Starting out with a basic nootropic stack can be an overwhelming experience when you consider the vast number of options out there.
If you are new to the world of brain supplements, you might be wondering what the best stack to use for your first time is.
There really is only one answer to this question: the best nootropic stack for beginners is any combination of Piracetam and Choline supplements.
Piracetam is the definitive first-timer nootropic because it gives you a wide range of cognitive benefits without being too strong. People take Piracetam to improves memory, learning functions, reasoning, perception, concentration, and motivation.
Sources of Choline like Alpha GPC, Citicoline and Centrophenoxine are known to increase the effects of Piracetam giving you a synergistic experience. These compounds are then frequently stacked with natural memory supplements to give you an added boost.
It should be noted that in the United States, Piracetam is an unregulated, unscheduled compound. While Piracetam has been used for many years as a drug in various countries around the world, the FDA has not approved Piracetam as a drug to prevent or treat any conditions. Piracetam also does not meet the qualifications of a dietary supplement and it cannot be labeled or sold as one in the USA.
Due to FDA laws surrounding the sales, distribution, and labeling of unregulated compounds like Piracetam, buying this nootropic within the US can be difficult. However, it is legal to buy and own Piracetam for personal use, and many people will import from countries where the sale of Piracetam is legal.



- Promotes brain health & communication
- Supports memory, reasoning & cognition
- oosts focus, mental clarity & attention
Piracetam – The Original Nootropic
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Piracetam is the oldest and most popular nootropic among casual users.
It is believed to positively affects several different measurements of cognitive performance in the short-term while also contributing to the long-term health of your brain with continuous use.
While there are other nootropics that may be better suited if you have a specific goal in mind, Piracetam is a good compound for general cognitive improvement which makes it perfect for a basic nootropic stack.
Because of how it increase your brain’s ability to create, store, connect, and recall ideas and memory, some reviews report that using Piracetam does indeed make them feel more intelligent. This is why Piracetam has developed a reputation as an IQ and Brain Booster.
Piracetam stimulates two sets of receptors in the brain that are intimately connected with learning and memory. It triggers receptors that cause Acetylcholine to be released as well as the NDMA receptors which control Glutamate production.
The Acetylcholine neurotransmitter is involved in how your brain sends and receives signals between the neurons as well as between different areas of your brain. When there are higher levels of this neurotransmitter, most people feel less mental strain and ideas come more readily. Acetylcholine is also involved in the processes of critical reasoning and in decision making.
Glutamate operates in a similar function, keeping your brain energized and maintaining the health of your neurons and synapses.
The Glutamate neurotransmitter is known for having a key role in improving your memory as well as synaptic plasticity. You may find it easier to recall facts and information and you might find that you have better retention of new concepts that you have just learned.
Finally, it is believed that taking Piracetam makes it easier for your left and right hemispheres to communicate which is known to improve creative thinking.
Taking Piracetam is very safe with no serious side effects even in excessively high doses (also known as “Piracetam Mega Doses”). If this is your first time using Piracetam, most users recommend starting with a dosage of 1.6 grams taken 2-3 times a day. Once you have determined that Pircetam is not causing any negative side effects, you can increase this dosage over the course of a week or two.
The maximum recommended dosage of Piracetam is 4.8 grams taken 3 times a day. If you exceed this amount you may start to experience an unpleasant reaction known as the Piracetam Headache. In many cases, stacking Piracetam with choline is able to prevent and cure headaches associated with using this nootropic.

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Choline Sources
Choline supplements are known for potentiating the effects of Piracetam by contributing to higher levels of Acetylcholine production. The Acetylcholine neurotransmitter is synthesized in the brain from the combination of acetate and choline.
If you do not have enough choline in your diet – which unfortunately is true for the majority of humans – then you might not fully optimize your Acetylcholine levels with Piracetam. When Acetylcholine levels become depleted, the effects of Piracetam are diminished.
Additionally, the lack of Acetylcholine can cause the so-called Piracetam Headache. Piracetam can cause increased Acetylcholine activity, but if there is no Acetycholine available, the Acetylcholine receptors in the brain can become burned out, which can lead to headaches.
This is why stacking Piracetam with a source of Choline has become normal practice. Think of Choline like a fuel that enables the Piracetam powder to work harder.
Interestingly, if you buy basic choline supplements (known as Choline Bitartrate), you may not find that you are experiencing any synergistic benefit. This is because Choline Bitartrate is not particularly effective at crossing the blood-brain barrier which it must do in order to be turned into Acetylcholine.
Instead, using a high quality precursor Acetylcholine supplement like Alpha GPC, Centrophenoxine, or CDP Choline (Citicoline) is a better option. All three of these compounds are fairly similar in their ability to boost brainpower so it is up to you which one you use. Most beginners start with Alpha GPC or Citicoline in their stack as these two are considered very safe and offer some nootropic benefit on their own as well.
Additional Natural Nootropics
If you want to round out your stack a little bit more, you might want to considered adding some of the many very good natural and herbal nootropics available today.
This step is entirely option, but a lot of beginners like to supplement with natural nootropics to enhance cognitive ability on several different dimensions at once.
Some of the most common herbal nootropic supplements like Ginkgo Biloba, Bacopa Monnieri, Fish Oil, L-Theanine, and caffeine are already widely used in multi-vitamins and anti-aging stacks. Other supplements like Huperzine-A are actively being researched for Alzheimer’s and other cognitive disorders.
If you are looking at adding some of these natural “Brain Vitamins” to your stack, you may find it more convenient to buy one of the all-in-one nootropic stack pills like Alpha Brain or Brain Stack instead of purchasing multiple different single-ingredient pills. However, building your own stack can sometimes be more cost effective, so it is important to do your research and determine the best option for your needs.
Best Nootropic Stacks
Once you have mastered this nootropic stack for beginners, where can you go from here?
The Piracetam Choline stack is so fundamental and effective that many people only use these two compounds and do not feel the need to add more ingredients. However, if you want more power from your stack or if you are looking for a stack that gives you an even wider range of effects there are some simple upgrades that you can make.
Instead of using Piracetam, you might want to look at using one or more of the other more potent Racetams such as Aniracetam, Oxiracetam, Pramiracetam or the related Noopept.
Other people will add Adrafinil, Inositol, or any number of other compounds to improve memory, perception, energy, anxiety, critical thinking and verbalization skills.
The options are truly limitless and when it comes to the best nootropic stacks, and experimentation is your best guide.
Article last updated on: February 3rd, 2018 by Nootriment