Thesis Nootropics Review & Test Results

What Is Thesis?

Thesis sells itself as a way to “build your own nootropic.” The idea comes from its earlier life as Find My Formula. In practice, you’re guided through a quiz and then steered toward one of six preset blends. The questionnaire is longer than advertised and, in my experience, not especially revealing but nonetheless logical. On paper, that matchmaking sounds sensible. The problem is that each blend is quite narrow. You don’t end up with a truly personalized formula that doubles down on your priority (focus, energy, etc.). You get a fixed product that covers a slim slice of benefits, but misses the broader support the best nootropics now deliver.

I’ve reviewed the research behind each blend and tried them all. If you want meaningful, across-the-board cognitive support, there are fuller, better-dosed alternatives that offer more for the money.

How Does Thesis Work?

Thesis promise a range of different nootropic benefits across the 6 different blends sold. Each blend claims to offer something different, in terms of both the benefit delivered and the ingredients used. Superficially this makes some sense as different nootropic ingredients can provide different benefits. Thesis have chosen to segment their range between the following 6 blend benefits: Clarity, Creativity, Energy, Logic, Motivation and Confidence. Each of the blends are freely available to buy so it is possible to choose the one you consider most appropriate for you needs with having to endure the questionnaire - and you can even choose to buy a combination of different blends, this can even be done with their 'Build your box' offer whereby 4 different blends can be purchased for a set price. However the idea of buying different blends is both confusing and potentially detrimental. It undercuts the idea of a need for a tailored approach in the first place, but more significantly by using different blends on different days, the full effect of many ingredients won't be realized - as many require consistent use to work at their best.

When it comes to deciding which blend to buy, Thesis start with their questionnaire which asks basic questions about your life, lifestyle, habits and desires. This then leads to one of the 6 blends being recommended which their cleverly term as your blend - using your own name for the name of this pseudo customized option. After purchase the company assigns you a personalized nootropics coach. I suspect this is effectively a customer support agent, but nonetheless they can help answer question and provide further recommendations. It's a nice touch but I'm unsure how useful it is in practice. Thesis do suggest that the first order should be treated as a trial period as changing to a different blend may be helpful in some cases, I guess this makes some sense.

It's fair to say Thesis do have an interesting angle, but I'm not sure how true their approach is to the idea of personalized nootropics. The focus on customer support is a good thing, but all of this does come at a price. Firstly, Thesis' approach by definition means settling for a limited benefit in one area, rather than supporting every aspect of mental performance and brain health. Thesis' products are actually fairly basic formulations. They're generally dosed appropriately for the single benefit they're focused on, but nothing more. That means they're Focus blend will do just that, but it won't do much for clarity of thought, memory or brain health. Secondly Thesis quite literally comes at a price. Despite being limited and fairly low cost formulations, Thesis is very expensive for what it is. A standard price for a month's supply is $129, far beyond the price much more comprehensively formulated products - products it's worth noting will do everything the entire Thesis range claims to do, but in a single high dose product.

Scientific Basis

Thesis' range includes 6 different blends which are sold as pseudo personal blends - in other words the appearance is that you receive an individualized product, but in reality it's one of 6 pre-made products. These are: Energy, Clarity, Creativity, Logic, Focus and Confidence.

Ingredients and Scientific Evidence

Thesis uses some different ingredients in each product, but every blend contains Caffeine (rendering the entire range unsuitable for anyone wanting to avoid caffeine) as well as L-Theanine. Many of the ingredients used across the range are widely supported as having nootropic benefits, but there are some ingredients that give cause for concern. I was very surprised to see the following used:

• Theacrine and Methylliberine. The stimulant effects of these ingredients are broadly similar to caffeine, but their long-term safety isn't well established.
• 7,8 Dihhydroxyflavone. Whilst it's a somewhat promising BDNF (brain-derived neurotropic factor) booster, it hasn't been shown to be bioavailable when taken as a supplement.
• Agmatine Sulfate and Triacetyluridine. These are potentially able to provide some level of neuroprotective support and help synaptic plasticity, but their cognitive effects haven't been researched.

