Stimulants, Supplements, Or Nootropics - What's The Difference?

Have you gotten confused with some of the terminology? We have, especially since some of these terms are thrown around without any official definition.

Let's see if we can clear this up for you, so you're not confused and taken in by fancy words.

What is a stimulant?

A stimulant really isn't a classification of herbs, drugs, or anything else. It's more an action, what the herb or drug does.

This is something that causes your system to go faster. That could be your heart rate, blood pressure, thinking, muscle contractions, digestive system, and just about anything in your body.

In certain circumstances, that's not a bad thing.

Coffee is technically a stimulant because it contains caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulating chemical. It's added to a lot of supplements and nootropics to give that energy boost.

On the more dangerous side, amphetamines are also a stimulant, a very dangerous one.

Of course, it all depends on the dose. Drinking one or two cups of coffee can give you clarity, energy, and focus. Drinking 6 to 10 cups of coffee can cause your heart to race and overwhelm your mind. Some people who overdo the energy drinks have had heart attacks.

What is the supplement?

A supplement is an addition to your regular diet to make up for a deficiency. Vitamin C and vitamin D are two of the most common supplements. It can also include alpha-lipoic acid, GABA, and ashwagandha.

Supplements have the aim of helping your body behave a certain way that's closer to normal. They aim to bring you to your optimal level and make up for what you cannot eat naturally.

Most of the time, supplements are pretty benign. It takes a lot to cause toxicity or damage to the body. For example, studies have used 20,000 mg of vitamin C, or close to 400 times the RDA, and found no problems. Researchers cannot find an upper limit to magnesium.

However, others can be dangerous. Raspberry ketones are a perfect example. Once peddled by famous doctors, we now know that raspberry ketones at any level of supplementation are hazardous for anyone with a heart problem.

Chromium is another supplement that is excellent for people with diabetes to help control blood sugar. However, taking more than a few micrograms (1000 times smaller than a milligram) can cause health issues.

There are hundreds of different dietary supplements out there. And an incredible variety of combinations that can help. Supplements can feel like they're giving you a boost when they are just bringing you to a normal, healthy level.

There are blends of supplements, such as a multi-vitamin or formulas. They aim to bring you to an average, functioning level.

Nootropics or Stacks

When you combine different herbs, supplements, and stimulants, you start running into the nootropic category. This is a classification of supplements designed to enhance the body. It can be a stimulant and help give your body more energy or bring clarity to your mind without stimulation. Generally, they contain between 5 and 20 ingredients in various mixes. Many of them promise fantastic results.

They also get targeted to younger people generally in their late teens to early twenties age group. These nootropics promise fantastic results in studying, test-taking, and being able to stay up late.

However, there's an emerging group of nootropics coming out designed for people who are not looking for a harsh stimulant but are looking for something to help keep their bodies moving naturally. In this respect, they are closer to dietary supplements.

Although these are nootropics, they're much gentler and non-intrusive. Many of them do not contain any stimulants at all, but rather a mix of vitamins and herbs that provide the body what it needs to function the way it's supposed to naturally.

Mind is one of these dietary nootropics that can help give you clarity without stimulating or forcing your body to do something it doesn't want to by supplementing nutrients your body uses regularly. The ingredients are all low-level and research to provide mental clarity and focus. The combination aims to give people the benefits of each individual herb without feeling a drastic effect.

Basically, Mind is a dietary supplement that gently provides nutrients the brain uses regularly. We encourage you to check it out and see what you think.