Note: the following is my experiences, and anything you do is at your own risk.
Nootropics are substances which enhance cognition in some way. Often the term nootropic is used to mean a drug, like the family of racetam drugs. But I am referring in this case to herbs, vitamins and such.
I avoided the racetams and other drugs, partly because of the reports by some people of severe cognitive side effects. So, natural must be the way to go.
Below I describe my experience with several of them:
Caffeine & L-Theanine:
The classic nootropic beginners stack, with it being a pretty safe stack. The L-theanine is good for when I have anxiety, (like when I go to the dentist), and it is said to take the edge off and balance the effect of caffeine. In my case, it does seem to do that.
Vinpocetine:
A semi-natural extract of the periwinkle plant, Vinpocetine is one of my favorite nootropics, with it being very inexpensive, and helps my brain get going. It feels pretty effective. Note: some bottles say to check with a doctor, and don’t use if you have a family history of cataracts.
DMAE:
I am not sure how well this worked for me. But it is cheap, and I did seem to have some effect. I took DMAE bitartarate from my health foods store.
Rosemary & Vitamin C:
A interesting nootropic stack I came up with myself, and have not seen it anywhere else. It does seem to help with cognition.
Tyrosine:
An amino acid, Tyrosine supplementation has been shown to help with motivation, and dealing with stress. It is used in the body to produce dopamine, an important neurotransmitter. It is pretty good for my motivation, but I have to kind of watch out that I not get too impatient, and temper.
B Vitamins:
Yes, B Vitamins! They help give energy, and if you are low in them, it can make cognition harder, both in terms of energy, and memory. B Vitamins, especially B12 have been very helpful to my cognition. I take the methlycobalamin form of B12, since it is said to be better than the cyanocobalamin form of B12.
ALCAR:
Also more commonly known as Acetyl-L-Carnitine, this is another one of my favorites, as I can feel it helping me.