Alpha Brain Review: Does It Really Work? (Updated 2024)

I want to give an honest Alpha Brain review today, because I’ve been taking this supplement for nearly two years, and have loved it overall.

I recall first hearing about Alpha Brain from Joe Rogan’s podcast, the Joe Rogan Experience. I was intrigued by the concept of using a supplement to improve my cognition, but I was also wary—I knew that he had a financial stake in the supplement company.

But, due to my trust for Joe Rogan, and the fact that Onnit has a 30 pill money back guarantee, I decided to take a leap of faith. I ordered the 90 count bottle of Alpha Brain.

It arrived in the mail several days later, which I thought was pretty fast, but they ship from Texas so being on the East coast, I guess that makes sense. Regardless, I was sure to record my results.

I actually made a day by day journal for the first 2 weeks that I used it, so that I could look back and decide if I wanted to buy it again…and I’ve been buying it ever since.

My Alpha Brain Review & Journal

This journal was copied and pasted from an old Microsoft Word document I had. Looking back, I’m convinced that Alpha Brain definitely works.

Alpha Brain is packed with a ton of powerful nootropics, which are nutrients that enhance your brain’s ability to work.

Don’t take my word for it, though. Just go through the journal I took, and you’ll know what to expect on Onnit’s Alpha Brain.

Day 1: Package arrived at noon, took 2 pills shortly after. Feel a little bit weird, like I can hear things better. Could be placebo. Took 2 more pills 4 hours before bed, will report any results.

Day 2: Had a CRAZY lucid dream last night, be sure to take 2 pills several hours before bed again. Starting to feel a little bit more focused. Sounds are more clear and crisp. Took 2 more alpha brain 4 hours before bed.

Day 3: No lucid dream, maybe it was placebo. Took 2 pills upon waking. 4 hours later, I feel very alert, but not wired or jittery. Seems to be working, but again, could be placebo. Took 2 more pills 5 hours prior to bed.

Day 4: Had lucid dreams again, must not be a placebo. I’ve never had dreams like this before, so I’m pretty sure it’s the alpha brain. Took 2 pills upon waking. Starting to feel like I can focus for longer periods of time, noticing that I can formulate sentences easier, too. Took 2 pills prior to bed (30 minutes).

Day 5: No lucid dreams. Maybe you have to take the pills a few hours before bed? Note: do that tonight. Took 2 pills upon waking. 2 Pills 5 hours before bed.

Day 6: From now on will take 2 alpha brain upon waking and 2 more 4 hours prior to bed. I’m tired of saying when I took them every day. 3-5 hours before bed seems to be the sweet spot for lucid dreams, I had another last night. Starting to feel way more focused and crisp. Could be a placebo, but I don’t think so

Day 7: Had another lucid dream. Feel like I can remember things way easier; I remembered Jess’s number without writing it down today, couldn’t have done that before. Feel like I can come up with words a lot easier.

Day 8: No lucid dreams last night. Still feel way more alert and like sounds are more crisp. It’s easier to stay focused and remember things for sure, I doubt this is a placebo.

Day 9: Another lucid dream, yup—I don’t think this is placebo. Sounds are still more crisp, I can come up with sentences easily, my vocabulary feels like it’s expanding. Other people online are saying the same, so I doubt it’s a placebo.

Day 10: No lucid dream, damn. I can still remember things easier; I can also write and speak more fluently.

Day 11: Had another lucid dream, this one was crazier than the last ones; still feeling like I can remember more, sounds are crisper, colors seem more vivid, but I don’t know if this is placebo.

Day 12: No lucid dream. Colors are still more vivid, this might not be a placebo. Sounds being crisp and words coming out easier are definitely not a placebo.

Day 13: Another lucid dream. Colors are still more vivid, I don’t think this is a placebo. Sounds are more crisp, I’m more articulate, can still remember things way easier than before. Effects seem to be growing in intensity, if ever so slightly.

Day 14: Another crazy lucid dream. Colors are still more vivid, sounds are way more clear, my lexicon feels like it’s right at my finger tips, and I can remember things really easily. Definitely not placebo.

