Cognitive Enhancers

Functional enhancement of cognitive functions affected directly or indirectly by nutritional compounds

Cognitive Enhancers

Top Cognitive Enhancements Continued - #5: Bacopa monnieri

Jul 26, 2026

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6 min read

Top Cognitive Enhancements Continued - #5: Bacopa monnieri

Our contemporary bias for empirical evidence gives relief to thousands of years of superstition and its abuses. But today, those of us capable of having two different kinds of thoughts at once can keep the baby's empirical evidence while (metaphorically) throwing out the swampy tropical ayurvedic bathwater bacopa monnieri grew from.

Michael Cummings

Indirect Cognitive Enhancers

Top Cognitive Enhancements Continued - #10: Rhodiola Rosea

Jul 19, 2026

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7 min read

Top Cognitive Enhancements Continued - #10: Rhodiola Rosea

Can a tough little flower from a tough climate make you tougher for the next ordeal in your hero's journey? A rosea by any other name is still an adaptogen, and adaptogenic complexity shoehorned in to marketing simplicity can be misleading. Let's set the record straight.

Michael Cummings

Brain Health Foods

Top Cognitive Enhancements Continued - #9: Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR)

Jul 12, 2026

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7 min read

Top Cognitive Enhancements Continued - #9: Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR)

The Cognitive Enhancements Deep Dives series continues with #9 in the top ten list. We all know the human brain is like no other. But how did cooking meat in fire hundreds of thousands of years ago, and ever since, make it that way? And what does that have to do with ALCAR aka Acetyl-L-Carnitine? 100% organically-generated content.

Michael Cummings

Indirect Cognitive Enhancers

Top Cognitive Enhancements Deep Dive - #8: Ginseng

Jul 5, 2026

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10 min read

Top Cognitive Enhancements Deep Dive - #8: Ginseng

Ginseng's medicinal roots in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) sometimes belies the story of a very American nootropic. Also, my first nootropic, thanks to a Capitola CA neighbor-grocer. But what was Daniel Boone's role in American ginseng's history?

Michael Cummings

Indirect Cognitive Enhancers

Top Cognitive Enhancements Continued - #7: Ashwagandha

Jun 28, 2026

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6 min read

Top Cognitive Enhancements Continued - #7: Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha's use in medicinal practices predates western medicine by thousands of years. But until the COVID pandemic, few knew of it. Why has it become nearly ubiquitous, seemingly over-produced, and definitely over-marketed since then? What does it do? Should we take it or leave it?

Michael Cummings

Brain Health

Top Cognitive Enhancements Continued - #6: Huperzine A

Jun 21, 2026

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5 min read

Top Cognitive Enhancements Continued - #6: Huperzine A

We explored reasons to take the top five recommended supplements last week. This week we begin unpacking the next five, starting with the least recommend "direct" cognitive enhancer, Huperzine A. Why is it at the bottom of the top recommendations?

Michael Cummings

Brain Health

Jun 14, 2026

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7 min read

Top Five Brain Health Supplements For Cognitive Performance

Three supplements to augment the MIND diet nutrients, plus the ten consistently recommended by top websites and video influencers, is too many! Here are the Top Five that can be taken together safely, and the research backing them. Plus how to stack and time them for specific types of cognitive activities.

Michael Cummings