Not everyone is born clever. It is the way of the world, and there’s no fighting it. But the world does tend to be partial towards the sharper, the faster, and the nifty. So, if genetics weren’t kind enough to endow you with the right genes, is there some way that you can be on par with those smarter? There is always the extra time you could spend studying, learning, and trying to catch up. Else, you could change the way your mind works. Traditional medicine has been using herbs, mushrooms, and teas for nootropic benefits, but those methods take too long, and the results depend on the authenticity of the substance, the amounts used, and how often they are used. Doctors recommend playing certain games, doing meditation, or yoga for enhancing cognitive functions – but who honestly has the time?
Or you could use nootropics. Never heard of nootropics? You wouldn’t be the only one. Nootropic drugs and supplements have been out there for almost 70 years but are not the most popular as people tend to be a little wary of things that affect the brain and its workings. In the 1960s, Cornelius E. Giurgea developed Piracetam – a drug to help with motion sickness. But it was later found to have impressive cognitive benefits like better memory, quicker processing, and enhanced focus. Unlike multivitamin supplements that profit the body as a whole and maybe the mind, nootropics are focused only on the brain and its well-being. Nootropics today, are synthetic preparations that help the brain function better than before. Nowadays. You are spoiled for choice with all the options available to you when it comes to nootropics. Before we go forward, you need to be able to differentiate between nootropic supplements and prescription nootropics.
- Non-prescription substances that can enhance brain performance like caffeine are considered nootropics. They do not treat diseases or cognitive breakdowns, but they do have some effect on thinking, memory, retention, and focus. These nootropic substances are often banded together to form supplements. These natural prescription-free supplements are available over the counter and do not require a doctor’s note for use. Natural nootropics caffeine (stimulant), L-theanine (amino acid), Ginkgo biloba (herb), creatine (amino acid), ashwagandha (adaptogen herb), and Racetams (a synthetic compound).
- Prescription nootropics are prescribed by a physician to combat diseases like ADHD, narcolepsy, or dementia. They have been found effective when used as a drug, but they should not be used without a prescription. They do carry risks of side effects, inter-reactions with other medication, or are sometimes habit-forming. These nootropics do improve brain function but almost always come with side effects like impulsive behavior or drowsiness.
For example, Mind Lab Pro is a nootropic supplement, while Modafinil is a prescription nootropic. Both help you, but when it comes to what works for you in a long-term scenario, you might want to make a wise choice. This is why, the two are going to battle it out, in terms of use, benefits, components, and side effects – Mind Lab Pro vs. Modafinil.
Table of Contents
Mind Lab Pro vs. Modafinil – What Are They?
No. #1. Mind Lab Pro
Mind Lab Pro is a nootropic supplement created by Opti Nutra. It uses evidence-backed natural components to help you be on you’re a-game always. The claim is that it targets the six pivotal brain pathways of mental performance –
- Brain energy,
- A brain chemical,
- Brain regeneration,
- Brain protection,
- Brain circulation, and
- Brain waves.
Mind Lab Pro works on both short-term cognition and long-term brain health. Other supplements only focus on one or maybe two mental capacities, but Mind Lab Pro takes on the brain in its entirety, working on keeping the organ in ship shape while enhancing its output. You could see benefits like better focus, clarity, longer attention span, improved memory-building and recall, enhanced creativity and processing, and even a sense of calm motivation.
The only effort on your part is to take 2 to 4 capsules a day. Ideally, take the first 2 capsules in the morning with water, juice, tea, or coffee. If you need the added kick, take another 2 in the afternoon. The rest is up to Mind Lab Pro.
No. #2: Modafinil
Modafinil is a prescription nootropic and is mostly marketed as Provigil. It is a central nervous system stimulant that is prescribed for narcolepsy, shift work sleep disorder, or obstructive sleep apnea. To use Modafinil, you need a doctor’s prescription. This nootropic is taken orally, and there have been incidents of Modafinil being taken off-label to enhance wakefulness. Of French origin, Modafinil was given to the air force during the Gulf War under the name Virgil to improve the unit’s operational performance. Since then, the armed forces of other nations have been using it in situations that foresee sleep deprivation.
As of November 2012, Modafinil is the only drug approved for fatigue management. The dosage of Modafinil varies from person to person depending on the severity of the condition and the possible hypersensitivity to the drug. It has been used as a “smart drug” by students or professionals to enhance cognitive abilities. Modafinil has been added to the WADA list of banned substances. It can be tested for as it is excreted through urine.
Mind Lab Pro vs. Modafinil – Formula
Mind Lab Pro uses only natural components, which is why it can boast of being side-effect free. The ingredients used include vitamins, amino acids, and herbs in doses that help the brain and its functioning like no other supplement. These components include:
- Vitamins B6, B9, and B12
Although part of the same vitamin complex, these vitamins have individual responsibilities concerning brain chemistry. B6 is critical to the production of brain chemicals that act as messengers between brain cells, and a deficiency in B6 is associated with dementia and brain degeneration. B6 also regulates brain energy.
