DO YOU WANT A BETTER BRAIN?

I've been really busy lately learning lots of new things such as:

Computer networking at college
Spanish
Molecular Cell biology
and a bit of Quantum Mechanics

So I've looked into some "smart drugs" known as nootropics to help me learn better and faster!

So far what I have read is that the majority are pretty safe and have no toxicity effects. Side effects are also rare but usually minor when they do occur.

I've ordered myself some 'vinpocetine' and will probably arrive sometime next week! the research that I have done so far look good and is the most safest form of nootropic. It basically steps up ATP production. Basically improves the brains utilization of oxygen and glucose by increasing blood flow to the brain.

It is meant to improve cognitive functions, Improve short term and long term memory, better awareness - reaction time and prevents damage caused by free radical (when an oxygen molecule loses its electron).

Hopefuly this works and improves my brain just a bit.

Then there is Piracetam. I havn't ordered this one yet because I'm gonna see how the effects are with vinpocetine first. There is loads of studies done on this one and what it does it basically improves the connection between both hemispheres of the brain and improves many aspects of human intelligence and creativity (as you can imagine!)

Here is a few things i've seen around the net and these are quite common among many thousands of studies done!



Sound good eh?

These smart drugs have also been around for quite some time, but initially to treat illnesses, usually neuro-degenerative diseases.

Some more info



Have you ever expirimented with these smart drugs and would you?

The great thing about SMART DRUGS is that they are really safe and improve brain function in HEALTHY young adults !

How much does it cost?

some of them around 6 cents a tablet.

and you can even buy vinpocetine over the counter in health stores now... in the U.S

if you need smart drugs you must not be to smart why would you but that mess into your body how do you know its safe, all drugs have side effects and you never know how this will work on you in the long run, once your body has built up a tolerance to it, the only safe drug is no drug just my thoughts!

i concur with you isis. the power of the mind is best harnessed via learning how to think, not via drugs. this sounds like the brain equivilant of anabolic steroids: for people that want the effect, but don't want to put in the work to get there.

Thank you hyperactive, young people need to understand all good things come to those who work for it, there is no free ride and these drugs can't be good for you no matter what they say! what happens when you stop taking them,

The food you consume has effects on your mind all the time. Just by drinking a cup of coffee it has mind enhancing effects. We don't think of nicotine as an enhancing drug do we? but thats exactly what it is.

Vitamans Like C and B-6 have possitive effects on how your mind works. Do you consider them as drugs?

As we learn more about the brain and how it works you will see a huge increase in the amount of 'smart drugs' available. This is only the 1st generation of drugs, the second will be safer and more effective.

I help my mind in more ways than just looking out for a quick fix from a nootropic. I eat very well and healthy and excerise regularly and am always learning new things, everyday.


These 'Smart drugs' have been known for around 45 years + and some used for thousands of years ! and used for illnesses in the past 25 years.

There have been thousands of studies done and infact these drugs protect the brain from damage and PROVEN to slow down brain ageing.

They have protecting effects, enhancing effects and they are called nootropics because they are totally safe, no toxicity and side effects are extremely rare. when they do occur its usually a slight stomach upset.

What happens when you stop taking them

These drugs are not addicting and usually have long lasting positive effects on the brain. Some are anti ageing and neuro protective as in if your brain is starved of oxygen the drug protects the cells and some of these drugs show that they reduce damage by upto 70%.

They also help long term and short term memory if taken for a few months. If you come off the tablets these effects will slightly be reduced but you have most of the benifits from when you were using the drug.


Obviously these drugs wont just make you into a genius over-night. but they do have positive effects and millions of people are already using them

NO matter how much work you do you can't just change the brain chemistry by 'thinking' about it. Most of these drugs just help your brain utilize oxygen and glucose better to help it fuction at an optimal level.

All it is is a slight hardware upgrade

Good point, Isis!

