried...
Feel like the Best version of Self - N. Cooper
I really enjoyed how this product enhanced my focus, mental agility, and physical energy! It was so easy to get into “flow” mode - I have subscribed for monthly delivery; if I can feel such results after just the first use, I can’t imagine how amazing it will be over time. What I like the most is that I didn’t feel like I “needed” it on the days that I didn’t take it - it actually helps you to exercise those cognitive “muscles” and make them stronger - so that you don’t become dependent on them, but you grow - cognitively! I’m generally always in a good mood, but I felt significantly better (which is saying a Lot), and I noticed a huge improvement in my quick problem resolution ability. Would recommend!
Perfect Formula - Dusty S.
I have tried many different nootropics over the years and I can honestly say Qualia is on a whole different level. I have experienced profound increases in cognition, focus, motivation and overall sense of well being. The effects last for much of the day and fortunately do not interfere with sleep, if anything it seems to aid in getting to sleep quicker.
It works. It’s amazing. - Chase and Janessa Ramsey
I am a forever fan of Qualia! This is not my first purchase with them and won’t be my last. I have been using in the morning to help curb my appetite and help me focus. It has been working wonders. The biggest difference I discovered tonight and brought me to the review page... I can’t eat fatty or fried foods. I just feel gross and this used to never happen. I hope to keep staying away from the bad as it doesn’t please me like it used to.
These reviews and a lot of others you can find on Amazon - others say it's "not worth the money."
Some other "expensive" smart drugs and Nootropics...
I've tried and done biohacker trials of which you'd also want to take a look at...
CONSCIOUS1™ - This stack by Ultra Human distinguishes itself from the crowd of capsuled Nootropic stacks. As a veteran Biohacker, I'm pretty bored of taking capsules and capsules limit the dosage of individual ingredients in a Nootropic stack. This one packs a whopping 4.5 grams of powdered active ingredients, many of which are patented, denoted by the ®, this is a good sign of credibility when evaluating Nootropic products and supplements. Patented ingredients have a reputation to live up to; they aren't the cheapest but they are more likely to be pure and efficacious. A month’s supply runs about $130, but looking at the quality and quantity of its ingredients, it’s a pretty good value actually!
Caballo - The Red Pill formula for Biohacking cognitive capital. A combination of the highest potency Racetams for a profoundly enhanced cognitive experience. Once upon a time, I sold this stack for $100 a month. Pretty pricey right? A number of advanced Biohackers tried it and told me it was "the best" Nootropic they've ever tried - which is what you would kind of expect because the Racetams are the best smart drugs, they blow everything else out of the water! Caballo is now EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE as part of our flagship transformational program, Anakainōsis, this 6-month program is a substantial investment (in the low 5-figures USD range) that produces something of enduring beauty that will last 200 years (yes, really!)
Modafinil - This is NOT a stack, it's a quintessential cognitive-enhancing smart drug (and it's not cheap!) I have an ambivalent view of it.
Semax - This Russian peptide is a quintessential smart drug in that it fires up cognition as opposed to wakefulness, focus, or motivation. So it will help you work smarter as opposed to harder, which sometimes is exactly what we need. Apparently, it blows the socks off some veteran Nootropics enthusiasts. You have to order it from Russia with cryptocurrency and you take it nasally, not orally (and it's not cheap!)
Phenylpiracetam - Another Russian Racetam, derived from the Czar of Nootropics Piracetam. It's regarded as the mathematician's smart drug for the powers of cognition it stimulates. Advanced Biohackers hold Phenyl in high esteem as the Mercedes-Benz of Racetams, but it's getting harder and harder to find - you may have to order it from Europe (capsuled it runs over 50 EUR for a monthly supply - but it will be a kick-ass month!)
ESS60 - This is next level C60, the carbon buckminsterfullerene superantioxidant used in the landmark French anti-aging study that doubled lifespans. It's more of an anti-aging tool than a Nootropic but some people report a holistic Nootropic effect from it. It's spendy stuff, if I were a billionaire I'd bathe in ESS60 olive oil daily!
One of the pricier Nootropic options I haven't tried is TruBrain's flagship stack which runs $125 (a little cheaper if you get it on a monthly subscription).
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I looked up the stack's ingredients and was a little disappointed...
- It has 20 milligrams of Noopept, which is a quintessential smart drug that really unleashes brilliance for some, but it's also one of the most economical Racetams, you can buy almost a full year's supply of powdered Noopept for $25.
- It has no patented ingredients, which I would really expect at this price point! Also, I couldn't find their COAs anywhere on their website.
- The rest of its ingredients are not bad, but not particularly special - like magnesium glycinate, why not use Magnesium L-Threaonate, which is more well-demonstrated as a true Nootropic.
Shout out to the marketing ninjas at TruBrain for selling what really looks to me like a $40 product for +$100, those guys deserve a fat Christmas bonus!
As enticing as an expensive "Smart Drug" is, some more affordable Nootropics are great...
- Piracetam is probably the best Nootropic value, it's a potent full-spectrum smart drug.
- Nicotine (5% in PG or VG solution) and a tall, strong coffee (organic toxin-free) is my daily driver Nootropic.
- Energetic breathing is FREE and in my brain training self-quantification has a short-term cognition-enhancing effect equivalent to the pricey smart drug Phenylpiracetam.
If you try any of these PLEASE drop me a line letting me know how you respond to them.
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