{"id":4611,"date":"2019-09-06T00:05:57","date_gmt":"2019-09-06T00:05:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/?p=4611"},"modified":"2022-06-17T11:17:58","modified_gmt":"2022-06-17T11:17:58","slug":"onnit-alpha-brain-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/onnit-alpha-brain-review\/","title":{"rendered":"ONNIT Alpha Brain Review: Benefits, Drawbacks, And Costs"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"box-summary\">\n<p>It\u2019s important to think about the power of marketing when we make consumer choices, and with this brand of Nootropics &#8211; Alpha BRAIN &#8211; the personality behind the product is a huge factor.  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>It may have been one of the first &#8211; or only &#8211; nootropics you have heard of, due to its early arrival on the market and enduring popularity, not to mention the massive marketing effort behind it.<\/p>\n<p>This was the first nootropic supplement I heard of and still remains one of the most popular brands. So, is ONNIT's Alpha Brain still the &#8220;go-to&#8221; nootropic, or has it had its day? Join me as I find out in my in-depth review.<\/p>\n<div class=\"about-rating\">\n<div class=\"description\">\n<p class=\"title\">Alpha Brain Verdict<\/p>\n<p class=\"explanation\">The average rating of this product is calculated based on the evaluation of the following factors:<\/p>\n<p class=\"discounts\"><strong>Coupons:<\/strong> None available<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ratings\">\n<div class=\"box-rating\">\n<p class=\"title\">Rating:<\/p>\n<p class=\"rating\"><span class=\"rstars\"><span class=\"empty\"><\/span><span class=\"full\" style=\"width: 80%\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"value\">4.0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"option\">Ingredients \/ Dosages:<\/span><span class=\"rstars black\"><span class=\"empty\"><\/span><span class=\"full\" style=\"width: 80%\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"value\">4.0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"option\">Ingredient Safety:<\/span><span class=\"rstars black\"><span class=\"empty\"><\/span><span class=\"full\" style=\"width: 80%\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"value\">4.0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"option\">Value for the Price:<\/span><span class=\"rstars black\"><span class=\"empty\"><\/span><span class=\"full\" style=\"width: 70%\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"value\">3.5<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"option\">Brand Transparency:<\/span><span class=\"rstars black\"><span class=\"empty\"><\/span><span class=\"full\" style=\"width: 20%\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"value\">1.0<\/span>\n<li><span class=\"option\">Taste:<\/span><span class=\"rstars black\"><span class=\"empty\"><\/span><span class=\"full\" style=\"width: 60%\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"value\">3.0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"center\"><a href=\"\/go\/alphabrain\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/alpha-brain-bottle.jpg\" alt=\"Alpha brain bottle\" width=\"400\" height=\"500\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20775\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/alpha-brain-bottle.jpg 400w, https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/alpha-brain-bottle-240x300.jpg 240w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"center\"><a href=\"\/go\/alphabrain\" class=\"cta-button\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"exclude\" rel=\"noopener\">CLICK FOR OFFICIAL WEBSITE<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>What is Alpha Brain?<\/h2>\n<p>The founder of the brand ONNIT, Aubrey Marcus, is a bestselling author.  His book Own the Day, Own your life has been a runaway success and counts among its fans celebrities such as Lance Armstrong.  <\/p>\n<p>He is not only the face of Onnit (a health brand that founded its marketing on his idea of \u2018Total Human Optimization\u2019), you may have heard about him as he has boosted his celebrity through popular podcasts, public speaking, and being vocal about his experimental fitness journey. <\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/aubrey-marcus.jpg\" alt=\"Aubrey Marcus ONNIT CEO\" width=\"350\" height=\"336\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4827\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/aubrey-marcus.jpg 350w, https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/aubrey-marcus-20x20.jpg 20w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>When you look at ONNIT, the brand, it\u2019s a compelling story, how one day he was \u2018just like you, sitting there all aimless and without focus, knowing he had so much more potential to fulfill.  <\/p>\n<p>He invented his range of Total Human and ONNIT products to enable him, and others, to fulfill this potential. With a huge marketing machine behind it, this looks like the blueprint for launching a nootropic and supplements brand &#8211; one which you can really believe in.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"pull-quote\"><p>I believe that a time is coming where taking nootropics like Alpha BRAIN will be a standard human adaptation to get things done. Like drinking coffee. Except in a lot of ways, I like Alpha BRAIN better than coffee. It has no stimulants and works by directly stimulating neurotransmitters. So it won\u2019t wear out your adrenals. But if you like coffee, enjoy them both at the same time. Go ahead and be on fire. Laying down on the pillow after a long day of crushing it is one of the most satisfying feelings in life<cite>Marcus says<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>What can I say, it\u2019s compelling stuff and one of the reasons I am a fan of this company.