Isis, Hyperactive, I agree with you totally. There's nothing better than excercising that grey-matter naturally. With these enhancing drugs one may boost one part of the brain but just like with anything else - other parts will suffer. The parts that work harder/better(?) due to the enhancements TAKE away from the other parts. No point being a super-artist if I can't string a sentence together.

Unfortunatelly, in this day and age we cannot escape engineered chemicals added to foods (as preservatives/enhancers etc. etc.) but we can watch how much we take in. Everything in large enough doses can be harmful but I wouldn't be taking any enhancers even in moderation & trust in someone doing the right thing (giving true information WRT the enhancer - they may not even know of side effects that can manifest years later) - afterall one of the main reasons for creating them is 1st MONEY 2nd PERHAPS health.

Cheers

I suppose you consider OMEGA 3 a drug too?

I cannot speak for the others but I'd consider anything in non-natural doses a drug and especially if it is concentrated.

BTW, I rarely take any medication even when I am sick - this helps my body (I believe) create its own defenses. I haven't popped a pill for the last hmmm 8 years now and recently had a full checkup (ECG + blood tests etc.) and *knock on wood* - all is well. And (*knock on wood*) I haven't had a cold/flu/gastro/anything for the last 3 years (I'm 34 )

Of course there are some illnesses that cannot be fought by the body alone but until I get something very serious I'd rather put up with the discomfort as I know it will help in the long run (I believe that's how nature works).

Cheers

you can excersise it all you want but if you don't feed your brain then you are not going to push the limits of the brains capability.




Different nootropics have different effects on the brain. Some improve communication between neurotransimitteres. Piracetam improves the communication between both hemispheres of the brain. This basically will significatnly improve CREATIVITY. Many tasks require communication between both sides of the brain. This drug basically improves the communication. very simple really?

It improves: Short term memory, Long term memory, Learning ability, speech and Creativity.

It steps up the production of ATP and helps the brain utilize oxygen and glucose ( critical for proper brain function )


The medical community and most informed individuals do not believe omega 3 ( from fish ) is an enhancing drug. but looks what it does

90% of kids are deficient in omega 3

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/4511759.stm

The most dramatic improvement was in concentration and the spin off was children had better attainments so their reading score improved - some children improved by as much as four years in the six months trial."

Do you all believe that it is 'cheating' to drug mind enhancing drugs? in exams for example...

Also Vinpocetine is taken from the periwinkle plant, from nature

also another one from nature is

Ginko Biloba, its an ancient tree from as far back as 300 million years. and also has long term enhancing effects.

These are all natural and have good positive effects. protecting the brain ( antioxidants ) aswell as enhancing it.

Personally, I would rather keep my intelligence and thought as natural, innate and un-tampered-with as possible.

Is intelligence driven by drugs really anything to be proud of?

These drugs may affect our thought processors, but what good can they really do? Ultimately, intelligence is beyond brain tissue and drugs; all substance. It is fabricational developement over time through experience, critical thoughts and insight driven by our own creative minds that spark intelligence, not drugs.

Thank you i am glad to see most people do not like the idea of using drugs just to be smarter, and no matter what this can not be a good thing, if you want brainpower then study eat right and get alot of sleep that will do you more good than any drug ever could!

Your comments about these supplements 'drugs' are very natural. As they were with people living in the 1950's when they considered vitamins ( essensial nutrients ) as ' DRUGS ' -

I am just trying to educate a bit



Are you reading any of my posts? Do you even understand what I'm talking about?



I have TOLD YOU

- Enhance mood
- Enhance Creativty ( like putting a super high bandwidth connection between 2 hemispheres of the brain)
- Enhance Memory
- Protects your cells from damage and slows down brain ageing
- Enhance intelligence
- Enhance learning capabilities
and more



Im sorry, I really do not understand where you are coming from. These 'drugs' are now Dietary supplements found in health shops over the counter! Maybe its the word 'drugs' that scare you. As I have said... Many aspects are involved in your brain function... These supps do very simple things that the food you eat does every day - only more efficient at doing it.