I was also quite surprised that Thesis' blends overlap a fair bit, due to the inclusion of Caffeine and L-Theanine in every blend. It's almost as though they recognize that trying to create such a broad range is unnecessary and that duplicating ingredients and some main benefits is necessary. The end result is a range that is all very broadly similar, but each product isn't really as different as Thesis suggests. Each product does similar thing fairly well, but no one thing exceptionally well. Overall my feeling is that the end result is a range of (I hate to say it) mediocre products. No product does any one thing that well - and overall each product falls a long way short of much more comprehensive offerings like ThinkEase.

Thesis Energy

Thesis' energy formula is very stimulant focused, which isn't really a great thing in my view. As well as being short-term focused, this blend could cause over-stimulation followed by over-tolerance.

Thesis Energy's ingredient profile is reasonable given its focus on boosting energy. Caffeine and L-Theanine work to give a calm sense of alertness, but the inclusion of caffeine may be unhelpful for anyone wanting to avoid it, or anyone who prefers to get their caffeine from coffee, tea or other caffeinated beverages. The use of Mango Leaf Extract is slightly questionable, there is some evidence suggesting it may help support alertness but there's very little supporting research [1]. Theacrine works in a similar way to caffeine, it's not really necessary to use both in my opinion, but it arguably causes fewer jitters some there could be some benefit to including it alongside caffeine [2].

There's good evidence supporting the inclusion of CDP Choline (also known as Citicoline). It's benefits include enhanced Focus and Learning capability [3]. Similarly, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine is known to help with dopamine production, as well as being helpful for managing stress and reducing fatigue [4].

Thesis Clarity

Clarity is a confusing blend in my view, not only does it utilize a problematic ingredient in 7,8-Dihydroxyflavone, it also overlaps heavily with other products in Thesis' line-up.

Including Indian Trumpet Tree Extract may be useful as some consider this flavanoid may help increase BDNF [5]. Alpha GPC is just another source of Choline and can play a role in supporting memory and reducing cognitive decline with age [6]. Bacopa Monnieri is a widely proven nootropic and its benefits for memory in particular are widely documented [7]. I have real reservations over the choice of 7,8-Dihydroxyflavone as it mimics BDNF but isn't very bioavailable in humans, I'm puzzled as to why Thesis have chosen to include it [8].

Thesis Creativity

Clarity mainly seems to utilize ingredients that provide some memory support and a degree of neuroprotection, but it's important to understand there's no direct evidence that any of the ingredients use will support or enhance creativity. This seems to be a marketing angle rather than anything that could be claimed as scientific fact unfortunately. For me, this raises wider questions over the credibility of Thesis' approach. It does perhaps seem to be clever marketing, more than smart science.

Including Ginkgo Biloba in the Creativity blend may make some sense, as it's known to support blood flow within the brain and can support memory and improve mental clarity [9]. Phosphatidylserine has been proven to help with memory in part by supporting neuronal membranes, which perhaps may have some relevance to creative performance, but it's not a widely researched field [10]. Another ingredient that, in my view at least, just hasn't been widely researched enough to justify its use in a nootropic supplement is Triacetyluridine. It may have some role in supporting RNA synthesis, but there's been very little research on human subjects.

Thesis Logic

Thesis' Logic blend is an odd one. It's ingredients don't really directly provide the benefit the product's name suggests. Its ingredient profile also overlaps significantly with the Creativity and Clarity blends.

Panax Ginseng is a widely researched adaptogen and has been shown to help memory and stave off mental fatigue [11]. It could be argued these are relevant supports for a blend targeting logic skills. As I've previously mentioned, the inclusion of CDP Choline is a broadly relevant nootropic ingredient and its role in supporting acetylcholine is relevant to supporting logical thinking and reasoning. Again as I've mentioned, Phosphatidylserine helps support cells membranes so again may be considered broadly relevant, but perhaps not directly in supporting logical thinking. Theobromine is an odd choice of ingredient to include in my opinion. It may provide a very mild stimulant effect, but it's not known to provide any noteworthy support to any aspects of cognitive function.

Thesis Motivation

Motivation is as aspect of cognition which is very much driven by dopamine. Thesis' blend is again slightly confusing to me as it includes some minor benefits in this area, but fails to use known dopamine agonists such as tyrosine. Instead it relies or poorly studied ingredients (in terms of nootropic focused research), particularly Forskolin.

