Nootropics have been proven to come with quite a few benefits when taken in certain ways and in specific dosages.

Because of how effective these can be, more people have begun buying them and taking them. Naturally, this leads to many people having questions about the products.

Some people might wonder what exactly they are. If you’ve been taking them for a while, you’re likely already familiar with nootropics. However, you might have a few other questions about their use.

One of the most popular questions is whether or not it is safe to mix nootropics and alcohol. Some people argue that you should never mix the two, while on the other hand, alcohol-infused nootropics are available for purchase.

As you might expect, there’s a lot more to this than meets the eye. That means that it’s going to be more than a simple “yes” or “no” answer. Instead, there’s a decent amount of explaining to do. Let’s dive in!

Chapter One: What Are Nootropics?

If you’re hearing about nootropics for the first time, then there’s a chance that you don’t know precisely what they are. Despite their popularity, people who aren’t taking them don’t know too much about them.

Typically called “smart drugs,” nootropics have been around for quite some time. Many of them are also available through prescriptions to help with the symptoms of ADHD and other illnesses.

However, there are quite a few that are also available over-the-counter. There’s also a chance that you’ve been using some nootropics without even knowing it.

Nootropics are essentially chemicals or ingredients that have been shown to help improve cognitive performance. This can be seen in quite a few categories, such as improved memory, increased concentration, and more.

A broad range of ingredients can be included in or considered as nootropics, such as foods, supplements, and even drugs. As such, there are countless nootropics on the market that can benefit different people in a variety of ways.

Cognitive performance isn’t the only area that they can help, though! Some nootropics have been known to:

• improve moods,
• help with digestion,
• increase concentration,
• improve memory,
• give you more energy, and
• help you get to sleep.

As such, the effects of nootropics can be as varied as the products themselves. That being said, there are a few other questions that you might want to consider before using nootropics, especially if alcohol is involved in the equation.

Do They Work?

There’s a chance that you might be skeptical about whether nootropics work. That’s because many people have claimed they don’t, even though many studies claim that they do.

As you might expect, there’s quite a significant debate as to their effectiveness. In general, though, you should rest assured that they work based on scientific studies and research.

The science surrounding increased focus in particular (as well as other uses) has been relatively clear. For particular things, such as ADHD, prescription nootropics have been released, and studies have shown these to be effective.

Naturally, it’s the over-the-counter options that are more debated. Despite this, quite a few brands have shown that their products have worked. Countless customers have also claimed that this has been the case.

As such, the available evidence seems to suggest that nootropics work much better than many people might believe. So then why do some people question whether nootropics work at all?

Unfortunately, that’s because there can be many relatively low-quality options on the market. These companies sell their products by hyping up specific benefits and advantages, but the ingredients in the low-quality products mean they often don’t live up to this marketing.

That isn’t because nootropics, in general, don’t work. Instead, it’s worth researching the manufacturer of each specific product to find out whether their nootropics are reliable and reputable.

Potency and other factors can play large roles in whether or not a product works. As such, some nootropics will be a lot better than others. In many cases, people who claim that nootropics don’t work may have simply had a low-quality product.

That means that a certain amount of time and effort will be needed to research and differentiate the good options from the bad ones.

Are They Safe?

Safety will be a significant factor in figuring out whether or not you should take something. That’s especially true with something that might affect your brain. However, this isn’t a clear-cut question, and the answer may be more complicated than you’d like.

To put it as simply as possible, though, the majority of nootropics are quite safe. If you live in the United States, then you’ll be glad to hear that neuroenhancers are regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA).

That should give them quite a significant safety mark for most people. Other countries will have similar governing bodies that oversee the safety and integrity of such products.

It’s also worth considering that the manufacturers themselves want their products to be safe. After all, they want customers to keep using them, and that hinges on previous customers’ positive experiences, recommendations, and reviews.

However, that doesn’t mean that no nootropics come with side effects. It’s worth noting that many nootropics can come with a list of several mild side effects, though these might be uncommon to actually suffer from.

Most people using nootropics only experience side effects if they’ve accidentally (or purposefully) taken too much of a particular product. To avoid this, you should follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Since they’re the experts in that specific product, they know how and when it should be taken. Failing to follow these instructions could result in some negative consequences.

As such, to keep nootropics safe, you should be sure to do exactly what the manufacturer recommends. If you do develop any side effects, you should stop taking them immediately.

If you have any medical conditions, then you’ll need to be extra careful about safety. In this case (or if you have any other medical concerns), it would certainly be worth speaking to a medical professional.

