NZT-48 Review & Test Results

What Is NZT-48?

Here are my notes from trying NZT-48, a nootropic sold by a company called Limitless Nootropics. A bit of context first. “NZT-48” is the imaginary super-pill from the film Limitless. This supplement is trading on that name and the movie’s mystique. Same goes for the “Limitless” brand, it's clearly a nod to the film, but there’s no connection or license that I can find.

Clever branding aside, the real question is whether the product holds up. I ran it for a full trial and pulled apart the formula ingredient by ingredient. There are some clear issues I’ll get into which make it hard to recommend. After the breakdown I’ll point to a few stronger, better-supported options that are more likely to deliver.

How Does NZT-48 Work?

NZT-48 doesn't provide any substantive detail on how it supposedly works. The brand instead appears to rely on the reputation and fictional effects of the fictional product of the same name. Whilst borrowing the film and product name might be smart (or perhaps cynical) marketing, the same can't be said of the product's composition.

Again in a perhaps cynical move, the product does include a number of effective and clinically proven nootropic ingredients, so far so good. However, every single one of these ingredients is almost certainly dosed far below the amount shown to be necessary in scientific research. It's not unfair to say that NZT-48's makers are knowingly using ineffective amounts of well-known ingredients as a way to create a low cost (and for the most part ineffective) product - whilst seeking to create the impression of a well-designed product composed of proven nootropic ingredients. NZT-48 is far from the only brand to do this - many unscrupulous and ineffective nootropic supplements exist. The playbook is easy to spot with a quick check of the ingredients label. If the brand chooses to hide its ingredient list behind a "proprietary blend" [1], it's all but certain that the ingredients in that blend won't be present in sufficient amounts to provide any meaningful cognitive benefits. Very often this can be proved with simple maths. In the case of NZT-48 the total blend would need to be over 4000mg for every ingredient to be effectively dosed - but the actual amount used is just 750mg, a fraction of what's required.

Scientific Basis

NZT-48 does use a number of proven nootropic ingredients, but every single one requires a cerain amount to be present in the product's formulation for it to be effective as a brain boosting ingredient.

Alpha GPC - clinical studies show 600mg is necessary daily to improves memory and cognitive performance [2]. The total proprietary blend in NZT-48 is only 750mg in total for over 20 ingredients. It's therefore highly unlikely to contain an effective amount of Alpha GPC.

EGCG - clinical studies show 300mg is needed to realize its neuroprotective effects, far more than is realistically included in NZT-48 [3].

Caffeine HCL & Guarana - scientific research shows each requires 100–200mg for meaningful improvements to focus and alertness, but without knowing exact amounts included in NZT-48 it's difficult to know whether effective amounts of either, or both, is included [4].

5-HTP - clinical studies show 300mg is necessary to realize 5-HTP's benefits for mood regulation, but there are nuances on how it should be taken to ensure safety and efficacy [5].

Theobromine - 500mg is recommended based on the clinical evidence. Theobromine is a stimulant similar to caffeine and its effects are similar, however effective doses are far higher than NZT-48 can realistically provide [6].

Acetyl-L-Carnitine - 750mg is required to realize its benefits for mitochondrial support and strengthening mental energy. There’s no way NZT-48 provides anywhere close to a useful dose as doing so would leave no room for any other ingredients in its proprietary blend [7].

N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine - needs 275mg to support dopamine production and increase cognitive resilience under stress, again it's highly unlikely to be adequately dosed in NZT-48 [8].

Ginkgo Biloba - requires 120mg to enhance memory and circulation. It's possible that NZT-48 could include enough, but again it's unlikley [9].

Bacopaside - 300mg is needed to be effective in boosting memory and cognition, yet NZT-48 almost certainly doesn't include enough to be effective [10].

Huperzine A –200mcg is needed but it mustn't be taken continuously to avoid significant side effects, for this reason alone understanding how much NZT-48 includes is vitally important, but yet again its hidden in the product's proprietary blend [11].

Qualitative Review of Limitless NZT-48's Efficacy

I trialed Limitless' NZT-48 for 10 weeks, taken the single capsule each day as directed by the manufacturer. Despite my reservations over the product's low (and hidden) doses, I'd tried to be optimistic that some level of improved focus, increased clarity and/or improved productivity might be possible, but the experience fell a long way short of this.

Initial Effects - Short-Lived Unsustained Stimulation
Within the first hour, I experienced some mild stimulation, probably from the caffeine and guarana, similar in my estimation to a small cup of coffee. Compared to nootropic supplements with an effective dose of L-Theanine, it lacked the clean, sustained focus that a well-formulated nootropic should provide.

