Alpha Brain Review & Test Results

What Is Alpha Brain?

In this Alpha Brain review, I'll study and test Onnit’s flagship nootropic. Onnit launched in 2010, and this has been one of its best-selling products ever since. A lot of that momentum came from big-name promotion, including Joe Rogan, founder Aubrey Marcus, Theo Von, and others.

It hasn’t all been positive. In 2024 a lawsuit [1] claimed the brand misled consumers with promises of better memory, faster mental processing, and sharper focus without solid evidence. Those claims were filed before Unilever bought Onnit that same year [2]. Even so, there are still gaps in the published science backing Alpha Brain’s effectiveness as a nootropic.

How Does Alpha Brain Work?

Alpha Brain claims to work by combining three different proprietary blends - the Onnit Flow Blend, Focus Blend and Fuel Blend. The claimed role of each blend is as you'd imagine - mental flow or clarity, mental focus and mental energy respectively. So far, so good.

The ingredients used in each blend also seem to make sense superficially speaking, with for example, L-Theanine being included in the Flow Blend, Bacopa being included in the Focus Blend and Pterosilibene being included in the Fuel Blend. However (and it's a big however), the amounts of each ingredient included in each blend is hidden, purposely. Onnit may claim that the use of proprietary blends [3] is to hide their unique formulation from unscrupulous competitors - but in reality the reason proprietary blends are often used in supplements is to prevent ineffective products being scrutinized too closely. What do I mean? Well, think of it this way. Most of the ingredients used in Alpha Brain are proven nootropic substances, that's to say, compounds proven in clinical studies to be beneficial to one or more aspects of brain function and/or brain health - but in every case the clinical support is dependent on a particular amount of each proven ingredient being used. In Alpha Brain's formulation, most if not all of the ingredients are present at levels less than (in many cases substantially less than) the amounts proven to be necessary in clinical studies. The inclusion of proven nootropics in too low dosages renders them ineffective, that's to say they simply won't work. Alpha Brain's formulation is one which sells a superficial story of using some relevant ingredients, but intentionally uses too little of most of them to be of any use - presumably to leverage the reputation of certain nootropic ingredients in the brand's marketing story, whilst minimizing the cost of the ingredients to the manufacturer.

Scientific Basis

The ingredients used in Alpha Brain are largely known as effective nootropic ingredients, but there are big questions over the dosages used as we'll come on to discuss. One of the most notable ingredients in Alpha Brain is Bacopa Monnieri - it's known for its cognitive support and neuroprotective effects - particularly its ability to potentially decrease Tau and amyloid-beta (Aβ) aggregation [4] (which is now widely believed to lead to neurological disorders), as well as helping reduce, or mitigate, ADHD symptoms. However, research suggests that 300mg of Bacopa Monnieri [5] is required daily - Alpha Brain doesn't disclose how much is included, but it's highly likely to be under-dosed. 

The research into Cat's Claw suggest it may help increase BDNF [6], but again it's dosage dependent, with research indicating 350mg per day is needed to realize its benefits.

The inclusion of Huperzia Serrata [7] and Oat Straw Extract isn't ideal, as sustained supplementation with Huperzia Serrata isn't recommended and Oat Straw can trigger allergic reactions in some people [8]. The evidence supporting Oat Straw as a nootropic is also very limited - and largely theoretical - with some researchers suggesting it may improve blood flow in the brain, but this hasn't been conclusively proven. Onnit's Fuel blend uses a range of potentially beneficial nootropic ingredients, but is rendered somewhat irrelevant again due to underdosing. The total blend is just 65mg, whereas an effective dose of L-Theanine alone is 2-300mg [9] - and the amounts of L-Leucine, Pterostibene and Vinpocetine required for noticeable cognitive effects are also far beyond the amounts likely included in the Fuel Blend.

Interestingly, Onnit conducted research into the effectivness of Alpha Brain in both 2016 [10] and 2018 [11]. The sponsored nature of the research means it's sensible to treat the findings with caution, particularly as claims made by the brand have since been successfully challenged in court. Nonetheless the studies' finding claimed some improvements were observed to participants' results in neuro-psychological tests.

