Nootropic tea has been around for a long time. But the choices have become a bit dull as of late. Luckily, there are a few innovative brands left. And today, we’ll review them and spill the tea on which one we think is the best.
Let’s get started.
1. Biosteep – Brain Booster Tea
There are a ton of naturally occurring nootropic substances that differ slightly in effects and duration. Biosteep Brain Booster Tea aims to get the best out of nootropics by using as many ingredients in their tea as possible.
The main brain-boosting ingredient that they’re using is Gingko Biloba. Gingko Biloba is both a nootropic and an antioxidant for a two-pronged approach. It’s most commonly used to increase cognitive functions. It also has other nootropic substances such as Gotu Kola, matcha, cinnamon, bacopa, and lion’s mane mushroom.
One of the most notable nootropics is Gotu Kola, which improves memory function and protects against Alzheimer’s disease. Another one is the lion’s mane mushroom, which stimulates the promotion and repair of neurons.
In total, Biosteep has twelve nootropic ingredients that all work together to ensure a healthy brain function.
Pros
- It has organic ingredients. You won’t have to deal with the side effects that come with artificial fertilizers and unnatural ingredients.
- The product includes twelve nootropics in its ingredients. This covers all aspects of your brain.
Cons
- It has lion’s mane mushroom that can cause allergic reactions from some people.
- With loose leaf tea, you have to add an extra minute for preparation time.
2. Bulk Stimulants – TeaCrine
TeaCrine from Bulk Stimulants is a theacrine concentrate powder that dissolves in water. This brain-boosting tea is targeted at athletes, professionals, and gamers. It provides them with prolonged focus and performance.
Theacrine has similar effects to caffeine. It heightens focus and boosts energy, perfect for maintaining performance for extended periods. There is also evidence that it enhances mood and improves motivation as well. It differs from caffeine because it does not cause a crash when depleted from the body.
Since it’s a concentrate, it comes in a small 10-gram packet. The recommended dosage is 50-200mg every time you need to perform. One pack should last you a long time despite its size.
Pros
- You can combine it with other nootropic substances such as caffeine for a heightened effect.
- It comes in a small pack that you can easily bring around everywhere.
- It does not contain any artificial sweeteners or flavoring.
- It does not leave you feeling depleted even after its effects wear off.
- The concentrated theacrine has no other substance that might elicit allergic reactions.
Cons
- It leaves a bitter taste in the mouth, which may not be palatable to some people.
- It may not be considered a real tea because it’s powdered.
3. ONNOR – Instant Genius Nootropic Matcha Tea
The apparent crowning glory of ONNOR’s nootropic tea drink is matcha, and rightly so. It has both brain-boosting capabilities and antioxidant properties at the same time.
On its own, matcha can boost reaction time, attentiveness, and memory. What makes it such a potent nootropic is that it comes with low levels of caffeine and L-theanine. You get some of the benefits of those two substances to improve your cognitive functions. The delicious substance also helps reduce LDL, triglycerides, and heart disease.
Where it truly makes its case as an outstanding nootropic tea is the inclusion of A-GPC. It stimulates natural dopamine production in the brain to improve your mood.
Pros
- Matcha is a smooth umami taste that makes drinking it an absolute joy.
- It protects from high cholesterol while providing brain-boosting effects.
- There is evidence that matcha can also help in weight loss by stimulating thermogenesis and a healthy metabolism.
Cons
- People prone to nut allergies should stay away from this one.
- With the 90 gram packet, it can only serve 30 according to the recommended serving size. Some people who like their matcha strength might have to deal with a lot less than 30 servings.
4. Autoimmuni-Tea – AIP Diet Herbal Tea (Brain Fog Blend)
People suffering from autoimmune disease would love Autoimmuni-tea. It’s a herbal tea blend imbued with adaptogens.
Its primary sources of nootropic substances are Ginkgo Biloba, Gotu Kola, peppermint, and turmeric. The addition of these adaptogens helps keep the body’s physiology well-balanced. These are all highly-regarded commonly-used nootropics. They alleviate a lot of the possible causes of brain fog in people with autoimmune issues.
It’s also lightly caffeinated. You get some of the much-needed effects: alertness, focus, and energy without the inevitable crash that comes from a full dose.
Pros
- It’s Fair Trade certified. The ingredients are farmed, processed, and assembled in the most humane way possible.
- Non-GMO ensures you’re not consuming anything unnatural or artificial.
Cons
- Peppermint allergies are pretty standard. So it might not be the best ingredient for some people.
- Having too much turmeric can cause bowel discomfort in some people. So be sure to stick to the recommended dose.
- Loose-leaf tea can be a bit laborious to prepare.
- There are only 20 servings per pack. You’re going to have to order more if you consume a lot.
5. BrainTea – Organic Boost Focus & Memory Herbal Blend
Brain Tree’s Organic Boost Focus & Memory Herbal Blend has Ginko Biloba, Gotu Kola, lion’s mane, and MCT oil. It can surely help your focus on whatever task you’re doing. This herbal tea blend allows you to take on even the most intense activities.
