Say no to nootropics

There are various potential dangers of nootropics, Dr Shikha Mahajan lists out a few

Every person on earth wants to be more innovative, think fast and stay focused. People are reaching out to nootropics to boost their mental power.

Nootropics is an umbrella term for a class of chemicals — some naturally occurring, some manmade — that give cognitive benefits to the human brain. In order to be a nootropic, a substance must meet five benchmarks set by Dr Corneliu E Giurgea, the man who came up with the term nootropic.

According to him, a nootropic must enhance memory and the ability to learn; help the brain function under disruptive condition; protect the brain from chemical and physical assault; increase the efficacy of neuronal firing control mechanisms; possess few or no side effects, and be virtually non-toxic. However, there are various potential dangers of nootropics.

One should keep in mind that while you may not experience any of these dangers, brain scans make it clear that certain nootropics are capable of altering the way the brain works.

Experts observe that like nicotine, a long-term consistent usage of nootropics may lead to cognitive deficits. When nicotine is used for a short term, it boosts cognition. However, over a long period, users get used to fixes and eventually require the same amount of nicotine to achieve normal cognitive function. Moreover, the drug is forcing the body to create stamina. This rattles your circadian rhythm as energy stores are used up. It can also accelerate ageing.

(The author is holistic nutritionist, Diet Podium)