Lack of Sustained Focus & Limited Lift In Mental Energy
A well-formulated and sufficiently strong nootropic should promote steady, reliable cognitive improvements throughout the day. That didn’t happen here. Whilst Alpha GPC and Acetyl-L-Carnitine are both included in NZT-48 and should boost memory and cognitive energy, their effectiveness depends on adequate dosing, based on my experience and scientific assessment, it's clear to me that neither are included at anywhere near useful levels.

Mood & Clarity - Disappointing Results
5-HTP and Rhodiola Rosea are often included in nootropic supplements due to their benefits for mood support, reducing stress and enhancing cognitive performance. If they were present in effective amounts, I believe I would have detected some noticeable improvement in mental resilience and stress response over the course of my extended test period, unfortunately I didn't perceive any such effects.

Memory & Processing Speed - No Obvious Benefit
Ginkgo Biloba, Bacopa Monnieri, and Huperzine A are known to be effective in enhancing memory retention and recall, but only when well-dosed. My experience with NZT-48 suggested these were either under-dosed (as I'd suspected) or ineffective in combination, as there was no clear improvement in my recall, mental processing speed, or learning capacity.

Estimate of Efficacy Relative To Similar Products

Dosage:

NZT-48 is unusual as a nootropic supplement as it uses a tiny daily serving size (which some similarly ineffective products also do), but it makes no attempt to hide it. Other brands typically add fillers to bulk out their product, whereas NZT-48 openly uses a small amount of ingredients. It's perhaps to their credit that the manufacturers don't add unecessary fillers, but clearly a low total serving size and semmingly ineffective ingredients dosages are both major issues in my view.

Quality:

The use of too small an amount of most, or potentially all of the ingredients in NZT-48 is a major quality issue, as the product simply isn't very effective and doesn't draw on the scientific evidence around effect dosages. The product seems to be well optimized to keep costs low for the manufacturer, but results are similarly low for the consumer.

Efficacy:

NZT-48 isn't a very effective nootropic supplement, particularly when compared to much higher dosed products like ThinkEase. I found the lack of results disappointing, but not particularly surprising given the use of an opaque proprietary blend and a very small total daily serving size of 750mg.

Cost:

NZT-48 retails for $49.99, putting it in the premium nootropic category. For this price I would expect to find a high dose, broad spectrum and scientifically robust range of nootropic ingredients. Limitless' NZT-48 therefore doesn't represent good value for money in my view, there are simply much more effective products available for a similar price. It's also worth being aware that during my research I found a number of lower priced NZT-48 branded products available online. Many of these appear to be counterfeit products, which could have a very different range of ingredients and may not even be safe to use.

Safety Considerations and Potential Side Effects

The low total serving size and low, possibly trace amounts of many or most of NZT-48's ingredients means the risks of side effects is likely to be low. I personally didn't experience any negative effects. The lack of transparent ingredient dosages does however mean that accurately assessing the products side effect profile is impossible. It's also important to be aware that NZT-48 includes Huperzine A which carries a significant side effect risk is used continuously for more than six months. Taking NZT-48 on an on-going basis is therefore not recommended.

Overall Assessment

I failed to experience NZT-48's promises of improved focus, mental clarity and productivity. It's true to say that it contains some well-researched ingredients but this seems to be more to sell a story of an effective product, rather than to deliver a scientifically robust and effective product to the end user. With only 750mg split across 23 ingredients, it’s clear that many, or possibly all are included in amounts too small to have any noticeable effect.

One of the biggest issues I experienced, beyond the disappointing overall results, was the inconsistency of NZT-48's effects. I often experienced some initial stimulation from the caffeine and guarana (I believe) but there was no sustained improvement in concentration or cognitive performance. The use of a proprietary blend is more than just a lack of transparency - it creates unnecessary (and likely intentional) guesswork. Effective nootropics provide clear labeling to ensure users know exactly what they are taking. Without knowing the amount used of each ingredient, it’s impossible to know whether the formula can deliver the promised or intended benefits.

The comparison is stark when compared to my recommended alternative, ThinkEase. I recommend it for a number of reasons, including its transparent, research-backed formulation with clinically proven dosages. And that's important as in practice it created a sustained, clean focus without the abrupt crashes associated with stimulant-heavy formulas. I found ThinkEase delivered significant improvements to recall, mental processing speed and mental energy.

References and Further Reading

1. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10196566/
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39683633/
3. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7049897_--Epigallocatechin_gallate_regulates_dopamine_transporter_internalization_via_protein_kinase_C-dependent_pathway
4. https://uat.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315642765-18/psychobiology-behavioural-effects-caffeine-andrew-smith
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9727088/
6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21839757/
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18065594/
8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2736402/
9. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/hup.885
10. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s002130100815
11. https://www.nature.com/articles/aps2012128