The inclusion of Ashwagandha is fairly uninteresting in my opinion, it's not irrelevant, but it's mild stress reducing properties combined with a possible role in enhancing dopamine signalling make it somewhat relevant but it's effects will be mild and hard to perceive, certainly not enough to make a worthwhile difference to motivation levels [12]. Similarly, the use of Forskolin is likely to only lead to a mild benefit. It works by boosting cAMP levels, which may in theory support motivation [13]. Saffron Extract may help modulate serotonin and mood, but again its effects will only be mild [14].

Thesis Confidence

The Confidence blend is I feel quite a basic approach to enhancing confidence, as it relies almost exclusively on stimulants. By their very nature, these ingredients are typified by a short-term effect, which the body and brain become resistant to with sustained usage. Stimulants can also undercut confidence if they trigger anxiety, I'm therefore not very convinced by Thesis approach here.

Beyond the ingredients used across the entire range, the Focus blend includes Artichoke Extract which in turn includes luteolin. It's known to inhibit PDE4 which could play a role in supporting focus, but there's a distinct lack of supporting data [15]. Adding Vitamin B12 is a reasonable thing to do, but it's only really a support for people who are deficient and won't help most people improve confidence at all. Methylliberine is a stimulant, similar to caffeine, but it's important to be aware it's not well studied by comparison [16].

Qualitative Review of Thesis's Efficacy

I tested each Thesis blend for 45 days, with a 5 day break between formulas. Overall I'd describe the effects as mild and generally unimpressive compared with more substantial alternatives. Having assessed each product's ingredient profile, my view is that there are too many redundant ingredients and the benefit promised in many cases is either challenging to directly target in isolation or isn't viable to directly influence with nootropic ingredients. I can't help but think a single well-designed formulation doesn't just work better overall, but also works better in delivering each of the individual benefits Thesis claims to provide across its range.

Thesis Energy Test Results

I expected the Energy blend to provide some support albeit in terms of some form of short-term boost. It did do just that, in many ways similar to the effects of a strong cup of coffee, but its effects were similarly short-lived. I found that for me at least there way some short-term jitteriness, moreso if taken on an empty stomach. Caffeine and L-Theanine do generally work well together and the experience was somewhat in line with this, but the overuse of other stimulants seemed to cancel out much of L-Theanine's calming effect. After a few hours I found my focus and energy levels dipped. This was disappointing, as the inclusion of slow release nootropics like Rhodiola could have been used to lengthen this period, but are conspicuously absent.

Thesis Clarity Test Results

The range of choline donors in the Clarity blend could be reasonably expected to deliver a more focused state. I felt a minor improvement to my verbal recall, but it's challenging to provide an accurate assessment. It's worth saying the lack of Bacopa is in my view a mistake as it would work well in delivering the promised results. Compared with other nootropic supplements designed to include choline or citicoline.

Thesis Creativity Test Results

In theory this blend should have led to improvements in my ability to generate new and discontinuous ideas, but in practice it perhaps provided a modest level of more general focus support. Ginkgo and Phosphatidylserine probably contributed to improved recall and overall cognitive performance, but it's too big a stretch to claim this translates into improved creativity. To really work in this way, it would need to focus on dopamine modulation (for example through uridine or phenylalanine) and mood enhacing adaptogens such as Rhodiloa Rosea, both of which were missing.

Thesis Logic Test Results

I felt the Logic blend had some potential as it includes Panax Ginseng, phosphatidylserine and CDP choline. But my experience was very similar to my time trailing Clarity. Maybe there was some improvement to my problem solving abilities, but no more tan I typically experience from a nootropic combining L-Theanine with Caffeine (or L-Theanine and a cup of coffee). I couldn't detect any real difference as a result of including Theobromine as a stimulant, I felt it was unnecessary and the results seemed to validate my view. Again this blend overlaps heavily with others in the Thesis range and I couldn't discern any obvious differences in practice.

Thesis Motivation Test Results

Whilst it claims to be designed to help with productivity, I found it hard to discern much more than a mild energy boost. I felt the Ashwagandha probably worked to reduce stress to a degree, but this isn't really helpful in a blend targeting motivation, if anything causing a relaxed rather than focused state. Again Thesis' approach of attempting to formulate a range of blends seems like they've shot themselves in the foot - as the blend doesn't include obvious motivation boosters like L-Tyrosene. If anything if was more of a relaxant than focus aid - a worthwhile benefit in itself, but not the one being promised.

