BioTrustBrain Bright – Daily Nootropic Boost for Focus, Concentration, Mental Clarity – Caffeine Free Nootropics Brain Support Supplement – Thai Ginger, Ginkgo, Folate, L-Theanine – 30 Servings

Ok

I have taken Brain Bright for about 4 years. It gives me clarity in thoughts, energy

I ordered the BioTrust Brain Bright – Daily Nootropic Boost for Focus, Concentration, Mental Clarity for my mom and me to try. Mom is 80, I'm 50+. It says it's fast acting, so I should see a difference pretty quickly.The ingredients are helpful for mental acuity, but the rice flour and cellulose are unnecessary fillers. I'd rather have extra space in the capsule than rice and sawdust. The ingredients are not organic. There is no country of origin on the label.The bottle has a wrap around the cap as well as a foil liner on the mouth of the bottle, so it's double tamper evident. There is a contact phone number on the label, which I don't see too often,Two capsules are required per serving, meaning the bottle of 60 costing $50 will last 30 days. That's $1.66 per day / dose. If it works, it's worth it. If I don't notice a difference, I won't reorder.I rated 3 stars because as supplements go, unfortunately it's average. Fillers, no country of origin, not organic, expensive. Yep, average.

I was interested in trying this supplement because nootropics intrigue me, and because this company appeared to have a bit of a track record. But before I try any supplement I do my best at evaluating potential safety issues by looking at a company’s transparency, accountability and quality. The short version is that I feel like this is a reputable company and a supplement I feel comfortable trying.Transparency: Biotrust Nutrition has trademark history dating to 2012. Per linked in, “”In 2012, fed up with scams, Josh Bezoni and Joel Marion founded BioTRUST Nutrition, which is an Austin-based company created to produce products that are bigger, badder, and better than literally anything else on the market from both a quality ingredient and scientific effectiveness standpoint”. Their headquarters are in Golden, Colorado. Bezoni is also a respected philanthropist, having donated millions of dollars to top-rated charities himself and through his companies (which I like). Also BioTrust has a super transparent web page and a help center with all sorts of fabulously transparent information.Accountability: According to the Amazon web page, this product is “manufactured in a GMP-certified facility and undergoes rigorous third-party testing for major allergens, heavy metals, and of course, potency.” The star ingredient (at least to me!) is “enXtra” 300 mg, a trademarked form of Thai Ginger was developed by a company in Mumbai, has been the subject of more than one study and appears to currently be owned by OmniActive Health Technologies. It is said to provide an energy boost that lasts up to 5 hours.Quality: To me a trademarked ingredient is a sign of a quality supplement. The only problem is that enXtra was studied at a dose of 600 mg twice a day, and this supplement provides 300 mg once a day. That said, I couldn’t find any enXtra supplements that contained more than 300 mg per daily serving (It wasn’t an exhaustive search though), so they may have decided that 3oo mg was a sweet spot dosage wise? These capsules are a uniform tan color with a mild peppery sort of scent. The supplement also contains the B vitamins Folate and B12, Ginkgo Biloba (standardized ) 120 mg, and L Theanine 100 mg (both in a range commonly seen used in supplements).Of course my gold standard is to find a supplement that’s being marketed by its manufacturer, where it’s easy to verify things like Good Manufacturing Practices. But the reality is that most supplements are sold by distributors, who are often less able to prove things like GMPs, or to list the lab that does third party testing. My overall gut feeling though is that this is a reputable brand that I feel comfortable taking. Will update when I’ve tried it mid way through a few 12 hour shifts!For those who may be concerned, there is an allergy warning on the label that mentions these being made in a facility that processes 10 potential allergens.

So, these are pretty gross-smelling, and large, as are many other types of herbal supplements. That is the only reason for taking away one star. I kind of just hold my breath and drink a LOT of water to get them down. However, they do seem to help my mental clarity. I typically start crashing shortly after lunch, and I'm trying to get away from my afternoon cup of coffee or (worse) energy drink. I have found when I take these caffeine-free brain boosting supplements, I can fight off the fatigue and continue on with getting work done. It doesn't give me a crash and I don't have trouble sleeping.

My primary care team recommended L-Theanine to help with my concentration and other issues. I picked this up because along with the L-Theanine, it also has a lot of other things that help boost mental focus. I have noticed a marked improvement with my symptoms and my doc agrees it has helped me.

I did notice a positive effect with this supplement. I was able to concentrate on my work for a longer period of time and get more done.

I couldn't put my finger on the unpleasant odor and taste of these capsules, but another reviewer mentioned cabbage and yepppp, that's it! Wouldn't advise if scented capsules don't bode well for you. The flavor is also noticable immediately, but luckily doesn't revisit post swallowing. These are tough for me to take due to their pungence and I haven't noticed any benefit or changes since they've been in my routine. Wouldn't reorder.