Look at the information http://www.smart-drugs.com/smart/info-

Vinpocetine

Vinpocetine is a periwinkle plant extract (Vinca major) that improves brain function. It has been used medicinally in Europe since 1983.

Vinpocetine dilates the arteries of the brain but does not dilate other blood vessels.

Vinpocetine can prevent the occurrence of stroke. Vinpocetine can prevent much of the damage that occurs following stroke if administered immediately following stroke.

Vinpocetine may prevent Alzheimer's Disease and reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer's.

Vinpocetine improves circulation within the brain (i.e. it alleviates cerebral insufficiency).

Vinpocetine increases Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) within the brain's neurons.

Vinpocetine improves the brain's utilization of glucose.

Vinpocetine can alleviate headaches.

Vinpocetine accelerates the rate of learning by 40% (in animal research).

Vinpocetine improves memory. Healthy subjects exhibited significant short-term memory improvement 1 hour after taking 40 mg of Vinpocetine (62%).

Vinpocetine increases the length of time that short-term memory is retained.

Vinpocetine can block the action of drugs that disrupt memory.

Vinpocetine improves the brain's utilization of Oxygen and increases the resistance of Neurons to the damage that would otherwise be caused by Hypoxia.

Vinpocetine can alleviate speech impairment.

Vinpocetine improves circulation to the eyes thereby improving vision and eyesight disorders.

Vinpocetine improves impaired hearing and improves many inner-ear problems.

Vinpocetine improves Tinnitus (ringing in the ears).

Vinpocetine improved the vertigo (dizziness) of 77% of the patients in one study.

Vinpocetine reduces menopausal symptoms.

Vinpocetine increases the brain's turnover of Serotonin and Norepinephrine.

Vinpocetine improves the flexibility of red blood cells and may thereby help to prevent strokes.

Vinpocetine alleviates insomnia and several types of sleep disorders.



UNFORTUNATLY intelligence is determained by the brain and the nutrients that you give it. You should already know this. If the brain is deficient in certain nutrients then you can't learn to your full potential. you can try and teach a dog about quantum mechanics but his brain is just not up to the job ( even nutrients want help him) but maybe you get my point?

You do need the hardware to function 'good' to learn better.

NO that is not true...

many studies show that people that took a certain nootropic and stayed awake for 90 hours out performed people that had a good nights sleep in many tests.

That post was a waste of time, because I have already made a firm opinion and really can't be bothered reading about drugs. I don't care what you think, go ahead and 'enhance' yourself, but I'm afraid I may be discouraged from listening to you in future.

Like I said... Your reaction is quite normal as were those in the 1950's when they were told about vitamins and minerals.

What does that have to do with anything? This is not about health, this is about intelligence. I have already made my point; scroll up.

it has to do with your reaction. Like how you believe these supplements that happen to bring good benifits to the brain is somewhat evil, wrong or not normal.

When you consider that certain vitamins happen to boost brain function, should you ban Vitamin C and B complex because they boost your brain?

Should we 'ban' fish like tuna because it enhances memory and learning ?

Since nootropics are produced by nature as is oranges, bananas and fish... and they just happen to boost brain function. Should they not be used?


Do you see what I'm trying to get at? Im saying that you look at these new supplements such as vinpocetine like they are un-natural - when that is very wrong. Some have been used for thousands of years and only lately have studies shown that they benifit the brain without causing ANY side effects.

Do you eat oranges?

Is eating an orange loaded with vitamin C ( brain boosting ) anything to be proud of?

whats your point? lol


Some may say " well be happy with what you got " Well what some people have got is much better than others. Im a bit higher than average intelligence according to my IQ. But why is it so wrong to try and improve my brain.