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related:<\/strong> <a href=\"\/alpha-brain-vs-mind-lab-pro\/\">Alpha Brain vs Mind Lab Pro<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Background on ONNIT<\/h2>\n<p>You might have already read some of my reviews of ONNIT products ( my <a href=\"\/onnit-earth-grown-nutrients-review\/\">ONNIT Earth Grown Nutrients review<\/a> for example) so you may know that I am a fan of the brand. I believe they are normally pretty honest and transparent about their products and the fact that the founder has a compelling story to tell and is 100% behind everything about his brand is really strong.<\/p>\n<p>The brand began in 2010 to make \u2018cutting-edge nutritional supplement combinations. Alpha BRAIN was launched in 2011 with the intention of helping consumers to optimize both mind and body. Although not a new concept, the brand was one of the first to market this nutritional brain care as part of an otherwise holistic approach to the fitness of the mind and body. <\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/onnit-supplement-order.jpg\" alt=\"Onnit supplements from US to Malaysia\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/onnit-supplement-order.jpg 800w, https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/onnit-supplement-order-20x15.jpg 20w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><br \/><span class=\"small photo-credit\">Photo by Lifehacker Guy<\/span><\/p>\n<p>They now have testimonials from scientists and athletes who have helped to support the company to become a multimillion-dollar key player in the market.<\/p>\n<p>The brand carries nutritional supplement lines including blended products (fats and oils, proteins, power foods, and coffees) and individual vitamins, minerals, and superfoods. <\/p>\n<p>They are <strong>best known for their Total Human branded range<\/strong> and have recently launched keto-diet supporting supplements, New Mood (a stress support supplement), NCT oil, and Nitric Oxide.  <\/p>\n<p>Alpha BRAIN Instant is also available in dissolvable powdered form which comes in individual sachets.<\/p>\n<h2>What Ingredients are inside Alpha BRAIN?<\/h2>\n<p>The packaging states that Alpha BRAIN is \u2018Clinically studied with Huperzine and Bacopa extract\u2019. The marketing for Alpha BRAIN suggests it can do a number of things:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Heightened focus<\/li>\n<li>Improved memory function<\/li>\n<li>Brainwave optimization<\/li>\n<li>Reduce stress<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I\u2019m particularly interested in how the individual ingredients might be seen to have these effects, specifically how supplements like this can help to promote alpha brain waves (those that help to keep you in a focused &#8211; or \u2018flow\u2019 &#8211; state). Is this even a thing they can do?? <\/p>\n<div class=\"gb\">\n<h3>So, what\u2019s inside the Alpha BRAIN formula?<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxine (HCl)<\/strong> &#8211; 10mg<\/li>\n<li><strong>ONNIT Flow blend (650mg):<\/strong> L-Tyrosine, L-Theanine, Oat straw extract, Phosphatidylserine<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cat\u2019s claw (bark) extract (350mg)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>ONNIT Focus blend (240mg):<\/strong> Alpha glycerylphosphorylcholine (GPC), Bacopa monnieri extract (100mg), Huperzia serrata extract (as 1% Huperzine A) -400mcg<\/li>\n<li><strong>ONNIT Fuel blend (65mg):<\/strong> L-Leucine, Vinpocetine (5mg), Pterostilbene<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Let's break this down. <strong>AlphaBRAIN has a few proprietary blends<\/strong>, however, they have been a little more transparent with some of the amounts (for example they obviously consider the \u2018herbal elements\u2019, Bacopa and Huperzia to be important enough to have given ingredient amounts on the label). <\/p>\n<p>This could be because there is enough evidence to suggest that these herbal extracts (which have been used in traditional medicine for centuries) have nootropic properties. <\/p>\n<p>The standard dose for Bacopa is 300mg (<a href=\"https:\/\/examine.com\/supplements\/bacopa-monnieri\/#how-to-take\">source<\/a>) and for Huperzine-A 50-200mcg. (<a href=\"https:\/\/examine.com\/supplements\/huperzine-a\/#how-to-take\">source<\/a>).<\/p>\n<div class=\"standout-box\">AlphaBRAIN has a few proprietary blends, however they have been a <strong>little more transparent with some of the amounts<\/strong><\/div>\n<p>Alpha GPC appears to have cognitive-enhancing properties but there is little evidence in humans (<a href=\"https:\/\/examine.com\/supplements\/alpha-gpc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Examine<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/alpha-brain-ingredients.jpg\" alt=\"Alpha Brain ingredients label\" width=\"400\" height=\"489\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-4831\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/alpha-brain-ingredients.jpg 400w, https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/alpha-brain-ingredients-16x20.jpg 16w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/>L-Tyrosine doesn\u2019t have a clear dosage. This is disappointing. <\/p>\n<p><strong>In a blend of 650mg we don\u2019t know if you are getting more than the recommended minimum dosage of 500mg<\/strong>, in fact it\u2019s unlikely. (<a href=\"https:\/\/examine.com\/supplements\/l-tyrosine\/#how-to-take\">source<\/a>). <\/p>\n<p>There is evidence to support the use of L-Tyrosine through cognitive functioning improvement.