Brain supplements really need to “have their stuff together.” iQuzil does not.
iQuzil’s big mental performance claims and (alleged) Cambridge pedigree are completely undone by:
- Sloppy formula mistakes
- Non-nootropic ingredients
- FDA violations
- Poor customer service
…making iQuzil a product to avoid.
Table of Contents
About iQuzil
Made by ThoughtFoods, a UK nootropic company founded by Cambridge scientists, iQuzil is advertised as a “Learning and Productivity Accelerator” that can “double your productivity.” They claim it works by:
- Boosting brain blood flow, which they follow with questionable claims of “preventing emotional stress and anxiety.”
- Supporting brain chemicals for memory, mood, motivation, analytical skills and more.
- Enhancing mental energy & alertness by supplying stimulants like caffeine anhydrous and Adrafinil.
Formula Analysis
iQuzil is frustrating to review. Their website has two sets of supplement facts that don’t match.
They must have reformulated at some point… but which is the real formula? Which should we review?
The first ingredients list–we’ll call it Formula A–is presented as a supplement facts image on iQuzil’s website.
But, the iQuzil web copy lists a different formula–we’ll call it Formula B–presented as a plain list of ingredients:
iQuzil Supplement Facts (…maybe?) |
|
Formula B |
|
Ingredients | Amount Per Serving |
Picamilon | ? |
N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine (NALT) | ? |
Taurine | ? |
Vinpocetine | ? |
Huperzine A | ? |
Caffeine Anhydrous | ? |
DMAE | ? |
B complex | ? |
ZMA complex | ? |
ALCAR | ? |
Alpha GPC | ? |
Bioperine | ? |
Vincamine | ? |
Niacin | ? |
Adrafinil | ? |
Phenyl-Racetam | ? |
Will the real iQuzil formula please stand up?
Best5 writes the most accurate supplement reviews because we always base them on accurate supplement facts.
So we hit up the iQuzil chat customer service get the actual facts about their supplement facts. It went exactly like this:
That’s right. Waited ten minutes, no reply, disconnected.
We then sent an email with the same simple question: “Can we see the supplement facts?” Again, no reply. Hmm.
So we’ve got no other choice than to guess.
We’re guessing Formula B is correct…
…just because Web copy is updated faster than labels. If true, B is a shame because it means iQuzil went from a transparent label showing all dosages (like these guys) to a proprietary blend with hidden dosages. This presents a problem because…
iQuzil (Formula B) packs 17+ compounds into each capsule.
How can they do this? Probably by using dosages that are too small to bring any nootropic benefits.
Since iQuzil reformulated and then quickly hid all their dosages, it makes us even more suspicious that their nootropic dosages are tiny and weak.
But let’s analyze this vast 17 ingredient formula before passing judgement. The list is long, so we’ll categorize them:
Brain Chemical Boosters
The following iQuzil ingredients all support cognition by increasing neurotransmitter levels, mostly acetylcholine:
- Picamilon, blend of niacin+GABA used for relaxation & anti-anxiety
- N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine (NALT), anti-stress, helps attention & multitasking
- Huperzine-A, a Best5 Nootropic that works well for improving memory
- DMAE, used to make acetylcholine, linked to enhanced attention span & focus
- B complex, key for neurotransmitters; iQuzil doesn’t divulge which B’s they use
Brain Circulation Boosters
Vinpocetine is a Best5 Nootropic, and may be THE best at boosting blood flow to the brain. It works fast to improve short-term memory, attention & focus.
Vincamine is the botanical that vinpocetine is made from. It too boosts blood flow… But vinpocetine is much stronger, making the vincamine in iQuzil seem redundant and pointless.
Nootropics for Older Adults
iQuzil’s Alpha GPC, ALCAR, Niacin and ZMA (Zinc Monomethionine Aspartate + Magnesium Aspartate + Vitamin B6) are all neuro-protectors that support brain health.
They are all likely effective… but only at warding off age-related cognitive decline in people age 55+. They’re not “mental performance” nootropics.
Non-Nootropics in the Formula
- Taurine has zero nootropic value. Its only tie to cognitive performance seems to be its use in Energy Drinks that are powered by….
- Caffeine. Boom, there it is. iQuizil brings you the Taurine+Caffeine “Energy Drink” combo… but these ingredients are not nootropics.
- Adrafinil. Not nootropic; synthetic stimulant. The World Anti-Doping Agency considers it a “banned substance.” Avoid if you’re an athlete.
- Phenyl-racetam. It sounds like a racetam nootropic, but there’s literally no information on “Phenyl-racetam.” Go ahead, Google it.
iQuzil Benefits
iQuzil’s big claim is that it accelerates learning and productivity. This doesn’t make sense to us, since the formula omits the best learning nootropics: Bacopa and L-Theanine.
The acceleration & productivity claims make more sense–iQuzil’s stimulant, neurotransmitter and brain circulation properties could combine to speed-up and clear the mind for better productivity.
Other iQuzil claims for memory, analysis, motivation, mood and more seem plausible with the ingredients in the formula… as long as their dosages are big enough.
The next concern is that iQuzil just uses way too many ingredients. Which means smaller dosages of each one. Since iQuzil doesn’t share dosages, we have to make a guesses.
Our guess is that they hit a good dosage on maybe 4-5 ingredients tops.
You can be 100% sure that 2 with good dosages are the Caffeine + Adrafinil… which aren’t even nootropics.