- Citicoline
A psychostimulant that works for brain regeneration, especially in cases of head trauma, stroke, or injury. It can even help with improved memory and better vision. Citicoline helps fortify brain cell wall plasticity and nourishes the neurons, and protects the brain from wear and tear. It also can improve the brain’s capacity to focus, compute, and memory. Citicoline also promotes better mood and motivation.
- Bacopa Monnieri
Also known as water hyssop, this herb has been in use for eons in Indian traditional medicine as a remedy for epilepsy. Research states that Bacopa Monnieri speeds learning time and improves memory formation and recall. As an antioxidant, it saves the brain cells from free radical damage preventing brain cell death.
Water hyssop also influences the activity of neurotransmitters; serotonin, GABA, and acetylcholine which are associated with focus, mood, and memory. It may also help brain circulation, providing your brain with more fresh oxygen than before.
- Organic Lion’s Mane Mushroom
Traditionally steeped as tea for better focus, Lion’s mane mushroom contains hericenones and erinacines, both of which benefit brain health and promote brain growth. Studies show that this mushroom can improve nerve damage by up to 41% because it helps promote nerve growth factors. Because of the better nerve growth factor, you would have better mental and cognitive health. It could also help with diminishing the effects of free radical damage on the brain.
- Phosphatidylserine
Appearing as Sharp PS Green from sunflower lecithin, phosphatidylserine is a component of the brain fat that influences fluidity and is being researched as a possible remedy for age-related cognitive diseases. It may also have some effects on ADHD symptoms, depression, and dementia.
Phosphatidylserine is also responsible for:- Moving dead brain cells out of the production line
- Maintenance of brain cell health
- The production of nerve cells and nerve cell integrity
- And neurotransmitter production and delivery.
- N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine
This amino acid is naturally occurring in the body and is crucial to metabolism and energy production. It is central to hormone production, several of which influence behavior and cognition. NALT helps maintain mental clarity, especially in stressful situations, and improves mental performance. It enhances cognitive flexibility as well so that you can switch seamlessly from one task to another. NALT can help with sleep deprivation too. It is now being looked into as a potential remedy for depression.
- L-Theanine
The consensus is that L-theanine is caffeine without the crash or repeated ingestion. Apart from a stronger immunity, L -theanine was reported to increase attention and focus during clinical trials, and it was said to do so longer and better than caffeine. It could also cancel mental exhaustion and fatigue and improve mental clarity in participants. It was able to deliver all the positive effects of caffeine but is not habit-forming.
- Rhodiola Rosea
This is an adaptogen- a naturally occurring agent that helps the body deal with environmental stress. This can provide cognitive support and overall cognitive enhancement as it could enhance memory, intensify learning, and protects the brain as a whole. It has a calming effect and protects against emotional stress and the possible physiological damage it could cause. Research proves that it can also help in ridding you of pesky brain fog.
- Maritime Pine Bark Extract
From the Mediterranean Sea, this bark has been used as a cure for asthma. An excellent antioxidant, Pine Bark can help improve brain chemistry which would influence memory and improve overall cognitive function. It could improve blood circulation to the brain and remove the presence of free radicals that are a potential danger to brain cells.
For more details on this Cognitive Enhancer, visit Mind Lab Pro Official Website.
Modafinil, on the other hand, contains no herbs or amino acids. It is a chemical composition that alters the way your brain responds to stimuli. Provigil, which is the most common avatar, contains lactose, microcrystalline cellulose, pregelatinized starch, croscarmellose sodium, povidone, and magnesium stearate. These are inactive ingredients and do not affect the working of the smart drug. The precise mechanism of how modafinil keeps one awake is still unknown – there is only proof that it does.
Modafinil is a racemic compound, and the chemical name for it is 2-[(diphenylmethyl)sulfinyl] acetamide. In approved doses, this chemical composition increases the levels of dopamine in the body by blocking dopamine transporters. It is classified as a schedule IV-controlled substance in the US which means it has a low addiction level. It is not a narcotic but a pharmaceutical drug.
Unlike Modafinil, Mind Lab Pro uses natural nootropic ingredients to boost your brain’s natural systems to bring out its maximum potential. Modafinil fiddles with brain chemistry. There lies the marked difference between the two products.
Benefits and Side Effects
When comparing both products, you can see that there are a few similarities between them:
- They both stimulate the central nervous system successfully.
- Mind Lab Pro and Modafinil can eliminate mental exhaustion fatigue and can keep you focused and aware for a longer time.
- Both products can significantly improve cognitive processing speed, enhancing problem-solving abilities.