BrainTea is one of the few herbal blends that include MCT oil in their ingredient lineup. It’s a popular keto diet staple primarily used in making bulletproof coffee. A lot of researchers suggest that MCT can prevent Alzheimer’s by stimulating ketone production. Ketones are an energy source used explicitly by the brain. MCT oil also has some excellent appetite control and metabolic enhancing properties that help with weight loss.
Paired with other nootropics, BrainTea’s herbal tea blend makes for an excellent slimming and brain-boosting tea.
Pros
- MCT oil has attracted some attention as the main ingredient of the famous bulletproof coffee. BrainTea bringing all its benefits to this tea blend is an excellent way to introduce it to non-coffee drinkers.
- It comes in an easy-to-prepare tea bag, so you don’t have to fumble through your tea set just to enjoy this beverage.
Cons
- For long-time tea drinkers, the added MCT oil can be a bit off-putting.
What to Look for in a Good Nootropic Tea?
Ingredients
One of the most important things to look out for in nootropic teas is the ingredient list. The beneficial effects to cognitive functions differ from one substance to the next. So it’s important to understand how each one can affect your mood and brain functions.
To help you out, here are a couple of the most common nootropic tea ingredients and their effects:
Gingko Biloba
Ginkgo Biloba is one of the common nootropic substances you can find. It has a two-fold approach for boosting cognitive functions. It helps blood reach the brain for some much-needed nutrition. And it hinders the production of stress hormones that could impair decision-making.
Bacopa
Learning involves neural connectors called synapses and bacopa. Therefore, tea with bacopa can improve your ability to comprehend and retain information. This is why bacopa is also often included as an ingredient in nootropic drinks.
MCT Oil
This nootropic substance has been gaining popularity as a coffee additive to make the famous bulletproof coffee. Its brain-boosting effects include providing energy to the brain via ketones. Also, it prevents cognitive deterioration caused by neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Matcha, one of the more commonly used ingredients in making tea, has long been touted as an excellent health drink. Matcha’s antioxidant properties provide clean energy to the brain and prevent neurological diseases from taking over.
Tea Bag Vs. Loose Leaf
Another critical factor in choosing your nootropic tea is how you like to take it. The two of the most common forms are via loose leaf or tea bag.
Tea Bag
For convenience’s sake, tea bags have become a staple for a lot of tea brands. Its ease of use and ease of cleaning up is just unparalleled, especially for people on the go.
Loose-Leaf
Tea lovers would probably opt for loose-leaf as it’s the purest form of tea. This method allows tea leaves and other ingredients to expand. This helps oxidize and infuse the water with a lot of flavors, aromas, and benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are nootropic teas addictive?
No. Although nootropic teas have pleasurable effects, it does not contain any of the addictive substances that other drugs have. The addictive qualities of caffeine are often debated because of the withdrawal-like symptoms. However, there is no evidence that withdrawal is an indication of addiction.
Can nootropic tea cure neurological diseases?
No. Nootropic teas are often added to the diets of people with neurological diseases. Instead of curing the diseases, nootropic teas prevent them from getting worse. Nootropic teas can help reduce but not completely eradicate illnesses like Alzheimer’s or Dementia. It’s best to think of nootropic teas as a preventative method, so you’ll be less likely to experience mental illnesses.
Can children drink nootropic tea?
Under the proper doses, children can drink nootropic tea without any adverse effects. However, it’s essential to keep the dosage under the RDI as any more can have serious detrimental effects. Turmeric, for example, can cause severe bowel problems if there’s too much of it in the bloodstream.
Best Nootropic Tea Brands
Biosteep
The company focuses on what they call functional teas. They specialize in teas that are developed and blended for a particular function.
Bulk Stimulants
As the name of the brand suggests, BulkStimulants focuses on fitness and health products. The only tea drink they offer is the TeaCrine. The tea is a nootropic drink that stimulates focus and boosts energy to improve workout and athletic performance.
ONNOR
Onnor is a brand that focuses explicitly on nootropics. They have plenty of nootropic dietary supplements that aid in improving cognitive performance in the long term. Other than tea, they also offer nootropic coffee drinks.
Autoimmuni-Tea
Autoimmuni-Tea is focused on using nootropics to reduce the effects of autoimmune disease. Other than their Brain Fog blend, they also offer Golden Turmeric, Energy & Vitality, and a couple of different variants.
BrainTea
BrainTea is a brand built on the back of just one product – their BrainTea Focus and Memory Herbal Blend. But that’s not surprising as it’s a relatively young brand with an amazingly innovative product. Their inclusion of MCT oil has been a massive step in the right direction for nootropic teas.
Conclusion
While these are all excellent nootropic tea drinks, only one can be crowned the best. After careful consideration, we recommend BrainTea. Their Memory and Focus Herbal Blend is the best among the best.
BrainTea’s innovative inclusion of MCT oil in a tea bag is an excellent first step in the right direction for the fledgling tea brand. For so long, coffee-drinkers were the only ones who were able to enjoy it. But now, tea-drinkers will also have the opportunity to try MCT in their drink of choice.