The Knowledge Centre

Twelve botanicals. Every one researched.

Where each ingredient comes from, what's in it, what the published human trials actually found, and what's still unclear. Every study links to its source, so you can check our homework.

AMThe morning formula

Cognition

The foundation

Lion's Mane

Hericium erinaceus

A shaggy white mushroom, eaten across East Asia for centuries. In Japan it's yamabushitake, the mountain priest mushroom.

What's in it

Researchers focus on two compound families: hericenones, found in the fruiting body, and erinacines, found mainly in the mycelium. Plus beta-glucans, the fibre-like compounds common to functional mushrooms.

Ours Dual-matrix delivery: heat-activated whole fruiting body plus a dual extract, standardised to at least 30% beta-glucans. Our whole fruiting body mushrooms are grown in South Africa.

What the human research shows

2023
41 healthy adults, 18–45, 28 days. Faster processing speed on a Stroop task an hour after taking Lion's Mane, and a trend towards lower self-reported stress by day 28. A pilot study; the authors call for larger trials.
2019
12-week Japanese trial. Lion's Mane fruiting body improved scores on one of three cognitive tests used (the MMSE) compared with placebo.
2026
109 adults, 40–75, 8 weeks. Participants saw better visual attention, working memory, sleep quality, morning restedness and mood than placebo. New and not yet peer reviewed; funded by an ingredient supplier.

What's still unclear

Human trials are still small and results vary. A 2025 single-dose study in 18 healthy young adults found better hand dexterity but no overall change in cognition or mood. Much of the early research was in older adults, so results in healthy younger people are still coming in.

Sources

Bacopa Monnieri

Brahmi · water hyssop

A small creeping wetland herb, known in Sanskrit as Brahmi and used in India's Ayurvedic tradition for thousands of years.

What's in it

Its key compounds are called bacosides. Reviewers stress that results apply to standardised extracts, which is why bacoside content matters.

Ours Standardised to 45% bacosides.

What the human research shows

2001
46 healthy adults, 18–60, 12 weeks. Faster visual information processing, better learning rate and memory retention than placebo. The biggest gains showed at 12 weeks, not 5.
2008
54 adults aged 65+, 12 weeks. Better delayed word recall and Stroop performance. No change in working memory or divided attention.
2014
Review of 9 controlled trials, 518 people. Standardised Bacopa was linked to faster attention: quicker Trail B times and faster choice reaction time.

What's still unclear

Bacopa is a slow builder. Trials run for around 12 weeks, so a few days won't tell you much. The 2014 reviewers found the clearest effect on attention speed, and called for larger, better-designed trials.

Sources

Good to know The most common side effect reported in trials was an upset stomach. Taking it with food helps.

Alpha-GPC

Alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine

A naturally occurring form of choline, an essential nutrient. Small amounts occur naturally in foods like milk.

What's in it

Choline, in a form the body absorbs well.

Ours Standardised to 85%. Best taken in the morning, which is why it lives in Cognition.

What the human research shows

2024
20 trained men, 20–55, single doses. Better Stroop test scores than placebo at both doses tested, and faster completion at the higher dose. No change on other cognitive tests. Industry-funded.
2021
39 healthy volunteers, 2 weeks. A tendency towards higher self-reported motivation, most clearly in the evening.
2015
13 trained college men, 6 days. Lower-body strength up by more than 3% compared with placebo. Upper-body strength trended up but wasn't significant.

What's still unclear

Trials in healthy adults are still small and short, and the researchers call for larger studies. Please read the note below before you start.

Sources

Good to know A large 2021 South Korean health-records study of adults over 50 linked long-term prescription Alpha-GPC use to a higher rate of stroke over ten years. It can't show cause and effect, since users differed from non-users in age and health, but we think you should know. Have a history of stroke or heart disease, or on prescription medication? Check with your doctor first.

The elder

Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo biloba

A living fossil. The ginkgo's family has survived since the age of the dinosaurs, and it's the last of its line.

The tradition

Ginkgo has been grown around temples in China, Korea and Japan for centuries, and its seeds are part of traditional Chinese cooking and practice. Some trees are over a thousand years old and still producing leaves.

Its reputation for endurance is well earned: several ginkgo trees near the centre of Hiroshima survived the 1945 atomic bomb and are still growing today. The modern standardised leaf extract was developed in Germany in the 1960s, and it has become one of the best-known botanical extracts in the world.