- Mind Lab Pro and Modafinil both act as cognitive enhancers. They both are considered to be the best smart drugs on the market today for cognitive augmentation. But that is where the similarities stop, and major differences begin.
Mind Lab Pro goes a few steps further, though.
- This nootropic supplement works by optimizing neural electrical impulses, thereby energizing the brain.
- The use of antioxidants helps to free the brain from oxidative damage.
- May sometimes improve physical performance through better motivation and quicker mental flexibility.
- Boost overall mental health and has a positive effect on cognitive function.
There are no reported side effects for natural this natural dietary supplement. None whatsoever. That is a big plus. However, individual tolerances vary, so it would be a good idea to speak to your physician before you start Mind Lab Pro.
Unfortunately, Modafinil does come with a few horrors. Persistent use of the smart drug may cause:
- It may cause skin reactions like rashes or hives.
- Can lessen the efficacy of certain birth control pills
- Extended use can cause depression, dizziness, or fainting
- Vision problems have been reported
- Common side effects include anxiety, headaches, nausea, or nervousness.
The range of side effects is wide and seems to vary from one person to the next. It could range from vomiting to heart trouble. You must have a doctor prescribe the drug for you else, you may end up taking too much or in the wrong quantity. Since this is a chemical concoction, the way you take it changes the effects Modafinil could have on you.
Mind Lab Pro vs Modafinil – Which to Choose?
Both nootropics are good for promoting mental health and cognitive function, but these smart drugs are very different indeed. While Mind Lab Pro can be safely taken by anyone without the worry of potential side effects, Modafinil cannot be taken so easily. Mind Lab Pro uses safe and natural ingredients to help your brain perform better, while Modafinil chemically stimulates the brain and central nervous system, with potential side effects.
Taking Modafinil comes with certain risks, while Mind Lab Pro is safe. The choice seems to be a simple one.
Cost & Refund
Mind Lab Po can be bought off the official website, click here!
- A month’s supply would cost $69.00,
- Two months worth $138.00, and
- If you opt for the three months supply, you get a free bottle as well, all for $207.00.
The first order is covered by a money-back guarantee, and it can be taken advantage of 30 days after purchase.
Modafinil is available by many names (Provigil being the most popular), and it could be bought at a local drugstore near you. However, you would need a doctor’s prescription though. 20 pills of modafinil could set you back $157.36, but this price is approximate. It depends on the pharmacy you visit, and the refund policy would be according to where you buy it from.
FAQs
Q1. Would this Nootropic interact with prescription medication?
Ans. Mind Lab Pro is safe to take alongside any prescription medication but speak to your professional physician just to be safe. But, Modafinil, on the other side, does interact with other drugs, so you would have to mention any previous prescriptions to your doctor so that he/she could adjust the dosage before prescribing Modafinil.
Q2. Is the product habit-forming?
Ans. Neither Mind Lab Pro nor Modafinil is habit-forming.
Q3. Would this product make one smarter?
Ans. No, both products promote cognitive enhancement, but your IQ would remain the same. The way you use your intelligence may change, though.
Q4. Would the benefits stop if product use is stopped?
Ans. Mind Lab Pro has a cumulative effect, and therefore, the benefits would still last longer if you stopped using it. Since Modafinil is a chemical that produces positive effects on the mind, the benefits stop almost immediately once use is discontinued.
Mind Lab Pro vs. Modafinil – Comparison
To help you make up your mind, here’s a side-by-side comparison of what to expect from Mind Lab Pro and Modafinil.
| Mind Lab Pro | Modafinil | |
| Pros |
|
|
| Cons |
|
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| Unique Feature | Nootropic supplement that uses natural components to optimize brain function | A pharmaceutical smart drug that stimulates the central nervous system to improve cognition. |
| Audience | For any adult who wishes to sharpen the mind | For those suffering from narcolepsy, sleep apnea, or sleep problems due to shift work |
| Price | $69.00 for 30 pills | $231.29 for 30 pills |
| Where to Buy? | Click Here to Buy Mind Lab Pro from the Official Website. | It is a drug which can be purchased at a pharmacy with prescription. |
Summary and Verdict
When it comes to improving the way your brain functions Mind Lab Pro and Modafinil both do a pretty decent job. Doctors prescribe Modafinil for sleep disorders while Mind Lab Pro is a dietary supplement that has the same if not better benefits. They both improve processing speed, attention span, and overall cognitive functions. However. Modafinil comes with a pretty long list of side effects and is a chemical that alters the way the nervous system functions. Mind Lab Pro offers the same benefits using natural components without any side effects.
Hence, Mind Lab Pro does seem like the better choice for safe long-term use. You get all the benefits and the best feature yet, it’s all-natural.
This is Maria co-founder of the NootropicsOfficial, Dietitian & Medical Writer and you all have rightly bumped onto my review site.
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