Looking in more detail at Alpha Brain's claimed mode of action, there's a clear statement displayed prominently on the Alpha Brain website: "If you want to help your brain think more clearly, you need to concentrate on two things: promoting the production of alpha waves in the brain and supporting acetylcholine levels—a key neurotransmitter. We formulated Alpha Brain with both goals in mind [12]." Breaking this claim down, there are two very specific claims, which it's challenging to support based on Alpha Brain's ingredients.

Alpha Brain's ability to promote production of Alpha Waves:

The only ingredient known to be effective in promoting alpha waves is L-Theanine, but 100mg would have to be present in Alpha Brain's formulation, this is theoretically possible, but would mean other ingredients in Alpha Brain's proprietary blends are severely under-dosed. There is a theoretical possibility that Oat Straw could play a supporting role in promoting Alpha Waves [13], but this would require hundreds of milligrams of Oat Straw, which seems almost impossible (and if it were to be present at this level L-Theanine would be barely present at all).

Overall, it's highly questionable whether Alpha Brain's formulation can claim to promote Alpha Waves.

Alpha Brain's ability to support acetylcholine levels:

The ingredients Alpha Brain will be relying on for this claim are Alpha-GPC and Huperzine Serrata - again both are dosage dependent - that's to say they will only be effective in supporting acetylcholine levels [14] if they're present in sufficient amounts in Alpha Brain's formulation. But again this information is purposely hidden by the brand.

The issue with proprietary blends:

As mentioned, Onnit's decision to hide Alpha Brain's formulation is problematic for several reasons. Firstly, there's an issue with brand trust - the brand is purposely hiding its formulation from consumers, almost certainly as a way to try and prevent scrutiny and specifically to hide the fact that some, or many, ingredients aren't effectively dosed when compared to amounts validated in clinical studies. Secondly, there's the issue of under-dosing itself - the specific ingredients which seem likely to be present at ineffective levels. 

For example, the Focus Blend totals 240mg for all the ingredients listed, but effective amounts of the ingredients used are widely accepted in the scientific community as follows: Alpha-GPC requires 300-600mg per day [15], Bacopa Monnieri 300mg per day, Huperzia Serrata 50-200mcg per day. Every ingredient in the Focus Blend must therefore be underdosed to some extent - and it's highly likely all are significantly under-dosed when compared with clinically effective amounts.

The Onnit Flow Blend totals 650mg for all the ingredients used. Again it's likely all or some of the ingredients used are at subclinical levels.

The same goes for the Fuel Blend too, which total 65mg. Pterostilibene is typically dosed at 100mg [16], which exceeds the total amount used for all the ingredients included in the Fuel Blend.

Qualitative Review of Alpha Brain's Efficacy

The results from supplementation with Alpha Brain were fairly mixed during my testing, with some individuals reporting mild improvements to focus and even improved mood.  

Alpha Brain's main claims relate to increase mental clarity and cognitive processing capability - or in their words "the ultimate way to get 'in the zone'". Qualitatively speaking some testers did report being able to settle into challenging tasks somewhat more quickly, but this may be attributable to a form of placebo effect, in other words improved focus - but as a result of expecting to be able to focus more effectively.

Alpha Brain's claims and advertising doesn't emphasize memory to the same extent as it emphasizes focus, but it's prominently there in the product claim "Helps Memory and Focus". Memory improvements can be a tricky thing to quantitatively measure over relatively short periods of time, but qualitatively very few respondents reported any tangible, albeit subjective, improvements to memory during their time with Alpha Brain. 

So overall, there was some variation is the experiences reported, but the majority of testers reported very few tangible improvements to most areas of cognitive function. This stands in contrast to the best formulated nootropic supplements I've tested, where far more noticeable cognitive benefits are apparent.

Estimate of Efficacy Relative To Similar Products

Dosage:

Alpha Brain includes a reasonably broad range of ingredients, but doesn't use some of the most effective and widely studied nootropics, such as L-Theanine, Lion's Mane and Acetyl L-Carnitine [17]. Alpha Brain's total amount of active ingredients is only 895mg, far below the amount required for every ingredient listed to be present in clinically proven amounts. For comparison, more comprehensively formulated nootropic supplements like ThinkEase use up to 15 ingredients and almost 3000mg of active ingredients.