When I grew up I was not on a particularly good diet, my mother never really ate fish ( which I needed while she was pregnant ) for proper brain development. I ate crap all my younger life... Because of factors that I couldnt really countrol when I was younger - I am trying to correct those now by relaying the foundations which I have by making good choices is healthy living


These supps that I have introduced to you are far more benifiting and safe than the other thread called "open your mind" lol

I really don't care; stop wasting your breath. I have made a firm opinion on this matter and am against using drugs to 'enhance' myself; I much prefer the natural and honorable alternative.

You go and use your 'enhancement' drugs; I think you need them.

You dont care? why waste your time on this thread then...?

I provided you with the information and it is natural. You have not made a credible argument that they are in some way dangerous or not natural.

I can sense some ignorance from you


Since we are in the 21st century and we will see upgrades and smart drugs available to us. How are people with your attitude going to compete?


I'll report on what effect vinpocetine has in around 1 month time...

You sense ignorence in me?? Well, I 'sense' some blatant hypocracy in you, my friend!

How am I going to compete? By eating olives, along with millions of others I guess.

I waste my time here because it saddens me to see people with such an inquisitvely dim outlook on drugs.

P.S olives are good for the heart.

Oranges come from a tree
vinpoectine comes from a plant

Natural

vinpocetine boosts the brain http://www.smart-drugs.com/smart/info-

vitamins boost the brain and protects it http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art...rticlekey=37944


Oh gee, lets stop eating oranges !

edit

I have extra virgin or olive oil every day

Not only are oranges distasteful, they are also an insolent and disobediant fruit. I gave up eating them long ago; they refused to stay in a bowl and would often roll away when I tried to peel them. The last straw was when they encouraged the other fruits of my kitchen to protest for fruit rights and took my house by force. I had to call in the exterminators.

LoL !

ok then... well its your choice of course - no point in pushing you to change your mind

But please, do not look at me as some druggy, when all I want is good and long health by making good and safe choices.

I never do any of the bad stuff like Drink or smoke and never do bad drugs

Im a really health conscious person and I do a lot of researching before I take any supplement.

I'm glad to hear that. I urge you never to take dangerous drugs or smoke - it will tear your body apart.

Although I don't agree with what you're doing, good luck with the supplement and I hope you get the results you expect, if not better.

Here is a good little article from newscientist

11 steps to a better brain

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-.../mg18625011.900

just a bit of information for you about the brain

gingko biloba, vinpocetine etc.. is thought to boost blood flow and increase glucose metabolism. This is important, because the brain has a design fault: it runs on glucose, but doesn't store it, which is a bit like having a car with no petrol tank.

Whoa182, I'm with you. For the most part.

If you have been doing objective, thorough research from comprehensive and scientific sources, and have come to the conclusion that these drugs are safe, I say go for it. It's worth a few bucks right?

I probably wouldn't do it myself, just because I'm wary of putting chemicals into my body like that. But I also don't understand a lot of the science, so I may be missing something.




You can't "learn how to think". Sure you can train yourself to have a more logical, critical, and objective outlook on life, but only if you have the brainpower to comprehend such things in the first place. You cannot learn how to have a higher IQ or a better memory anymore than you can will your muscles to become stronger or a tumor to go away. Ultimately, you are the result of your brain's physical potential. Some people can't even learn how to change their thinking. Some people are physically incapable of going outside the box. Your brain can only do what it can do physically.




No, thought is substance-based as well. Without the physical and chemical reactions of the brain, there would of course be no thought. It only stands to reason that altering those reactions enough will change your thoughts, for better or worse.




So you'll just go ahead and ignore any evidence at all that contradicts your already made up mind? Nothing can sway your opinion that must be objective and correct because it's so firm?




Well, whether the drug is good or not, staying awake for 90 hours while popping pills is just plain retarded.

I'm sorry, can you repeat that?

1. You said intelligence comes from our creative minds and insightful experience. I said, no intelligence would not be possible without the physical chemical impulses in the brain. Therefore, thought is physical. Drugs that really could improve the chemical reactions would, in theory, improve thought.