<\/p>\n<p>L-theanine, an amino acid (also found in green tea) is thought to help to relax but not sedate. More research is needed. The recommended dose is 100-200mg (<a href=\"https:\/\/examine.com\/supplements\/theanine\/#how-to-take\">Source<\/a>). <\/p>\n<p>Phosphatidylserine is a phospholipid and is important for brain function. It is synthesized in the body and research on taking it as a supplement is ongoing. The normal dose is 100mg daily rising to 300mg (<a href=\"https:\/\/examine.com\/supplements\/phosphatidylserine\/#how-to-take\">source<\/a>). <\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s unlikely that the <strong>dosage in the proprietary blend in AlphaBRAIN<\/strong> is this big but we just don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n<p>As far as I can find in my research Oat Straw and Leucine are not considered to be nootropics, and I couldn\u2019t find any research on the ONNIT site for the inclusion of Leucine in the blend. The ONNIT Fuel blend could be included as the ingredients are linked to building muscle mass.<\/p>\n<p>Cat\u2019s Claw is given in a specific dose however <strong>I struggled to find any research<\/strong> suggesting it had nootropic or anxiolytic properties. <\/p>\n<div class=\"yb\">\n<h3>Importance of Knowing Ingredient Dosages<\/h3>\n<p>I have written about the importance of knowing exactly what's inside your supplement of choice before. Alpha Brain is not as bad as a culprit as many over-the-counter supplements but it's far from perfect.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Personally I like to know what I am taking, which is why I like brands like <a href=\"\/mind-lab-pro-review\/\">Mind Lab Pro<\/a> and <a href=\"\/supergreen-tonik-review\/\">SuperGreen Tonik<\/a> as they spell out EVERY ingredient in their formula.<\/strong>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Related:<\/strong> <a href=\"\/how-long-does-bacopa-monnieri-brahmi-work\/\">How long does Bacopa take to work?<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Are There Any Side Effects to Alpha BRAIN?<\/h2>\n<p>The manufacturers have been clear to include a disclaimer on their packaging and marketing materials that Vinpocetine may cause miscarriage or harm fetal development.<\/p>\n<p>L-Tyrosine has a stimulatory effect and therefore if you are susceptible to stimulants you should take with caution and beware of interactions with other stimulants (such as caffeine).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"\/go\/alphabrain\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/alpha-brain-nootropic.jpg\" alt=\"Alpha Brain Nootropic supplement\" width=\"351\" height=\"450\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-4667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/alpha-brain-nootropic.jpg 351w, https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/alpha-brain-nootropic-16x20.jpg 16w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 351px) 100vw, 351px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Does Alpha Brain Actually Work?<\/h2>\n<p>The suggested serving size is 2 capsules. This may give you a baseline dosage of some of the more potent and better-researched ingredients. <\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s very hard to tell when manufacturers use proprietary blends and that\u2019s why this is one of my pet peeves in the supplement-manufacturing market.<\/p>\n<p>As I have discovered with my <a href=\"\/best-nootropics-supplements-guide\/\">research on nootropics supplements<\/a> there is a fine line between what companies say their product can do and how much they test this hypothesis. <\/p>\n<p>One of the issues I have in answering the question \u2018does it work\u2019 is that very few products are tested as a complete supplement to improve cognitive functioning, the reason being that this would involve a huge number of trials and evidence-gathering, at a phenomenal cost to the manufacturer. This may be one of the reasons that Onnit has chosen to market the Alpha BRAIN by saying the product is \u2018clinically studied to help healthy individuals&#8230;\u2019. <\/p>\n<p>The ingredients that have actually been researched and studied, were most likely tested on healthy individuals (as it would be unethical to do so on unhealthy subjects, or would create problematic data if studies were on subjects with a specific impairment). They have been careful to include such caveats so as to not encounter the argument that the product doesn\u2019t actually solve existing problems. <\/p>\n<p>This being said, we all suffer brain fog, right? The elusive \u2018fix\u2019 to this problem is what nootropics claim to bring and in that sense can we ever really test the hypothesis? <\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s look at the suggested improvements in ONNIT marketing:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Heightened focus; Improved memory function; Brainwave optimization; Reduce stress.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Some of the included ingredients have evidence to support the claims that they could improve memory or cognition. <strong>I struggled to find evidence around reducing stress, however.