Quality:

The main quality issue with Alpha Brain is its use of proprietary blends to hide ingredients present in sub-optimal amounts. This is a major flaw and one which undercuts our confidence in the product's potential to as a nootropic supplement. Alpha Brain also lists Maltodextrin [18] as an additional non-active ingredient - this is likely to be included to aid the manufacturing process, but also to act as a filler - in other words to fill the capsules up and make it appear as though a greater amount of active ingredients are included than is actually the case.

Efficacy:

Alpha Brain did lead to some testers reporting mild improvements to focus and concentration, but the effects weren't as marked as would be expected if all the listed ingredients were present in optimal amounts. Alpha Brain's claim of making is easy to reach a 'flow' state wasn't experienced by many users, but some did indicate that it seemed to help somewhat. My feeling with Alpha Brain is that it seems to trade heavily on its comparatively high awareness due to the brand being endorsed by a number of high profiles in the past. It may therefore act as an entry point into nootropic supplements for some people, but its mild effects are disappointing when compared to the best products we've tested.

Cost:

Alpha Brain is unusual in that each bottle contains 90 capsules, but with a 2 capsule serving size, will last 45 days. It's priced at $79.99 for a single bottle, but Onnit offer a 25% discount for subscribing to a bottle every 45 days, this takes the price per bottle down to $59.96. From a basic price point perspective this is broadly in line with most other nootropic supplements, however, the comparatively low level of active ingredients and questions over the formulation itself, combined with the mild results seen in our testing, mean it doesn't represent good value for money in my view.

Safety Considerations and Potential Side Effects

Alpha Brain is unlikely to lead to any adverse effects in most people. The inclusion of Huperzia Serrata could cause headaches or nausea, similarly, Cat's Claw and Vinpocetine have both been linked to stomach discomfort [19]. That said, the low levels of each ingredient in Alpha Brain largely mitigates these risks for most people. It is worth being aware that Alpha Brain contains a known allergen in Oat Straw, so it's best avoided if this is something you're prone to experiencing. If in any doubt, choosing a nootropic supplement without these ingredients may be sensible.

Overall Assessment

Alpha Brain didn't perform particularly well in my testing and understanding how it's been formulated reveals the reasons why. In essence it contains a number of well-regarded nootropic ingredients, most of which are proven to be effective in increasing focus, clarity and even memory. However, all of these ingredients require adequate dosing to be effective - and this is where Alpha Brain falls short. Many, and likely most, of its ingredients are dosed below the levels shown to be effective in clinical research. As such, it's hard to recommend without greater clarity on precisely what's included in each of the brand's proprietary blends. I favor more transparent and effective supplements like ThinkEase, currently our highest-rated nootropic supplement - not least because it's more comprehensively formulated and uses clinically proven amounts of every ingredient.

References and Further Reading

1. https://news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/joe-rogan-endorsed-brain-supplement-faces-false-ad-class-action
2. https://www.unilever.com/news/press-and-media/press-releases/2021/unilever-to-acquire-onnit/
3. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10196566/
4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0141813023000399
5. https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-761/bacopa
6. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6365538/
7. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8435632/
8. https://www.healthline.com/health/oat-allergy
9. https://www.healthline.com/health/oat-allergy
10. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26876224/
11. https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-018-0229-8
12. https://www.onnit.com/alphabrain/
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_wave
14. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/24568-acetylcholine-ach
15. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5629791/
16. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3575612/
17. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0160289611000195
18. https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/is-maltodextrin-bad-for-me
19. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3570168/

Further Reading

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Barringer, N., Crombie, A., & Kotwal, R. (2018). Impact of a purported nootropic supplementation on measures of mood, stress, and marksmanship performance in U.S. Active duty soldiers. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 15.

Gold, J., & Ciorciari, J. (2020). A Review on the Role of the Neuroscience of Flow States in the Modern World. Behavioral Sciences, 10(9).

Moini, J., & Piran, P. (2020). Cerebral cortex. Functional and Clinical Neuroanatomy, 177-240.

Wianda, E., & Ross, B. (2019). The roles of alpha oscillation in working memory retention. Brain and Behavior, 9(4), e01263.