What's in it

Two compound groups: flavone glycosides and terpene lactones.

Ours Standardised to 24% flavone glycosides and 6% terpene lactones, with ginkgolic acid capped at 5ppm.

What the research shows

In healthy young adults, single doses sped up responses on a mental arithmetic task (2002). But a 2012 review of 13 trials in healthy people found no measurable effect on memory, attention or executive function, and the strongest Ginkgo research is in clinical populations, which we can't discuss here. The independent NCCIH fact sheet below covers all of it. Ginkgo is in Cognition for its long tradition and a tightly standardised profile, not for a headline claim.

Sources

Good to know Ginkgo can affect blood clotting. On blood-thinning medication, or have surgery coming up? Check with your doctor first.

Research described here relates to individual ingredients, not to Nootroceutics products. Study doses and forms may differ from ours.

12:00The midday formula

Vitality

The foundation

Cordyceps

Cordyceps militaris

In the Himalayas, wild cordyceps has been gathered for centuries and is still one of the most expensive natural products traded. Ours is its cultivated cousin, militaris.

What's in it

Researchers focus on cordycepin and adenosine, plus beta-glucans. Cordyceps militaris can be cultivated consistently, which is why it's the species behind most modern Cordyceps products.

Ours Cordyceps militaris. Dual-matrix delivery: heat-activated whole fruiting body plus a dual extract, standardised to at least 30% beta-glucans. Our whole fruiting body mushrooms are grown in South Africa.

What the human research shows

2010
20 healthy adults, 50–75, 12 weeks. A Cordyceps preparation (Cs-4, from a related species) raised metabolic threshold by 10.5% and ventilatory threshold by 8.5% compared with placebo. Peak oxygen uptake (VO2 max) didn't change. A pilot study.
2017
Active adults, 3 weeks. A small group taking a mushroom blend containing Cordyceps militaris improved VO2 max and time to exhaustion.
2026
12 active young men, single dose. A standardised Cordyceps militaris extract taken before hard cycling gave faster reaction times on a Stroop task afterwards.

What's still unclear

A 2026 review of five Cordyceps militaris exercise studies found the results inconsistent, with most studies at high risk of bias, and none using a product with labelled active compounds. The reviewers call for better-designed trials. Promising, not proven.

Sources

Ashwagandha

Withania somnifera

A rasayana, or daily restorative, in India's Ayurvedic tradition. The Sanskrit name means "smell of the horse", after the root's earthy scent.

What's in it

Compounds called withanolides.

Ours Shoden®, standardised to 35% withanolide glycosides. It's the same branded extract used in both trials below.

What the human research shows

2019
60 healthy adults under high stress, 60 days. Lower stress-related scores than placebo. No adverse events reported.
2020
150 healthy adults with unrefreshing sleep, 6 weeks. Self-reported sleep quality rose 72% on Shoden® versus 29% on placebo, with better sleep efficiency and quality-of-life scores.

What's still unclear

Most trials run for 6 to 8 weeks, so long-term data is still limited, and studies use different extracts at different doses. That's why we use the same extract as the trials above.

Sources

Good to know On thyroid or diabetes medication, have a liver condition, or pregnant? Check with your doctor first. Liver reactions are rare, but if you notice yellowing skin or eyes, or dark urine, stop and see a doctor.

Eleuthero

Eleutherococcus senticosus · Siberian ginseng

A thorny shrub from the forests of the Russian Far East, north-east China and Korea. Known in China as ciwujia.

The tradition

Used as a daily tonic in Chinese tradition for centuries, then studied intensively by Soviet scientists in the 20th century as a way to help people cope with demanding work. It's called Siberian ginseng, but it isn't a true ginseng.

What's in it

Compounds called eleutherosides, concentrated in the root.

Ours Eleuthero root extract.

What the research shows

Modern human trials are mixed, and many are older and small, so we don't hang eleuthero on a single study. It's in Vitality for its long tradition as a daily tonic, alongside Ashwagandha, which has the stronger modern record.

Sources

Eleutherococcus root: summary of side effects (EMA, 2016)

Good to know Occasionally reported side effects include trouble sleeping, irritability, a racing heart or headache.

Schisandra

Schisandra chinensis · wu wei zi

A deep red berry from the vines of northern China and the Russian Far East. Its Chinese name means "five-flavour fruit": sweet, sour, salty, bitter and pungent, all in one.