It all adds up to a formula fail… unless dosages are revealed to show otherwise. Prove us wrong, iQuzil. Prove us wrong.
Who Takes It?
Students and entrepreneurs. That’s who it is formulated for, anyway, according to iQuzil’s website.
Any Side Effects?
We’ve got some serious concerns about combining Caffeine with the potent synthetic “banned substance” Adrafinil. And now Phenylpiracetam, another potent banned-substance psychostimulant. That’s a lot of stimulation, and it makes us wonder about jitters and caffeine-like side effects. If they knew what they were doing, they’d add L-Theanine to the formula to smooth out the jitters — 2 of our Best 5 Nootropic Supplements use the L-Theanine+Caffeine stack. It is a legendary nootropic combo.
Summary
iQuzil Advantages
- Some good nootropic ingredients. But then again, if you throw 17 different ingredients at the wall, it’s likely that a few will stick.
- Bioperine. This black pepper extract boosts absorption of other nutrients, which may help get the most out of iQuzil’s tiny dosages.
iQuzil Drawbacks
- Ineffective dosages. With 17 ingredients, this makes us think the dosages are hidden in a proprietary blend because they are simply way too low.
- Some BS claims. They don’t have their facts straight in regards to claims made of certain nootropics and brain functions… the iQuzil web copy just doesn’t check out.
- A big FDA violation. They say iQuzil “beats Adderall.” This is an illegal claim (also BS), which makes it seem like they have no idea what they’re doing.
- Damn sloppy. Bad customer service, two sets of supplement facts, bad grammar on the web copy… are we really supposed to believe this is done by Cambridge grads?
- Dumb name. How are you supposed to pronounce it, anyway? Eye-queue-zill? Ick-whizz-ill?
Final Word on iQuzil
iQuzil feels dishonest. When a brain supplement company staffed by Cambridge grads makes so many bad mistakes in their formulation, marketing, and service, it destroys all credibility for the product itself. Just avoid this one altogether.
[yasr_overall_rating]
John says
“phenyl racetam”, so Phenylpiracetam? It says on the ThoughtFoods site that it’s not a phenyl racetam but Pramiracetam, why is everything different from every seller of this supp?
I’d also like to know the exact dosages they put into it. 2100mg (3x caps) seems too strange of a weight for all the effects. I have personally tried it however and it does work but I only bought the 18cap sachet.
So to elaborate on my concerns, 2100mg/16 compounds just doesn’t add up, especially with Pramiracetam rec’ dose at 250mg and Alpha GPC at 600mg.
Per rec’ dose, 2100mg for 16 compounds and it’s able to give the effects that it suggests? It would be great if a lab tested the mixture.
On average we’re looking at 131.25mg per compound in this mixture, nowhere near enough for therapeutic effects of most of these drugs listed. It’s most probably, as you stated, a high stimulant/high anxiolytic formula.
Without the anxiolytics then I could see long term iQuzil users bouncing off the walls, adrafinil is a scary thing long term.
Great coherent review, solid points. Skepticism is healthy for the mind and secrecy hurts the trust between producer and user. The differences in formula is definitely a concern!
Best 5 Supplements says
Exactly, John. iQuizil is inconsistent; damn sloppy in many ways. How can you trust a nootropic complex that not only hides its dosages, but also seems to randomly switch-up the stack? It’s like they don’t even know what their own formula is. Arbitrary ingredients & dosages, as many as can be crammed into a capsule. All this sloppiness makes iQuzil look dumb. The last thing you want is a dumb nootropic. Thanks for the smart comment, mate.
Heinrich says
I did manage via Facebook to get the breakdown of whats in each capsule per mg basis.
Its a shame because there is a lot in there, and I have tried them. Certainly did something, thats for sure. But for the price, and the heartburn it gave me – perhaps Noopept & Choline is a better option still?
Best 5 Supplements says
Heinrich, if you have that iQuzil breakdown handy, could you post it? You are correct, there’s a lot in iQuzil… a lot of ingredients, anyway. In terms of dosage for each, though? Probably very little. But throw 16 nootropics against a wall, and at least a couple will stick… and the formula feels like it’s doing *something*.
The Noopept+Choline mini-stack means big dosages & better tolerability. Somewhere between 2- and 16-ingredient stacks is the real sweet spot. Best nootropic formulas, some reasonably priced, are now hitting clinical-range dosage on 8-12 ingredients. But 16-ingredient iQuzil is just not one of the best. Thanks for the comment, mate.
Tobias Jacobsen says
Hi, i contacted the support and asked for a list of the ingredients. It’s phenylpiracetam.
Best 5 Supplements says
Tobias, the iQuzil review has been updated with this new information. We’re leaving “Phenyl-Racetam” in there, though. It will be a reminder of that time those Cambridge-educated supplement formulators misspelled one of their nootropics so badly, it created a Google Black Hole…”Phenyl-Racetam”: A name so puzzling, so confusing, that consumers had to call iQuzil to find out what it REALLY was… At least now we know. Thanks for the info, Bro.
MrMalin says
Yes, ThoughtFoods are a weird lot. The best way to get in touch is via FaceBook and that’s if you get mean. Essentially they buy bulk from uncertifide Chinese manufactuers via Alibaba.com and repackage the product with a fancy label. The COAs they provide are only from the manufacturer with no indépendant analysis, QA or assurance. As mentioned above their Cambridge office has no support. A friend of mine who studies there went to their address and found no one. Strange…