Conclusion: Continue using alpha brain. Sweet spot for lucid dreams is 3-5 hours before bed. Noticeable effects on cognition and perception. Haven’t noticed any side effects.

Does Alpha Brain Work?

As you can see, I definitely felt like Alpha Brain made a difference (and still do). I definitely felt like I was sharper in general, could recall things more easily, and found myself speaking more fluidly.

Here are some of the effects that I noticed on Alpha Brain:

• Better memory
• Easier to articulate sentences
• Easier to focus for longer periods of time
• Sounds are more crisp, colors are more vivid
• Crazy lucid dreams

I seriously doubt that any of these are placebo effects, because I still feel them to this day. In fact, even if I go without Alpha Brain for a few days, I can still feel them.

After about a week the effects start to diminish, however, so I think there must be some sort of “build up” of Alpha Brain in your body over time.

In my opinion, I think that Alpha Brain is one of the best nootropics on the market right now… if you can afford it, though.

Is Alpha Brain Worth The Money?

Although there’s a lot of really great effects to taking Alpha Brain, one of the biggest questions I’ve asked myself is: “Is this worth the money?”

Well, the answer is, it depends. If you have the money, then obviously that’s awesome and you should totally buy it—but if you’re trying to save up, you may still want to consider it.

Whether or not Alpha Brain is “worth it,” will depend on how you make money, and how much money you MAKE.

For example, here’s how I see it: since I make money online, being able to focus for long periods of time and being able to string together sentences easily is extremely important.

So, naturally it follows that investing in some Alpha Brain is definitely worthwhile. If I had to guess, every $1 I spend towards Alpha Brain probably gives me $5 in return, due to it having such a profound effect on my cognition.

If you have a job that is cognition intense, I think that the investment is worth it. Just a 15% improvement in focus can do a LOT for your work.

Say, for example, you have to write a lot for your job. Well, Alpha Brain will drastically improve your ability to write and focus for long periods of time, which will end up making you more money in the long run.

If you have to speak a lot for your job, the same principle applies. Spending the money on Alpha Brain now will improve your speaking skills, which will eventually end up paying you back even more.

Alpha Brain vs. Modafinil

Now, while Alpha Brain isn’t as powerful as other nootropics such as , I still think it’s a great option for anyone trying to up their focus and improve overall cognition.

What if you’re a student, though? Will Alpha Brain help you study and focus better? In my opinion, it absolutely will. The science shows us this.

But think of it as an investment in your education; you’ll get better grades which equates to more money in the future. To be completely frank, I don’t think college is necessary to make money at all, but I’m just saying: if you’re in college already, you might as well make the best of it.

What to Expect on Alpha Brain

Alpha Brain kicked in on the first day for me, but I didn’t really feel like it kicked in until about a week later. For me, Alpha Brain started working on day 1 and gradually grew in intensity up to around day 16 or 17.

This may be different depending on the individual, but based off of my experience and what I’ve heard from others, this is about right.

There’s also kind of an individual “boost” that I feel each day. I feel a general raise in my cognition when I’ve been on the Alpha Brain for over a couple of weeks, but I also get a slight “bump” an hour or two after taking it. Again, this could be complete placebo, but I don’t think so.

I recommend taking Alpha Brain with coffee in the morning and doing intermittent fasting. This is the best way to do it, in my opinion.

I’ve found that this works best for me, because the rush of the coffee comes almost immediately, and just as the coffee starts to hit its peak the Alpha Brain gives me a little boost. This is one of the side-effects, or if you ask me, main positive effects, of taking Alpha Brain.

Lucid Dreaming

Another cool side effect of Alpha Brain is lucid dreaming.

For those of you who don’t know, a lucid dream is basically when you realize that you’re dreaming in the middle of the dream, and can do whatever the fuck you want.

It’s extremely fun, and allows you to explore your subconscious mind… you may even experience something as extreme as ego death.

For example, last night, I dreamt that I was in the middle of the woods surrounded by giant spiders (like that scene from Harry Potter), and suddenly realized I was dreaming.

