Nootropics are a popular new type of dietary supplement that claim to enhance brain function in a number of ways including better memory, sharper thinking, alertness, improved verbal ability, more clarity and the elimination of 'brain fog'.
I started looking into some options available that deliver to Australia and came across this brand called Mind Lab Pro. Their tablets contain some of the same ingredients to standard vitamin supplier Swisse's Ultiboost Memory+Focus or even a Swisse's men or women's multivitamin for ages 50+. The reason its in the 50+ and not their standard multivitamin product is that the 50+ age group are considered more in need of brain enhancing ingredients due to the age related decline.
With the 50% discount offered by a popular chemist retail chain, the
Swisse Ultiboost Memory+Focus tablets come down to AUD 32c each.. (AUD $16 for 50 tablets). Compare this to Mind Lab Pro at AUD $1.11 per tablet, working out to a 247% premium in price! And remember, you only get this price with Mind Lab Pro if you buy 4 bottles in your first order.
Another option with more herbal extracts than Swisse Memory+Focus, but with no B vitamins, is Oriental Botanicals Memory. This product comes in bottles of 60 tablets and after a standard chemist discount costs AUD $37, or 62c each tablet - about double the Swisse option, but still significantly cheaper than Mind Lab Pro.
Many nootropic suppliers exploit a psychological effect known as the Sunk Cost Fallacy. Where
the more you have invested in something (the sunk cost - effort, time or money) the less likely you are to stop
doing it, even when there are no further benefits to you continuing to do it.
By
supplying 4 months to you in your first order, the Nootropic company knows you’ll become
invested in it and will not want to admit to yourself at the end of 4
months that you're not seeing the promised benefits.
Its likely many nootropic products are overhyped and overpriced. Famous
US blogger Joe Rogan actually requested one popular US supplements brand
(Onnit) to prepare a new product, called Alpha Brain. Check the list of all the other supplements Joe Rogan takes by the way - its pretty much a list of every supplement known to man, I'm surprised he has room left to eat any actual food!
Final note, Alpha Brain here in Australia costs AUD$119.90 for 90 tablets, or $1.33 each tablet, so about 22c more per tablet than Mind Lab Pro.
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