CEL Nutrition NervaCORE Nootropics Review

Ben BA(Hons), PGCert

As Nootropics are coming more and more popular for people wanting to restore a bit of clarity and improve concentration I thought it was reasonable to start testing a few of these products to see what direction they are heading and also to offer a bit of direction for people who may not be quite au fait with the products or ingredients because, as with all supplements, there is a lot of crap out there that looks and sounds amazing but under the well branded wrapper it is about as useful as a chocolate bar in a dessert.

Contents show

What Are Nootropics

Nootropics, also known as smart drugs, are products that help stimulate and increase cognitive function, with particular focus on executive functions, memory, focus, creativity and motivation.

People are learning that relying on cups of coffee and tea isn’t too healthy and isn’t always the answer, I have been using MindLap Pro recently and whilst being initially skeptical I was pleasantly surprised with the results and have been taking them ever since.

There are studies available for all to see that people with a higher IQ tend to earn more than their less gifted counterparts, now this screams common sense, however, plenty of people do not reach their full potential and fall in to the old trap of routine even with a good standard of intelligence – these nootropics will not make you smarter so to speak, but they can help lift the fog and aid with concentration and focus.

From scholars, truck drivers, dentists to machine operators, we may all be able to benefit. You can read a bit more about them here.

Ingredients?

There’s 12 ingredients in total. However, rather disappointingly 5 of which are within the walls of a secret proprietary blend.

Niacinamide (Vit B3) – Higher amounts of niacin can improve cholesterol levels and lower cardiovascular risks and maybe symptoms for Alzheimer’s . However, the jury is out on these real benefits.

https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/924.html

Vitamin B6 – Comprising three chemically distinct compounds pyridoxal, pyridoxamine, and pyridoxine, is involved in the regulation of mental function and mood. Vitamin B6 is also an essential homocysteine re-methylation cofactor, and deficiency is associated with increase in blood homocysteine levels. Homocysteine is a risk factor for cerebrovascular disease and may also have directly toxic effects on neurons of the central nervous system. Neuropsychiatric disorders including seizures, migraine, chronic pain and depression have been linked to vitamin B6 deficiency.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14584010

Folic Acid (Vit. B9) – There’s many benefits of Folic Acid, treating kidney problems is one of them, however, there’s no evidence to suggest that improved memory or thinking skills is a beneficial side effect of taking Folic Acid.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1017-folic%20acid.aspx?activeingredientid=1017&

Vitamin B12 – B12 is used to process Folic Acid. However, there’s a moderate quality of evidence indicates treatment with vitamin B12 does not improve brain function.

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vitamins-minerals/Pages/Vitamin-B.aspx

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3874776/

Pantothenic Acid (Vit. B5) – Presently, there is little evidence that supplementation with B vitamins will improve memory performance.

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/micronutrients-health/cognitive-function

N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine – Tyrosine is taken for depression, attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the inability to stay awake (narcolepsy), and improving alertness following sleep deprivation. It is also used for stress, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, chronic fatigue syndrome(CFS).

https://examine.com/supplements/l-tyrosine/

Vinpocetine – Vinpocetine is commonly used for enhancing memory and alertness. It is also used in conditions that harm learning, memory, and information processing skills as people age. Additionally, Vinpocetine may be able to protect the brain from damage caused by strokes and help reduce the risk of ischemia. Vinpocetine enhances cerebral utilization of oxygen and glucose and consequently improves cerebral functions including memory.

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Dr_Sidharth_Mehan2/publication/26760118_Amelioration_of_intracerebroventricular_streptozotocin_induced_cognitive_dysfunction_and_oxidative_stress_by_vinpocetine_–_a_PDE1_inhibitor/links/0c96051aeaa484662a000000.pdf

BioPerine – The extract of piperine, called BioPerine® in the patented form, has been clinically tested in the United States. BioPerine® significantly enhances the bioavailability of various supplement nutrients through increased absorption.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9619120

Paullinia Cupana (AKA Guarana) – Studies note that 75mg guarana (9mg caffeine) was able to enhance cognitive scores related to memory and reaction time with a subsequent dose-response study noting that 75mg was more effective than higher (150-300mg) and lower (37.5mg) doses.

https://examine.com/supplements/paullinia-cupana/

L-Tyrosine – Some animal and human studies suggest that tyrosine supplements may help improve memory and performance under psychological stress. One study also suggests that Tyrosine may make you more alert after sleep deprivation but more research is required for conclusive proof..

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/tyrosine

L-Taurine – It has been touted that Taurine can help mental performance. Early clinical research suggested that taurine, in combination with caffeine, glucuronolactone, and B vitamins, can improve attention and reasoning in adolescents, but does not improve memory. However, there is insufficient evidence to prove this is always the case.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1024-taurine.aspx?activeingredientid=1024&

Alpha-GPC – Appears to have cognitive-enhancing properties but there’s no human evidence exists to support this in otherwise-healthy youth, yet it does have support in rodents. In regards to reducing the rate of cognitive decline, at high doses (1,200 mg) does appear to be somewhat effective in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.

https://examine.com/supplements/alpha-gpc/

L-Carnitine – Improvements in general cognitive capacity has been noted in elderly persons and in disease models (hepatic encepalopathy); there is a lack of evidence supporting the case for healthy youth. Doses are usually in the 500-2000mg range.

https://examine.com/supplements/l-carnitine/

Huperzine A – Some research shows that taking huperzine A by mouth for 4 weeks improves the memory older children and teenagers who complain of memory problems.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-764-huperzine%20a.aspx?activeingredientid=764&activeingredientname=huperzine%20a

What Effect Will This Have?

It seems doubtful that this will have any major effect on your cognitive function or memory I am afraid. There’s too many ingredients here that “…potentially could work…”, or there’s “…one study that suggests it may work…”. There’s a real lack of concrete evidence proving that cognitive function and memory will be improved and can benefits from taking this selection of ingredients. Many studies also suggest that doses should be much higher than what is provided for each ingredient as well. There’s also a proprietary blend which shrouds the actual content ofor 5 of the ingredients which seems strange unless they are hiding something that we do not want to know.

The product is also missing vital ingredients such as:

Cognizin
Hericium Erinaceus
Bacopa monnieri
Pterostilbene

These ingredients are known to be effective in supporting cognitive function and should be present in any Nootropic.

My Review Conclusion:

To conclude; there’s not enough evidence to back up the claims of this product. There’s also a proprietary blend which is a well known scam in the supplement industry and product with a proprietary blend should be avoided. This product is also missing too many, proven and effective nootropic enhancers which can be found in other products such as MindLap Pro and the doses are too low as well.

Taking this product will be a gamble at best.