I Ate Brain Candy For A Week To Make Myself Smarter And More Alert

I guess you'd have to call it Birchbox for cognitive pharmaceuticals.

A company called Nootrobox will mail you brain-boosting pills on the regular for your choice of $30 or $60 a pop, depending on how much you want at a time.

These pills are mental supplements called nootropics (pronounced "new-oh-tropics") that purport to help your mind operate at its peak capabilities when it comes to pesky tasks related to memory, focus, and attention.

I put my own personal thinking machine on the line to see what it's like to introduce these potential miracle drugs into my body. The FDA has evaluated all the ingredients contained within them, and everything is "either GRAS (generally regarded as safe) and/or acceptable as a dietary supplement compound." Good enough for me.

The Nootrobox arrived containing two small blue glass bottles full of green pills with a transparent coating. Each pill contains a blend of nootropics the company brands as "Rise." In nootropics-speak, each pill is a "stack," or combination of ingredients designed to get one's mind in a particular improved state.

The blend consists of only three ingredients. Specifically these are bacopa (linked to improved memory and comprehension), L-theanine (linked to increased levels of dopamine and serotonin, those happy neurotransmitters in the brain), and a little caffeine (which serves to reduce fatigue and restore alertness).

Nootrobox suggests taking one of their Rise pills in place of drinking a cup of coffee to get the dust out from between your ears each morning. A second class of nootropics users might take a second one with that day's lunch.

The only aim in taking these supplements is to maintain a focused, less-stressed attitude throughout the day. In my week of popping pills, I can attest that I certainly did feel a good deal sharper and focused than I'm accustomed to. It's a headspace I wouldn't mind occupying more often.

In the interest of gathering some external data, I asked my colleague Steve Tweedie if I seemed any different this past week. He somehow tolerates sitting next to me for many hours every day, so if anyone would notice a change in my altitude and behavior, it'd be him.

He said, "You seem a little more energetic. More talkative. It's odd. I wasn't really thinking about it before."

We appear to have a case of mild but positive change on our hands. Pretty cool.

If this grabs your attention, check out Nootrobox here. Their FAQ section delves into a number of specific concerns that people may reasonably have, but my experience was one of total innocuity and small, desirable benefits.

You can order 30 pills for $29, 70 pills for $59, or a 7-pill "dabbler pack" for $9. If you subscribe to receive your nootropics monthly, the company'll knock 10% off of everything.