What's in it

Lignans called schisandrins.

Ours Standardised to 9% schisandrins.

What the human research shows

2008
Review of 40+ years of Russian research. Reports that in healthy people, Schisandra was studied for endurance, accuracy of movement, mental performance and working capacity.
2020
45 healthy women, 12 weeks. Leg strength up 7.7% compared with placebo.

What's still unclear

Much of the Russian research is decades old and was published in Russian, so it doesn't always meet today's trial standards. Modern trials in healthy people are few and small.

Sources

Good to know Not recommended during pregnancy.

Research described here relates to individual ingredients, not to Nootroceutics products. Study doses and forms may differ from ours.

PMThe evening formula

Harmony

The foundation

Reishi

Ganoderma lucidum · lingzhi

The mushroom of immortality. Recognised in Chinese tradition for over 2,000 years, and once so rare that only nobility could get hold of it.

The tradition

Lingzhi appears in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, one of China's oldest herbal texts, from the Eastern Han dynasty. Its name combines spiritual potency with the essence of immortality, and it became a lasting symbol of good fortune and long life in Chinese art.

What's in it

Three main groups: polysaccharides (including beta-glucans), more than 100 triterpenes, which give Reishi its famous bitterness, and peptidoglycans.

Ours Dual-matrix delivery: heat-activated whole fruiting body plus a dual extract, standardised to at least 30% beta-glucans. Our whole fruiting body mushrooms are grown in South Africa.

What the research shows

Reishi's two thousand years of tradition is its strongest credential. Modern human studies are still small, and most research so far has been in the lab, so researchers are calling for larger, well-designed human trials. Reishi anchors Harmony for its tradition and its rich compound profile.

Sources

Wachtel-Galor et al., Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects (NCBI Bookshelf)

Good to know Reishi may affect blood clotting. On blood-thinning or blood pressure medication? Check with your doctor first.

L-Theanine

An amino acid from Camellia sinensis, the tea plant

The reason a cup of tea feels different to a cup of coffee. First isolated from Japanese green tea in 1949.

What's in it

L-theanine itself: an amino acid found almost only in tea leaves.

Ours Minimum 99% purity. Harmony is caffeine-free, so there's no caffeine alongside it.

What the human research shows

2008
35 healthy young adults, single dose. A tea-level dose was linked to a relaxed but alert state, compared with placebo.
2019
30 healthy adults, 4 weeks. Stress-related scores and sleep quality improved compared with placebo, and so did verbal fluency. No adverse events reported.

What's still unclear

Trials are small and use different doses, so the ideal amount isn't settled yet.

Sources

Proudly South African

Sceletium

Sceletium tortuosum · kanna · kougoed

A succulent native to the Western and Northern Cape, traditionally chewed or brewed as a tea by Khoikhoi and San communities.

What's in it

Alkaloids including mesembrine.

Ours Standardised mesembrine alkaloids.

What the human research shows

2014
21 healthy adults, 45–65, 3 weeks. Better cognitive flexibility and executive function than placebo, and participants reported falling asleep faster. No change in memory or reaction time.
2020
60 active adults, 20–35, 8 days. Better performance on reaction tasks that required decision-making under load. No change in mood, alertness or energy.

What's still unclear

Both trials used a single branded, standardised extract, so results may not carry over to every Sceletium product. Trials are still few and short.

Sources

Good to know Not for use with antidepressants (SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs) unless your doctor approves. Occasionally reported side effects include headache and an upset stomach.

Magnesium Glycinate

Magnesium bisglycinate

An essential mineral, involved in more than 300 enzyme systems in the body, bound here to the amino acid glycine.

What's in it

Magnesium in its glycinate (bisglycinate chelate) form, chosen for being gentle on the stomach.

Ours Magnesium bisglycinate chelate.

What the human research shows

2025
155 adults reporting poor sleep, 4 weeks. A modest improvement on a standard sleep questionnaire with magnesium bisglycinate compared with placebo. People who took it consistently saw a bigger difference.

What's still unclear

The effect in that trial was modest, and other measures such as daytime fatigue didn't change. Longer studies are needed.

Sources

Good to know Have kidney disease? Check with your doctor first.

Research described here relates to individual ingredients, not to Nootroceutics products. Study doses and forms may differ from ours.

That's all twelve

Now you know what's in the cup.

Twelve botanicals, three formulas, one day. When you're ready, keep your routine and make it a ritual.

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