Yang, H., Yang, X., Yan, S., & Sun, Z. (2022). Effect of acetylcholine deficiency on neural oscillation in a brainstem-thalamus-cortex neurocomputational model related with Alzheimer’s disease. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 1-13.

Singh, A., & Gupta, D. (2019). Can Acetylcholine make you dream? Sleep Science, 12(3), 240-241.

Torontali, Z. A., Grace, K. P., Horner, R. L., & Peever, J. H. (2014). Cholinergic involvement in control of REM sleep paralysis. The Journal of Physiology, 592(Pt 7), 1425-1426.

Hidese, S., Ogawa, S., Ota, M., Ishida, I., Yasukawa, Z., Ozeki, M., & Kunugi, H. (2019). Effects of L-Theanine Administration on Stress-Related Symptoms and Cognitive Functions in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients, 11(10), 2362.

Baba, Y., Inagaki, S., Nakagawa, S., Kaneko, T., Kobayashi, M., & Takihara, T. (2021). Effects of l-Theanine on Cognitive Function in Middle-Aged and Older Subjects: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Study. Journal of Medicinal Food, 24(4), 333-341.

Kahathuduwa, C. N., Wakefield, S., West, B. D., Blume, J., Dassanayake, T. L., Weerasinghe, V. S., & Mastergeorge, A. (2020). Effects of l-theanine–caffeine combination on sustained attention and inhibitory control among children with ADHD: A proof-of-concept neuroimaging RCT. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 1-13.

Mancini, E., Beglinger, C., Drewe, J., Zanchi, D., Lang, U. E., & Borgwardt, S. (2017). Green tea effects on cognition, mood and human brain function: A systematic review. Phytomedicine, 34, 26-37.

Glade, M. J., & Smith, K. (2015). Phosphatidylserine and the human brain. Nutrition, 31(6), 781-786.

Eun Young, K., Fengjiao, C., Hyun Kyung, K., Hadia, N., Sumin, K., Hayoon, K., Jihye, J., & Gwang-woong, G. (2022). Effect of phosphatidylserine on cognitive function in the elderly: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Korean Society of Food Science and Technology, 54(1), 52-58.

Chen, J., Li, J., Xu, H., Li, J., Yuan, Y., Xu, X., & Bi, Y. (2023). Phosphatidylserine: An overview on functionality, processing techniques, patents, and prospects. Grain & Oil Science and Technology, 6(4), 206-218.

Banerjee, S., Anand, U., Ghosh, S., Ray, D., Ray, P., Nandy, S., Deshmukh, G. D., Tripathi, V., & Dey, A. (2021). Bacosides from Bacopa monnieri extract: An overview of the effects on neurological disorders. Phytotherapy Research, 35(10), 5668-5679.

Thomas, R. B., Joy, S., Ajayan, M. S., & Paulose, C. S. (2013). Neuroprotective potential of Bacopa monnieri and Bacoside A against dopamine receptor dysfunction in the cerebral cortex of neonatal hypoglycaemic rats. Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, 33(8), 1065–1074.

Stough, C., Lloyd, J., Clarke, J., Downey, L. A., Hutchison, C. W., Rodgers, T., & Nathan, P. J. (2001). The chronic effects of an extract of Bacopa monniera (Brahmi) on cognitive function in healthy human subjects. Psychopharmacology, 156(4), 481–484.

Science Direct. (n.d.). Huperzine A - an overview. Elsevier B.V.

Čolović, M. B., Krstić, D. Z., Lazarević-Pašti, T. D., Bondžić, A. M., & Vasić, V. M. (2013). Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors: Pharmacology and Toxicology. Current Neuropharmacology, 11(3), 315-335.

Ma, C., Teng, L., Lin, G., Guo, B., Zhuo, R., Qian, X., Guan, T., Wu, R., Liu, Y., & Liu, M. (2021). L-leucine promotes axonal outgrowth and regeneration via mTOR activation. FASEB Journal: Official Publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, 35(5), e21526.

Hegdekar, N., Lipinski, M. M., & Sarkar, C. (2021). N-Acetyl-l-leucine improves functional recovery and attenuates cortical cell death and neuroinflammation after traumatic brain injury in mice. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 1-13.

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Stover, P. J., & Field, M. S. (2015). Vitamin B-6. Advances in Nutrition, 6(1), 132-133.