For a very quick overview:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nootropic
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...also referred to as smart drugs, memory enhancers, neuro enhancers, cognitive enhancers, and intelligence enhancers, are drugs, supplements, nutraceuticals, and functional foods that purportedly improve mental functions such as cognition, memory, intelligence, motivation, attention, and concentration.
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That was the quicky, this is the in-depth:
http://www.gwern.net/Nootropics
A very very rigorous study and breakdown, just remember, like he says, your mileage WILL vary. A great resource though.
Vitamin D is in more than one definition a nootropic. I take it at the 4000 IU level every day. It is inexpensive. Don't take it at night - take it in the morning. If you take it at night you may have problems getting to sleep.
Oils help it to absorb into your system but are not essential. It will make you more alert, your brain more cognitive, it will even alleviate depression, sometimes, surprisingly so. It is non toxic at these doses so you have nothing to lose by trying it. Don't take it if you have kidney stones though and older people should seek medical advice before going on a regime. It enhances calcium retention in the body which leads to stronger bones in older people, but unfortunately this can also make your kidney stones worse.
Your doctor can give you a test for Vitamin D deficiency if you think you are suffering any of the symptoms. It is very common, up to 30 percent of people in Northern climes are somewhat deficient, and it will hurt some more than others depending.
I would say that Vitamin D is the only Vitamin (it is actually a hormone) you need to take, if you live along certain latitude/longtitude (forget which one now) and don't get enough sunlight, which is absorbed by the skin, which is the biggest organ in the body of course, and then converted to the good stuff via your internal organs.
See also:
http://www.fourmilab.ch/documents/health/supplements/
Scroll down for the info about Vitamin D-3
----------------------
People who live in temperate climes or closer to the pole have a high incidence of Vitamin D deficiency, especially in the winter or if they don't get out much in the sun. The darker your skin, the more likely you are to be deficient in Vitamin D, since melanin blocks the ultraviolet light necessary to synthesise this nutrient in the skin. You don't want to be deficient in Vitamin D, as it's essential in regulating calcium metabolism in the body. If you're short on Vitamin D, whatever calcium you ingest tends to end up in your soft tissue (including hardening and constricting your arteries) instead of your bones, and can result in weakening of the bones, particularly in elderly people. The best way to determine the optimum dose of Vitamin D is to have a blood test which measures your actual level and then adjust the supplement dose until it's in the middle of the recommended range (ask your doctor for a 25-OH-D test and tune supplements to obtain a value of around 60 ng/mL), but even though Vitamin D is toxic in overdoses, a huge sustained dose of 50,000 International Units (IU) per day is required to produce symptoms in healthy adults. Not having had the blood work done, I've settled on 4000 IU per day, which is just four times the recommended upper limit for infants, and entirely safe for a big ape like me.
------------------
John Walker who writes that blog is an exceptional man. A self made man. Designer of some of the most popular software on the planet. Explorer of both the North and South poles.
I won't go on any longer. Both those sites deserve your undivided attention for a week or so.
Anyway, Vitamin D-3. It's a right little pep pill!
DISCLAIMER:
I'm not a Doctor. All the information I have given you is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge. It is your own responsibility to look after your own body and to double check anything any one says to you, especially on the internet. This information is just to spread awareness. You will have to make your own mind up about what you take into your own body.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nootropic
--------------
...also referred to as smart drugs, memory enhancers, neuro enhancers, cognitive enhancers, and intelligence enhancers, are drugs, supplements, nutraceuticals, and functional foods that purportedly improve mental functions such as cognition, memory, intelligence, motivation, attention, and concentration.
----------------
That was the quicky, this is the in-depth:
http://www.gwern.net/Nootropics
A very very rigorous study and breakdown, just remember, like he says, your mileage WILL vary. A great resource though.
Vitamin D is in more than one definition a nootropic. I take it at the 4000 IU level every day. It is inexpensive. Don't take it at night - take it in the morning. If you take it at night you may have problems getting to sleep.
Oils help it to absorb into your system but are not essential. It will make you more alert, your brain more cognitive, it will even alleviate depression, sometimes, surprisingly so. It is non toxic at these doses so you have nothing to lose by trying it. Don't take it if you have kidney stones though and older people should seek medical advice before going on a regime. It enhances calcium retention in the body which leads to stronger bones in older people, but unfortunately this can also make your kidney stones worse.
Your doctor can give you a test for Vitamin D deficiency if you think you are suffering any of the symptoms. It is very common, up to 30 percent of people in Northern climes are somewhat deficient, and it will hurt some more than others depending.
I would say that Vitamin D is the only Vitamin (it is actually a hormone) you need to take, if you live along certain latitude/longtitude (forget which one now) and don't get enough sunlight, which is absorbed by the skin, which is the biggest organ in the body of course, and then converted to the good stuff via your internal organs.
See also:
http://www.fourmilab.ch/documents/health/supplements/
Scroll down for the info about Vitamin D-3
----------------------
People who live in temperate climes or closer to the pole have a high incidence of Vitamin D deficiency, especially in the winter or if they don't get out much in the sun. The darker your skin, the more likely you are to be deficient in Vitamin D, since melanin blocks the ultraviolet light necessary to synthesise this nutrient in the skin. You don't want to be deficient in Vitamin D, as it's essential in regulating calcium metabolism in the body. If you're short on Vitamin D, whatever calcium you ingest tends to end up in your soft tissue (including hardening and constricting your arteries) instead of your bones, and can result in weakening of the bones, particularly in elderly people. The best way to determine the optimum dose of Vitamin D is to have a blood test which measures your actual level and then adjust the supplement dose until it's in the middle of the recommended range (ask your doctor for a 25-OH-D test and tune supplements to obtain a value of around 60 ng/mL), but even though Vitamin D is toxic in overdoses, a huge sustained dose of 50,000 International Units (IU) per day is required to produce symptoms in healthy adults. Not having had the blood work done, I've settled on 4000 IU per day, which is just four times the recommended upper limit for infants, and entirely safe for a big ape like me.
------------------
John Walker who writes that blog is an exceptional man. A self made man. Designer of some of the most popular software on the planet. Explorer of both the North and South poles.
I won't go on any longer. Both those sites deserve your undivided attention for a week or so.
Anyway, Vitamin D-3. It's a right little pep pill!
DISCLAIMER:
I'm not a Doctor. All the information I have given you is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge. It is your own responsibility to look after your own body and to double check anything any one says to you, especially on the internet. This information is just to spread awareness. You will have to make your own mind up about what you take into your own body.
