Nootropics: The Sceptic's Guide To Smart Drugs

Crafty companies are building supplement “stacks” that claim to boost memory, focus, and learning. But before popping these pills or swilling those potions, be sure to weigh the very real risks.

- Lindsay Beyerstein

It’s a frosty Monday evening in New York City. In the back of a dingy café, a group huddles around a small black box – the US$160 (R2 200) ApeX Type A brain stimulator, with its retro-looking meter and dial and two electrodes. It’s supposed to bolster learning by delivering a mild electric current to the brain. The guy who’s been experimenting with it for a week notes that the only thing he’s noticed is a metallic taste in his mouth. “I hope I don’t fry my brain,” he half-jokes.

But there’s a surprising lack of scepticism in the room. That’s because this is a weekly meet-up of amateur biohackers. Positivity is one of their ground rules. Members share experiences with ketogenic diets, biofeedback apps, sensory-deprivation tanks, and, lately, a class of smart drugs known as “nootropics”. Their primary obsession is brain enhancement.

The US nootropics industry was valued at more than $1.3 billion (R18 billion) in 2015, and is projected to reach $6 billion (more than R80 billion) by 2024. This growth is due in part to slick marketing from biohacking “experts” such as Dave Asprey (founder of Bulletproof) and Dr Josiah Zayner (CEO of the Odin), who’ve built big social-media and podcast followings as well as customer bases. At the grassroots level, there are meet-ups across the country like the one in NYC, plus a vibrant online community. Forums including reddit.com/r/Nootropics/ have more than 140 000 subscribers discussing products with names like Orange Brainwash and GodMode.