It’s also a good idea to have a health professional monitor you over time when you’re taking nootropics, just to make sure that everything’s going smoothly.

Chapter Two: Can You Mix Nootropics And Alcohol?

Mixing nootropics and alcohol is quite a tricky issue. That’s because the two are specifically designed to do the opposite of each other and to be taken independently. Alcohol is well-known to dull your senses. Nootropics, often called neuroenhancers or ‘smart drugs,’ are known to sharpen these senses. Naturally, this puts them at different ends of the spectrum.

As such, it leads to many people wondering whether or not you can take the two of them at the same time. Typically, taking alcohol will mess with the effects that the nootropics are supposed to provide. That could mean that you wouldn’t end up seeing any of the advantages that you’re taking them for.

However, that doesn’t mean that they’ll always have too much of an impact on the alcohol. In contrast, there are relatively few nootropics that will dull the effect of alcohol. Caffeine is one of the few that will, and the effects of caffeine and alcohol tend to be pretty well-known. In short, caffeine could help you to feel sober faster, though this isn’t actually the case.

However, that doesn’t address the question as to whether or not it’s safe to mix alcohol and nootropics. Most people would prefer to have a simple yes or no answer to this. However, it can often be much more complicated than that. As caffeine highlights, there can be nootropics that are safe to do so.

Others, on the other hand, might not be so safe to mix. That’s because their ingredients might interact negatively with the alcohol. As a result, you could find yourself suffering from stomach cramps, nausea, or a host of other side effects.

Naturally, you’ll want to avoid these as much as possible. While some of these can be explained by over-drinking, that isn’t always the case. Instead, it could be the result of the nootropic’s active ingredient mixing terribly with the alcohol. That means that you should avoid mixing them as much as you can.

There doesn’t seem to be much use in mixing alcohol with the majority of nootropics. At best, the alcohol will simply make the nootropics ineffective. At worst, you could end up needing medical attention. Neither of these outcomes is ideal. As such, it might not be worth the time.

On the other hand, you might want to wait until the following day or days following alcohol use to start taking nootropics again. While the likes of caffeine will help remove the negative effects of the alcohol, others could make them worse. As such, letting the alcohol run through your system before taking nootropics again is highly recommended.

Chapter Three: Common Over-The-Counter Nootropics

What you might not realize is that nootropics form a part of many more products than you might realize. Outside of the prescription drugs that you can get, they form the basis of vitamin supplements, among other things. They can also be included in quite a few beverages.

In some cases, that’s what gives these products the kick and benefits that they’re known for. A lot of that could be surprising to many people. That’s not because manufacturers have used clever branding to disguise what they’re using in their products. It’s because some things are nootropics, and you may not have known that they are categorized as such.

That’s because quite a few of them are much more common than you might have realized. Some of the more notable include:

Caffeine

Despite being one of the most popular things on the planet, many people don’t realize that caffeine is a nootropic. Because of the impact that it can have on your brain and body, though, it certainly meets all of the criteria. The majority of people won’t need to be filled in for what these are.

However, you can typically expect a boost in energy and perhaps a boost in mood. Coupled with these are improved focus and better concentration. Your memory should also see a little bit of an improvement.

There’s also been evidence to suggest that caffeine can help with cardiovascular health. This is typically seen in better blood flow and other areas, making it a decent option for your long-term heart health.

Whether or not you can take this with alcohol, though, is fuzzy. While you can have caffeine itself with alcohol, other ingredients that you might see in supplements might be a no. However, drinking some coffee or tea after some alcohol isn’t going to have any negative consequences.

In contrast, the worst thing that’s likely to happen is that the coffee will help your attentiveness somewhat. In many cases, this can often be seen as a good thing.

Creatine

Creatine is one of the few high-quality nootropics that doesn’t specifically target the brain. Instead, it tends to focus on the body. As a result, the majority of benefits that you can see with this tend to be focused there. Thankfully, there are quite a few of these that you can take advantage of.

That’s because creatine is considered one of the fundamental building blocks of protein in our bodies. That means that your body will already create a certain amount of it. However, that might often not be as much as you might want, leading to you consider creatine nootropics.

These will primarily help you with your workouts, as the supplements are focused on increasing muscle mass and muscle health. That means that if you’re trying to build more muscle, then this could be vital. You’ll also have somewhat of an energy boost when you take creatine, letting you work out for longer.

