Ṁ50 to the 2 people who I think put in the most effort.
Im mainly interested in taking supplements to help me think better (better memory, more energy, brain health, etc) but if there are blaring vitamins that Im likely deficient for, I'd love to know that too. Nothing too risky. I don't really want to try some weird new nootropic that I have to order from a lab lol.
Also I'd rather only take morning pills and don't want to take stuff before bed.
Info: VEGETARIAN, 19 yo male, get good sleep, cardio pretty often, taking 18 mg of dexmethylphenidate, living in a pretty sunny place
Edit: will resolve on Jan 14
1,000
1.00I'm on this same journey, actually, and was just thinking about putting up a bounty of my own.
I can say, to start, make sure you get high quality supplements as there's a lot of junk out there.
I've recently started with Taurine and Magnesium (threonate) at the recommendation of a naturopath along with a multivitamin as I notice when things like my B vitamin or iron levels are low, I'm sluggish and less clear. Try B12 if you're not - it's the bane of vegan/vegetarian diets and really changes everything when you're at a good level. Omega3's are good for cognition and there are plant sources.
What about dietary changes? For me, personally, eating fewer refined grains and more high quality fats and proteins helps and isn't hard to do as a vegetarian - fat is crucial to healthy brain function. There are a ton of studies about intermittent fasting and cognition and I've found it to be true (doesn't have to be anything crazy - even a 14 hour fast done on the same schedule daily). Also, simple things like staying hydrated. <- I know a lot of this stuff is a bit cliche these days in a keto/IF fad era but when I listen to my body, I see it helps me.
Not shooting for a tonne of effort. But! The ever-great Gwern convinced me to take a little melatonin each night. I've noticed myself feeling better rested when I take it compared to when I don't. Considering the very low cost of melatonin pills, it's worth a shot IMO.
Definitely read his post. It has a lot of good information about proper dosage, what to expect, e.t.c.
https://gwern.net/melatonin
come compete with me for this bounty! give @GeorgeIngebretsen (and me tbh) some good advice for increasing cognitive function.