Finding The Best Racetams For Your Needs
Racetams are a class of nootropics which are incredibly popular with users. If you’re searching for the best nootropics to enhance your cognition, racetams are highly effective. There are several racetam nootropics to choose from and selecting the best racetam for your needs can be overwhelming. In this guide, we look at the different racetams you can use, and which one is considered best for improving your cognitive functioning.
What are Racetams?
Racetams are synthetically made nootropics which are able to improve your memory, learning ability, energy, focus, mood and brain health. There are several types of racetam nootropics. In this guide, we’ll focus on the following racetams;
- Piracetam
- Aniracetam
- Oxiracetam
- Pramiracetam
- Phenylpiracetam
Each racetam offers its own benefits, dosage and side effects. To find the best racetam for your needs, it’s helpful to know what each racetam provides.
Piracetam
Piracetam is one of the oldest nootropics in existence. This cognitive enhancer isn’t approved by the FDA in the US, although it is available in Europe.
Piracetam has been widely studied, with several benefits acknowledged. Piracetam has been shown to assist learning in rats by aiding the ageing process.1 Human studies have also demonstrated that piracetam helps cognitive decline in elderly subjects, such as aiding memory loss.2
Piracetam has been reported to benefit stroke patients by increasing blood flow to the brain to aid functioning and processing.3
While many studies have focused on elderly subjects in terms of cognitive benefits, other studies have shown that piracetam is beneficial for depression. In one study, the subject reported feeling less depressed after consuming piracetam for two months.4
Additionally, piracetam has been shown to have significant positive effects on epilepsy sufferers.5
The recommended dosage for piracetam is 1200mg to 4800mg daily. Piracetam is thought to be the safest racetam nootropic. However, users may notice anxiety, agitation or insomnia after taking this nootropic.
Aniracetam
Aniracetam is more potent than piracetam. While the way it works is not fully understood, it’s able to increase acetylcholine levels in the brain to assist cognitive functioning, as well as aiding dopamine and serotonin levels in different areas in the brain.
Aniracetam has been associated with increasing memory, focus, and cognitive functioning. This nootropic has also been shown to potentially help dementia patients improve cognition.6
In addition, aniracetam has been shown to improve sleep in rats7, as well as improving symptoms of depression by increasing serotonin and dopamine.8
The suggested aniracetam dosage is between 1000mg and 1500mg daily. As the half-life of this nootropic is one to two and a half hours, an aniracetam dosage should be split into separate doses taken daily.
Aniracetam side effects include insomnia and anxiety. Users taking higher doses may find themselves experiencing headaches, vertigo or diarrhoea.
Oxiracetam
Oxiracetam is commonly used to aid learning and memory. However, at present, this racetam has not been studied in young people.
In rat studies and the elderly, oxiracetam benefits include preventing neuro damage in dementia patients by improving symptoms of dementia.9 Additionally, oxiracetam may increase energy production.10
Oxiracetam is up to 5 times more potent than piracetam and produces similar effects to other racetams. Although, it’s not known to have an effect on mood, anxiety or depression like other racetams have.
The suggested oxiracetam dosage is between 400mg to 2400mg per day, split into several doses. Oxiracetam has a half-life of 8 hours and effects start to occur from 30 minutes of consumption. It has a higher bioavailability than piracetam with side effects including insomnia, headaches, anxiety and nausea.
Pramiracetam
Pramiracetam is a racetam nootropic known for helping to treat amnesia and memory loss.
Pramiracetam was found to treat amnesia better than piracetam in a study of patients with head injuries.11 Pramiracetam has also been found to improve memory loss caused by a lack of blood flow to the brain.12
In both rats and the elderly, pramiracetam has been linked to memory enhancement. In a study of 35 elderly subjects suffering from memory loss, pramiracetam demonstrated bigger improvements in memory than memory exercises.13
A pramiracetam dosage of 1200mg daily has provided effective results in clinical trials. This can be split into separate doses. No severe sides effects have been documented, but some users have reported anxiety and insomnia during consumption.
Phenylpiracetam
Phenylpiracetam is a racetam reported to prevent cognitive decline and enhance concentration. Phenylpiracetam is thought to be up to 60 times more potent than piracetam. Its benefits include improving brain activity in stroke patients.14
Phenylpiracetam has also been shown to improve memory in chronic fatigue patients.15 As a mood enhancer, phenylpiracetam may reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression – a study on patients with brain damage revealed phenylpiracetam lowered symptoms after one month.16
In rats, phenylpiracetam has been reported to improve physical performance17 and may help to reduce weight gain.18
A standard phenylpiracetam dosage is 600mg, taken in three 200mg doses daily. Side effects of this nootropic include insomnia, headaches, feelings of anger and suicidal thoughts.
Overview
Racetams are often stacked with choline to enhance their effects and prevent headaches from occurring. If you’re going to stack a choline nootropic with piracetam, the usual dosage is 1:8.
All five of the racetams mentioned have been shown to improve cognition. Piracetam is less potent than other racetam nootropics – piracetam may be the best nootropic for new users due to this.
If you’re looking to use a racetam for improving mood alongside cognitive effects, then aniracetam, Phenylpiracetam or Piracetam may be the best nootropics for you.
Depending on which cognitive effects you’re searching for, there is a racetam to suit you. Racetams are best used in the short term as their long-term effects are not yet known. If you’re completely new to using nootropics, begin with a low dose and see how your body reacts before gradually increasing your dosage over the following weeks.
Sources
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006295296004637
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/826948
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19140003
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19140003
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11346373
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1767242
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11186092
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11597608
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ddr.430020506
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10817526
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18418926
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14965012
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18653001
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17523446
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20166767
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16447562
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1742-7843.2011.00742.x
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28743458