Alpha Brain by Onnit Labs is one of the most popular cognitive enhancement supplements sold today.
It is touted to improve your concentration, mental clarity, memory, mood and give you that added boost of motivation you need to attack the day.
Most Alpha Brain Reviews are highly positive with individuals saying that it makes them more productive, more focused, more analytical and more energetic throughout the day.
The Alpha Brain ingredients are a carefully selected mix of powerful and proven natural nootropics to optimize your brain performance. But is Alpha Brain safe to use and are there any negative Alpha Brain side effects that you should be worrying about?

- Enhances focus and mental drive
- Improves memory and cognitive performance
- Contains Alpha GPC & L-Theanine
Alpha Brain is Safe
Related Topics
Like all true nootropics, Alpha Brain is safe to use and can actually contribute to a healthier brain in the long-term.
This is very positive because so many study aids and concentration boosters like Adderall can actually burn you out over time and lead to negative side effects.
However for a supplement to even qualify to be a nootropic it must be neuroprotective and extremely low on the human toxicity scale.
As an illustration of this point, caffeine is technically not a nootropic because it has the potential to cause negative side effects like excessive perspiration, increased body temperature and heart palpitations.
Many other “nootropic stacks” do contain caffeine but Alpha Brain does not which is why it is one of the safest brain enhancing-products on the market.
There are 11 key ingredients that make up every capsule of Onnit’s Alpha Brain: GABA, Vitamin B6, Oat Straws, Bacopa Monneiri, Serrata, Pterostilbene, Alpha-GPC Choline, Huperzine A, Vinpocetine, AC-11, and Mucuna Pruriens. All of these ingredients are recognized as safe and unlikely to cause serious side effects.

- Focus longer, clear brain fog & feel more motivated
- Boost energy, alertnes & memory
- Contains 12 safe and natural nootropic ingredients
Many of the ingredients, such as Huperzine A, Vinpocetine and Alpha GPC have also been proven in clinical trials to improve the health of your neurons and offer neuroprotective benefits in the long run.
Vinpocetine and Huperzine are worth noting in particular as they are both being investigated as potential Alzheimer’s treatments due to the way they support increased memory and due to their anti-aging effects. Another plus is that Alpha Brain uses predominantly herbal nootropics or supplements originally derived from natural sources which are typically viewed as less dangerous than synthetic compounds.
In fact, some people consider these ingredients to be too tame and will stack Alpha Brain with stronger nootropics to get a better boost. Some popular Alpha Brain stacks include using it with Noopept or stacking with any of the Racetams (Piracetam, Pramiracetam, Aniracetam, Oxiracetam or Phenylpiracetam).
You will also see it used alongside Sunifiram or Adrafinil for serious study sessions or when you need to be really productive. Some people will take it with Phenibut, Inositol or Picamilon if they want to reduce stress and get rid of anxiety symptoms.
Even though Alpha Brain does come with a choline source known as Choline Alfoscerate or Alpha GPC, the dosage is fairly small so some people add more Alpha GPC or take it with Citicoline or Centrophenoxine for added effect.
Potential Alpha Brain Side Effects
While Alpha Brain is regarded as very safe with little risk of serious adverse side effects, different people will have different sensitivities to the ingredients. In some cases you may experience some of the mild side effects listed below.
If the side effects persist or are strong enough to make you feel uncomfortable, you may want to cut back on your usage of this supplement. It is considered good practice to start with a half dose and build up to the full Alpha Brain dosage only after you have determined that you are able to tolerate the effects.
In some Alpha Brain reviews, users have reported mild headaches or sensations of pressure in their cerebral cortex. This can sometimes be attributed to the choline supplements found in this product. If the headaches persist, then you may need to stop using this memory supplement.
One individual reported that after taking Alpha Brain, it made him jittery and restless, causing him to bounce his leg up and down. This is fairly typical of concentration enhancers, but if you find it to be unpleasant and persistent you might want to cease using this product.
Other experiences and logs suggest that you may feel irritability or anxiety while taking Onnit Labs Alpha Brain. The ingredients of this supplement actually do contain several anxiolytics which are known to stimulate the GABA receptors that increase feelings of calmness, but if the sensation of nervousness continues you may want to add other supplements such as Theanine, Picamilon or Inositol to your stack.
In general, Alpha Brain is viewed as a very safe supplement to use and the majority of individuals will not feel these effects. Give this nootropic stack a try to see what it can do for you and your brain.
Article last updated on: February 3rd, 2018 by Nootriment
4 Comments
Can you recommend a stack for a senior college student who has not tried any of these products before. Her life is busy and she has ADHD and
does fine on Adderoll, although she doesn’t like the way that makes her feel when coming off of it at the end of the day.
Thanks!
Margie Thurman
It’s certainly not a scientific study with a large sample size, but the friend who recommended Alpha Brain to me died of brain cancer.
I’m not going to be taking any more.
Hi Luke,
I’m so sorry to hear that :/ – my sympathies to you and your friend’s family :/.
To give some perspective, two major risk factors for cancer throughout the body are oxidative stress and inflammation. Alpha Brain contains compounds like Vinpocetine, Pterostilbene and Bacopa which are shown to protect against oxidative damage, improve blood flow to the brain, reduce inflammation and promote brain cell health. Alpha GPC in particular is a type of choline that your brain needs in order to build healthy cell membranes and support neuronal function.
Unfortunately, cancer is often a random occurrence that can strike even the healthiest among us with no apparent causal link. But I don’t think there is any evidence to suggest that taking Alpha Brain could increase risk factors for brain cancer and there are mechanisms by which it can act to protect brain cells from certain forms of damage.
Don’t use any product unless you properly check its ingredients and reviews especially for the brain; I recently read reviews of Adderin, and after studying about this whole product, I decided to try this one. The ingredients present in this supplements are 100% pure. You can get the detail information of this here: https://www.consumerhealthdigest.com/brain-enhancement-supplements/adderin.html