2. You said whoa182's posting of all the pills' effects was a waste of time because you've already made up your mind. That's rediculous. If a person is raised to believe the world is flat, and then is taken up in a ship and flown around the earth to see first hand that it's a sphere, does that person just say, "I refuse to look out the window because I've already decided that the Earth is flat."?

No.

When you are presented with evidence of something, ignoring it doesn't change it.


If you couldn't tell by my name, I'm all about logical thinking when it comes to the unexplained, rather than jumping to whatever popularized conclusion seems coolest to us. Doesn't mean I don't believe, it just means that I trying to be sensible.

in fact you do learn to think!
many aspects are developmental (i.e. need to occur at specific phases of growth) but overall you do indeed learn to think

your mind does work much like a muscle. a bodybuilder goes to the gym to train a muscle to perfom in a specific way. the downside to this specific training is it is not very useful in other applications. train the mind to be dynamic and it will be.

whoa:
why all the comparisons to vitamins?
it does not strenthen the argument. what is the best source for vitamins? FOOD! many years after the "miracle" of extracted and artificial vitamins was released on the public research showed how vitamin absrobtion works. now we have probiotic vitamins (predigested so that they are real food and absorb better). when we look at vit c we find as many studies saying high doses are safe as those saying high doses are carcinogenic.

the point is we really do not know all that much about nutrition. we just like to think we do. a proper diet is still the best approach to getting the nutrients needed.

Yes that is pretty much true that you have to excersise your brain, you know the saying.... " use it or lose it " ?



You can train to strengthen muscle and build yourself up but what does it require? Protein!. If you supply good protein you will see better results... The same goes for supplying the brain more oxygen and glucose for cells. This is all these new supps do basically...

-You can train muscle without protein and you will see less improvement.
-
You can train the brain without giving it the proper nutrients and energy but it will not function optimally or be the best at learning and taking in new information.



Maybe I shouldn't have focused the argument to much on vitamins but I was trying to get the point across that certain things in our food have enhancing effects, mood effects on the brain already. So mind altering substances are nothing new. Now safetey is important of course, thats why some nootropics are now sold over the counter, because they are totally non toxic are extremely safe, even at very high doses.



I agree. We are finding out new stuff all the time. You only have to take a look at the reports coming out nearly every week.

whoa, i understand your zest for optimal health.

if i sound cynical about "supplements" it is because i have seen many people use various supplements to improve performance only to end up with expensive (and coulourful) urine. as ai said, remember that the nutrient companies are first and formost interested in profits. that does not mean that their products don't have an effect, even if it is only the placebo effect.

indeed we are learning more every week, which is good. it is also good that there are people like you that want to try the "latest and greatest" so that we can learn more about these products.

the unanswered question with all of these supplements is what are the long term effects?

i don't like how the new term for everything is "its natural". quite a few things are natural that do not do a body any good at all. (even the healthfood marketing terms are rediculous! "natural foods", "organic foods". what exactly is an "unnatural food" and why have we so overprocessed our foods to the point that we even have to think of "natural foods").

Thanks for some support hyperactive!

whoa I'm guessing you're under 30, so why do you need them? Memory problems only start after 40, but some people stay sharp well into their 80s without any "enhancers". Also I believe the best chance you have to improve your IQ significantly is before the age of 5, any older and it might be too late. My life also revolves around learning and I rely on my creativity A LOT. However, I opted against nootropics because there are other ways of making your brain sharper. The most important of all is getting plenty of sleep everyday, 9 hours if possible. Switch to 2 hours a day and see the dramatic effects that has. Then there is exercise and a healthy diet. I joined a Gym a few months ago, and already I have noticed I am sharper, more retentive and have more energy (mental and physical) overall. Try to choose an intense form of exercise, forget the treadmill, give the squat a try.

What if you smoke weed? does it help then?

HAHA, seriously though.