One of the last major benefits of creatine is that it can help you recover from your workouts much faster. That’s because they help to repair your muscles, alongside helping to increase their mass. That should mean less time suffering after a workout. Regular exercise can also have positive effects on your brain, which gives this an added bonus.

However, you might not be able to drink alcohol when you’re taking this. At least, you wouldn’t be able to do so straight away. That’s because there have been cases of stomach issues as a result of the mixture. That being said, this could be related to the volume of alcohol and nootropics that are being mixed.

Even one drink has been known to cause nausea and other issues. As such, you might want to avoid drinking alcohol when you’re taking this. Given that it tends to be more popular in the lead-up to high-profile sports games etc., then alcohol might not be on your mind too much. That should mean that you’re not making too much of a sacrifice by cutting down on your alcohol intake.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are quite well-known and have been recommended for decades. That’s because they’ve been known to have quite a few significant benefits. Alongside this, there are relatively few side effects and risks to them, especially in lower doses. Often, this tends to be an upset stomach or something more minor.

These benefits tend to affect your hold body. Essentially, these help to fix many of your cells, which should mean that your body can repair itself quickly and effectively. There have also been some reports that they can help with your cognitive performance and long-term brain health.

However, there have been some reports that have disputed this. If you want all of the other benefits, though, then that’s quite easy. You can get this from almost any fish. If you’re looking for a supplement, though, fish oil, krill oil, and algae oil have all been well-recommended.

These are also a nootropic that you shouldn’t have much of a problem mixing with alcohol. That’s because there shouldn’t be any significant overlap in what they’ll do to your body. They also shouldn’t be adverse to each other, which tends to be the issue when mixing alcohol and nootropics.

L-Theanine

L-theanine is one of the more well-used nootropics on the market. However, few people seem to know that they’re actually taking it. That’s because it’s rarely marked in the drinks that it’s the main component of. Usually, you’ll find it in green or black teas, although you can also find them in some coffees.

The studies that have been done on this have shown that these can affect the alpha waves in your brain. Generally speaking, this means that you’ll feel much more relaxed while also staying alert. Alongside this, it’s been shown to boost cognitive performance.

While the studies that have been done on this are high-quality, there aren’t as many of them as you might see elsewhere. That means that, though L-theanine should be safe to take, we may discover more side effects to it in the future.

When it comes to the various nootropics that can be used with alcohol, this could be one of the more often recommended. Given how relaxed alcohol can make you, you might want the mental alertness that L-theanine offers. Like many other things, though, this can come down to the specific products you’re using.

Generally speaking, you should take 400mg or L-theanine or less per day. That should be about four or five cups of tea.

Conclusion

Naturally, you might still be wondering whether you can mix nootropics and alcohol. While everybody would love it if the answer were pretty clear cut, this isn’t the case, unfortunately. Instead, it can often depend on the products you’re taken. That means that you might have to follow the manufacturer’s instructions or recommendations.

You should be able to take quite a few different types of nootropics while still being able to enjoy a drink. However, you should be quite careful with what you’re taking and mixing. In general, it’s recommended that you not ingest alcohol and nootropics at the same time. Instead, you should take a smarter approach to it.

Spacing things out should avoid any negative consequences while also making sure that you feel healthy and enjoy yourself. Should you be unsure about whether you can drink alcohol while being on certain nootropics or neuroenhancers, you should speak to a medical professional or the manufacturer. That’s especially true if you’re taking medication.

Regardless of whether or not you’re taking nootropics, you should always be careful when drinking alcohol. While one or two drinks every once in a while likely isn’t going to be an issue, it can be a problem if you’re drinking to excess on a regular basis. That could end up causing quite a few significant issues, both socially and inside your body.

Naturally, being careful with what you drink and ingest is well-recommended. If you’re considering taking nootropics, or if you already are, then you’ll want your body to be as fine-tuned as possible. Taking care and researching what you’re considering taking and using will play a large part in all of that.

As highlighted above, ingesting alcohol when you’re taking nootropics can undo many of the effects that the nootropics will have. As such, you could often find yourself better off not having had taken them. That’s going to be the case for as long as you’re consuming alcohol.

The following day, however, you should find that they’ll start having an effect on you again. That being said, it could take several hours or days before this happens. That’s because you’ll need to let the alcohol run through your system entirely.

Some nootropics, though, will help the following then when the alcohol is still in your system. Caffeine may be the best example of this. As such, it’s recommended that you avoid most nootropics when you’re drinking alcohol. Otherwise, it can be just a waste of time, effort, and money.