Thesis Confidence Test Results

On paper, the Confidence blend seemed to me to be quite basic and so it proved in practice. Again it provided a degree of improved focus due no doubt to the Caffeine and L-Theanine, but nothing obviously more. Many of the ingredients are present in other blends and its focus on boosting confidence seems misplaced and almost certainly impossible to deliver. A more effective approach I believe would have been to use a wider spectrum of nootropic ingredients and benefits to ladder up to the feeling of increased confidence - in other words enhancing memory, focus and motivation could lead someone towards feeling more confidence, particularly over time as their performance and results improve. Unfortunately the Confidence blend doesn't do any of these things well. Thesis' suggestion that a nootropic blend can create confidence in isolation seems misplaced or even misleading.

Estimate of Thesis Efficacy Relative To Similar Products

Dosage:

Thesis is unusual in that it sells each blend as 4 boxes with 6 packets in each box. This is intended to be one month's supply. Dosage is in the medium tier - meaning that it's not a range of obviously underdosed products, but it doesn't contain anywhere near the amount of active ingredients of the best products available either.

Quality:

Thesis' quality isn't quite what I expected. The product is well packaged and has a somewhat premium feel. However, the capsules seems to contain a fair amount of filler (listed as rice flour, silicon dioxide and magnesium stearate on the labels). I never like to see filler in capsule supplements, particularly silicon dioxide and magnesium stearate. The boxes and sachets aren't great in practice either as more steps are involved in taking the right amount of capsules, but it's a minor and quite personal issue.

Efficacy:

My experience of Thesis was quite modest results that didn't really deliver on what was promised. However, I feel the bigger issue with Thesis is the overall premise of the range, that nootropics work best when tailored to specific benefits. My experience heavily constrasts with this approach - the best results across all areas of cognitive performance and brain health arise when a comprehensive and complementary range of nootropic ingredients are combined. Thesis' approach just doesn't work well in my experience.

Cost:

Thesis is very expensive, moreso than almost any other nootropic brand. Given that the results are lacklustre when compared with more effective alternatives, my feeling is that the range doesn't offer good value for money. One month's supply is listed as $129, far more than better alternatives.

Safety Considerations and Potential Side Effects

For the most part the ingredients used across the Thesis range are well studied and safe. Any side effects are likely to be mild and limited to headaches and nausea. The one ingredient I'm slightly concerned by is 7,8-Dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF) as it's not been widely studied in humans and could be toxic in high quantities - the latter is unlikely to be a risk, not least because of its poor bioavailability, but it's theoretically a higher side effect risk. It's worth stating that I didn't experience any side effects whilst testing the Thesis range.

Overall Assessment

Thesis is an intriguing offering in the nootropic space. The idea of a personally tailored approach feels compelling and the idea of different blends targeting different needs sounds worthwhile. Unfortunately is isn't really achieving either of these goals. Firstly the blends aren't really tailored, you're simply allocated one of 6 blends. And secondly and most importantly, the idea that a narrow focus for each blend should deliver better results for each individual seems flawed. Nootropics often work most effectively when combined -  a diverse range of complementary ingredients worked together to improve overall cognitive performance and in many cases improved brain health. By only focusing on individual benefits Thesis delivers less, a lot less. Not just when compared across all possible benefits, but also when compared at the level of each benefit. I'd argue each Thesis blend is actually less effective at delivering what it promises than a more comprehensive product that's designed to deliver many more benefits.

In other words a comprehensive nootropic like ThinkEase actually works better in my analysis and testing than every Thesis blend. It's better in boosting mental energy, clarity of thought and motivation. I still question whether any nootropic will directly improve confidence or creativity, but I'd also still argue a product like ThinkEase is better equiped to deliver that outcome - as it's working on many aspects of cognition at once - this is almost certainly what's needed to achieve these outcomes. Whilst I like aspects of Thesis' approach ThinkEase offers much more, whilst also being better value for money.

References and Further Reading

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22836625/
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26610558/
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1374967/
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26424423/
5. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3792198/
6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24880750/
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18611150/
8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20133810/
9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23326356/
10. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25933483/
11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15982990/
12. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28471731/
13. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6267587/
14. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28735826/
15. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19262466/
16. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37960163/