I am actually only 20. I am doing everything I possible can to stay healthy and well... I have different plans on some people here which is to get to see radical life extension if possible in humans. I eat really healthy and totally avoid bad fats and sugar when possible... this helps keep my mind in good shape. Also excersise increases blood flow - more oxygen to the brain keeping you feeling good. exercising works against stress quite well!

So why do I intend on taking these tablets? Well I have spoken to quite a few people and looked at a lot of research available on the net. You can see some of the Information here http://www.imminst.org/forum/index.php?act=ST&f=199&t=383&s=

They seem to work in healthy people and actually show a significant improvement in the following: Improve memory, long- and short-term, Enhance alertness, awareness, and preparedness, Act as a neuroprotector, Prevent or reverse ischemic (lack of oxygen) damage to brain, muscle, liver, & elsewhere, Diminish senile cerebral dysfunction.

Now since it does all this with side effects being VERY rare. I would say it is a good deal. Obviously I have no idea if it will work, it may not of course... I have only bought around 2 months supply and I will make a decision whether to carry on using them after that period.

Now whether these 'smart drugs' raise your IQ even by a few points can be debated and it is debated whether you can raise your IQ significantly in adulthood.

If it give me better mental sharpness and if it somehow happens to increase my learning or memory capability then that is good. Since this vinpocetine is extremely safe, it wont hurt to try would it?

One of the reasons I looked into this is because ever since I changed my life style such as excersising more often, eating very healthy and supplying the the body and mind with all optimal nutrients and avoiding bad stuff I have noticed a huge increase in the ability to concentrate and learn. Over a year ago I could have never imaged that I would ever read a book, I was totally not interested in high school. So as the months went on I noticed dramtic changes. I got extremely interested in nearly everything that I was just too lazy to learn before.

I bought 10's of books on subjects such as Molecular Cell Biology, Quantum Mechanics, Nanotechnology, A.I and Robotics. These are not just some easy reading books and some of them require you to concentrate better and understand what you are actually reading. The way I feel now about when I was in high school is I was a complete zombie, not interested in learning at all... I must have thought to myself many times, Why the hell do I need maths and science! .... Well I really need good maths and science grades now.

So there was a complete change in my attitude and I've noticed a higher self-awareness and ability to learn and be interested in these things. Because I have noticed these big changes as you can imagine it got me thinking... how far can I push my mind?

Well I don't want to go all crazy and do something stupid so I carefuly research these things before I will take them. I'm very health conscious person so I wouldnt just pop a pill and hope things get better without knowing the facts and there being proof that it's safe.




Vinpocetine is known for protecting the brain cells against free radical damage so it may do

"One of vinpocetine’s more general effects is that it acts as an antioxidant. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a central role in many age-related brain disorders [4]. At therapeutic concentrations, vinpocetine has antioxidant effects

As a fat-soluble antioxidant, vinpocetine’s antioxidant properties are similar to those of vitamin E. An advantage of vinpocetine is that it concentrates this antioxidant effect in the brain, providing it with specific protection."

whoa 2 months is a very short time. They say it takes about 10 years to get to the "genius" level (that's about how long it takes to get a Phd. coincidentally). Other than nootropics, have you tried any of the following?

-playing the piano (classical or jazz)
-playing chess
-studying non-technical books like poetry and literature
-learning a new language
-listening to classical music and jazz

I've been doing all of the above (except chess) for a few years already, and I have noticed it has truly taken me to a higher level. I am also interested in science (particularly astrophysics), bio-technology, psychology, ecology, history and I am also a part-time visual artist and videographer.
At some point though, you must make an honest self-assesment and decide whether this is what you truly want. The smarter you get, the less popular you will be, and the more isolated you will become.

It is a short time I know. Obviously I'm not going to invent a time machine as soon as I start taking some tablets... lol

Studies show that the time vinpocetine takes to kick in can be days to weeks. But Usually within a week. I have no idea how much vinpocetine will effect me... but I'll see.

I play Guitar for 6 years now and can play bass of course. I'm alright at drums. I have thought about playing piano and I probably will soon.