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Alpha BRAIN Customer Reviews<\/h2>\n<p>The reviews of Alpha BRAIN on their site are pretty compelling. Like I said earlier in this review the brand ONNIT has a massive following and people will continue to buy their stuff in absolute droves. I wanted to do some researching around so looked on <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2ZhwRI7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon at their reviews<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>I am a little suspicious as it looked as though many of the negative reports had been removed and I had to look for all the sellers of this particular product to find some balance.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"pull-quote\"><p>Five stars. I am more focused. the effects are more noticeable when you take them every day<cite>5-star review<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"pull-quote\"><p>Feel VERY sick after taking<cite>2 stars<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"pull-quote\"><p>makes me feel sick<cite>one star<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Some buyers report getting a headache and nausea when taking this product, and <strong>recommend the dose is reduced to the absolute minimum<\/strong>. It seems you might get used to the product over time and that benefits improve after you have been taking it for a while.<\/p>\n<h2>How to Take Alpha BRAIN<\/h2>\n<p>The recommended dosage of Alpha BRAIN is two capsules per day and guidelines are to avoid taking more than three capsules of Alpha BRAIN in a day.<\/p>\n<h2>Any Money Back Guarantee?<\/h2>\n<p>ONNIT carries a Keep It Money-Back guarantee which applies to the entry size only (30ct) for first-time purchases only. This will also only apply to tubs purchased from the official website. <\/p>\n<h2>Where to Buy Alpha BRAIN<\/h2>\n<p>You can buy Alpha BRAIN online at their <a href=\"\/go\/alphabrain\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">online store<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>What\u2019s the Cost of Alpha BRAIN?<\/h2>\n<p>The cost of this brand is on the high side but they sometimes do reduce the price (now is a good time to buy it from their store with 90 capsules costing just $67.96 rather than $75.95).<\/p>\n<p>Especially if you take the full recommended dosage means one bottle could ONLY last 15 days. With the Subscribe and Save model, you save 15% on any products which are automatically shipped to you monthly.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"\/go\/alphabrain\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/onnit-nootropic-supplements.jpg\" alt=\"ONNIT Nootropic supplements\" width=\"355\" height=\"355\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4668\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/onnit-nootropic-supplements.jpg 355w, https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/onnit-nootropic-supplements-20x20.jpg 20w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 355px) 100vw, 355px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>My Verdict: Alpha BRAIN<\/h2>\n<p>This is a hugely popular brand and one of the first premium nootropic supplements with a very keen following. As I have already said the founder, Aubrey Marcus, has an interesting story and has a successful career as an author, coach, vlogger and with his supplements marketing, he is looking at really cornering the market.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For me, the problems with Alpha BRAIN stem from the proprietary blends.<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>I do believe that there are some potent ingredients included in the blends, but I\u2019m not sure they have gone far enough in terms of revealing the amounts used. I\u2019d really like to see a little more transparency as their customers and fans clearly feel that the products work. Perhaps they could consider a little more honesty on their labeling or come clean about what ingredients really have a noticeable effect.<\/p>\n<p><strong>I suppose for me it comes down to this: maybe not the Alpha, but definitely not the Omega, Alpha BRAIN is a sure shot in the face of mental fog.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"center\"><a href=\"\/go\/alphabrain\" class=\"cta-button\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener follow\" data-wpel-link=\"exclude\">CLICK FOR OFFICIAL WEBSITE<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s important to think about the power of marketing when we make consumer choices, and with this brand of Nootropics [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/onnit-alpha-brain-review\/\">Read More&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4666,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,16],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4611"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4611"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4611\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21221,"href":"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4611\/revisions\/21221"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4666"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4611"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4611"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4611"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}