So, I made the sun come up, and they all ran away—I then proceeded to build my own fucking kingdom and become the emperor of that shit. It was pretty awesome.

I also explore my own mind, sometimes—I’ll probably talk about this in another article, but for now just realize that lucid dreaming is one of the main reasons that a lot of people continue taking Alpha Brain.

Just the lucid dreams that you get from Alpha Brain are worth it in and of itself. Lucid dreaming is an incredible experience everyone should have.

Side Effects

As far as negative side effects, I haven’t personally experienced any, and I’ve been taking Alpha Brain for something like 4 years now.

Some people, however, report having nausea or dizziness.

In my several years of taking Alpha Brain, this has never once happened, but we all have different biology so I’m sure that some people won’t react well. You’ll have to see for yourself.

Generally speaking, however, I think that most people will respond very favorably to Alpha Brain. Why, though?

Because it consists of entirely natural ingredients; nothing “forces” your brain to do anything (like a stimulant).

Rather, it gives your brain the nutrients that it needs to function properly.

Alpha Brain Ingredients

Alpha Brain has a bunch of different ingredients, and Onnit has tweaked the formula at least once, but it’s remained roughly the same.

Alpha Brain has three main ingredient “blends”:

1. Flow Blend
2. Focus Blend
3. Fuel Blend

Each one of these blends has a host of different ingredients shown to improve these specific functions. They all work synergistically, too.

For example, in the flow blend, there’s L-Tyrosene, L-Theanine, Oat Straw Extract, and Phosphatidylserine, all of which have been shown to improve your mind’s ability to “flow.”

So, tasks such as writing, speaking, or anything that is “fluid” and requires split second changes in cognition, this blend will help.

The focus blend consists of GPC, Bacopa Monnieri extract, and Huperzia Serrata extract, each of which has been shown to improve focus.

This explains why I started noticing that I could focus for longer periods of time (and more intensely) after a day or two of taking Alpha Brain.

In fact, a lot of pre workouts are catching onto this right now, and adding ingredients for focus into their pre workout supplement blends.

Then, there’s the fuel blend, which consists of L-Leaucine, Vinpocetine, and Pterostilbene, which are all nutrients that your brain uses for vital functions.

In other words, it keeps your cognition running smoothly for longer periods of time. This explains why when I take Alpha brain I feel like I can focus for longer periods of time.

Overall, Alpha Brain has a great list of all natural ingredients, which have all been shown to have multiple benefits.

Double Blind Study

Recently, a while after I started taking Alpha Brain, Onnit came out with a double blind placebo study conducted by the Boston Center for Memory proving that Alpha Brain is effective at improving “verbal memory and executive function.”

There’s been a bunch of studies done on Alpha Brain to date, but you can see the main three clinical studies here, here, and here.

Not that I needed these studies to show me that Alpha Brain worked, though. I could tell that it worked after just a couple of weeks, but it’s nice to understand scientifically how it works and that it isn’t a placebo.

Overall what the studies found was that Alpha Brain improves a multitude of cognitive processes—everything from memory to focus to processing speed. It’s a great way to boost your IQ, too.

The main benefit, however, that the researchers found, was verbal recall. This explains why Alpha Brain helps improve your vocabulary and helps you string together sentences more easily.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I would recommend Alpha Brain to anyone who uses their brain a lot on the regular. If you have a job that’s speech intensive, writing intensive, or memory intensive, I would highly recommend it.

There’s a ton of research backing not only the ingredients in Alpha Brain, but the actual Alpha Brain formulation itself. It’s clinically proven.

In fact, one of the things that I like about Alpha Brain is that it’s actually safe to COMBINE with modafinil, coffee, kratom, and a bunch of other nootropics, because it works naturally.

And one more thing: Onnit has a 30 pill money back guarantee. So if you order a bottle of Alpha Brain and decide you don’t like it, they’ll refund you 100% of your money, no questions asked. You don’t even have to send them the bottle.

If you guys have any questions, comments, or concerns, please leave them down below. Also, any nootropic recommendations would be great; I love trying out new nootropics.

I hope you all enjoyed my review, and I’ll see you next time!