Yes I love to play chess all the time!

I havnt really studies a lot of poetry and literature. maybe I should?

Yes I started to learn spanish 2 months ago ( i hated learning language in high school ! - again, something changed... ) I also want to learn german.

I like a bit of jazz but havnt really listened to classical. I am a musician and have been in a few bands. Right now I don't have time to tour or anything because of education. I am more into classic Rock and modern, Indie, punk rock, gothic metal, some metal ( not the shouting stuff) I listen to many other types because It helps me be more creative.

Art is something I really want to try out soon too. I think that I still have a social life and have very good friends So im not sure that I'd become too isolated...

I want to be Successful and do well. I have so many interests, it's quite hard to do all of them

whoa la musica clasica y el jazz te hacen mas inteligente, la musica popular (rock, metal, rap, etc.) tiene el efecto opuesto!!

I would approach any drug cautiously. Too many substnces with "no side effects" have been cooked up. How can they possibly claim no long term effects when it hasn't been around long enough to really know.

La música rock es gran. el golpecito es malo para usted y tan es la música pop

Escucharé clásico y el jazz alguna vez. ¡Quizás sea más inteligente! hehe


Excuse my mistakes or bad spanish conversational skills as I am very early in the process of learning the language! I am using a program called Rosseta Stone to learn the langauge. It's great!!! Shows pictures which you associate with the sentences and sound. Much easier when you have all this and not just audio or something. Definitly help you learn faster.



Well the drug has been used for quite a long time. We have known about it for around 50 years and used in practise for around 25-30 years and all is fine, like I said... it has benificial effects and only 1% who take it experience mild side effect such as bad stomach or flushing of the face which is temporary. No long term damage or anything. The drug actually protects the brain and slow down cell death and helps protect against free radicals.

Heres a bit about free radicals for you

free radical is any atom (e.g. oxygen, nitrogen) with at least one unpaired electron in the outermost shell

free radicals steal an electron from a surrounding compound or molecule a new free radical is formed in its place. the newly formed radical then looks to return to its ground state by stealing electrons with antiparallel spins from cellular structures or molecules. The chain reaction continues and can be "thousand of events long.

Vinpocetine has antioxidant effects meaning the antioxidants protect the cells by giving up their electron to the free radicals. The antioxidants become free radicals but they are not harmful.

The body has its own antioxidants but its good to make sure that you eat healthy and get the nutrients to protect your cells, dna etc.. from free radicals that cause damage.

This is why vinpocetine has positive effects rather than negative. Also Like I said earlier, It increases oxygen supply to the brain and only in the brain. It also increases ATP production which is an energy carrying molecule to the cells.

Heres a study done quite a while ago now and it shows that ginko biloba which is a nootropic had good significant effects on healthy subjects.

http://www.blackmores.com.au/news/news_detail.asp?art=294

"This is the first study on Ginkgo biloba’s effect on memory and information processing in young healthy people. Results of the study were very interesting, according to Dr Stough, "participants with more average IQ’s or intelligences improved significantly more than those with higher IQ’s on tests of attention and problem solving due to the ginkgo… participants who had a normal intelligence of about 110 had their intelligence raised to about 125, where as those who had a higher intelligence of 130 only saw a marginal improvement of about 132."

It would be really cool to see that much improvement in some one that is around average to above average intelligence.

whoa I heard of a more recent study that showed Ginkgo did not have a significant impact on intelligence as previously thought. It was on the news about 9 months ago.

ginko is wholesome to be sure. But Moe thinks that in order to be smarter, we must install zippers on our heads. This will make it easier to switch brains.

Moe forsees a future where having different brains for different tasks will be as convenient as fast food.

Ahh I see. Can you try to find a link for that when you have time?

Im not taking or going to take Ginkgo myself... But will be trying out vinpocetine.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4678895.stm

little article from the BBC on Brain-Boost Drugs 'to be common'