Taking nootropic pills and capsules can be a pain in the ass.
Enter truBrain‘s tasty 1-ounce liquid “Think Drinks.”
These nootropic stacks presented as “shots” pack a potent brain-boosting punch that actually tastes good.
And in targeting pros who take WAY too many stimulants, truBrain hits on a winning formula in more ways than one… and earns its place as our #2-ranked Best Nootropic Supplement.
About truBrain
Formulated by neuroscientists, truBrain is designed to be a healthier, better-performing version of traditional Energy Drinks. truBrain gets there via “direct focus,” which they say is superior to stimulants’ “alertness” benefits for achieving peak productivity. truBrain formulas key features:
- Optimize brain chemistry & brain circulation, which helps to deliver oxygen and brain nourishment for peak mental performance.
- Boost attention span, mental stamina & productivity. They say it helps you get more done in less time, especially if you’re stressed-out or sleep-deprived.
- Create “sustainable focus” & a sharp cognitive performance edge that rivals the effects of stimulants and energy drinks, but is supposedly safer for long-term use.
truBrain Supplement Facts (Original and Caffeine Free formulas) |
|
| Ingredients | Amount Per Serving |
| Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid) | 300 mg |
| Active Nootropics (patent pending) | |
| Oxiracetam | 800 mg |
| Acetyl-L-Carnitine | 500 mg |
| N-Acetyl Tyrosine | 350 mg |
| CDP-Choline Citicoline | 250 mg |
| Magnesium (as magnesium glycinate) | 200 mg |
| L-Theanine | 160 mg |
| Caffeine (original only) | 80 mg |
| Other Ingredients: Purified Water, Organic Blue Agave, Xylitol, Organic Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Nopal Concentrate, Natural Flavor, Monk Fruit (Lou Han Guo), Nisin & Polylysine (natural preservatives) | |
truBrain Supplement Facts (Boost Formula) |
|
| Ingredients | Amount Per Serving |
| Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid) | 468 mg |
| Active Nootropics (patent pending) | |
| Oxiracetam | 800 mg |
| Uridine | 500 mg |
| Acetyl-L-Carnitine | 500 mg |
| N-Acetyl Tyrosine | 350 mg |
| Centrophenoxine | 250 mg |
| Magnesium (as magnesium glycinate) | 200 mg |
| L-Theanine | 200 mg |
| Caffeine | 100 mg |
| Other Ingredients: Purified Water, Organic Blue Agave, Xylitol, Organic Cane Sugar, Natural Flavor, Mangosteen Concentrate, Pear Concentrate, Monk Fruit (Lou Han Guo), Nisin & Polylysine (natural preservatives) | |
*Note, truBrain formulas are drinks, so they have some calories, sugars, etc. Here’s an image of the full truBrain supplement facts with that information included.
truBrain Photos
Sharp box; eco-friendly and recyclable packaging, too.
Side view, like a book.
Trubrain got some crunchy-granola, California philosophies. Smart.
When you open the box.
They include this big fold-out brochure.
They talk about ingredients, usage tips, supplement facts, etc.
The truBrain paper vials line up like puzzle pieces.
You just rip off the the paper vial’s top and do truBrain like a shot.
Back of the Boost pouch (Original has same exact copy)
both liquids are amber in color, but truBrain Boost is darker and much more intense in flavor.
Lab-tested and designed by neuroscientists, truBRAIN formulas are billed as “The World’s First Nootropic Drinks.”
truBrain has got a really cool philosophy and laser-targeted purpose: “Get your work done faster, and get out of the office sooner.”
There’s a work-life balance benefit built into these formulas, which zeroes in on what a lot of people are looking for.
truBrain also directly address professionals’ over-use of stimulants and ADD/ADHD drugs, presenting their Think Drinks as a safer, more sustainable alternative.
For more on their approach, check out truBrain founder Chris Thompson appearing on MSNBC’s Power Pitch show (and doing pretty well!):
Thompson makes many claims… can truBrain back ’em up?
Let’s take a closer look at the formulas and find out:
truBrain Original & Caffeine-Free Think Drinks
The Oxiracetam looks like the driving force in the Original formulas. It’s a racetam-class synthetic nootropic, known for mildly stimulating effects that help with concentration and attention.
N-Acetyl Tyrosine and L-Theanine (a Best5 Nootropic) seem to complement Oxiracetam really well, bringing additional support for stress reduction, multitasking and focus.
Citicoline (our Best Nootropic Ingredient overall) has brain-energizing & accelerating effects that make sense in the formula. That’s why Citicoline is not just in TruBrain, but in 4 of our 5 Best Nootropic stacks, and in our #1-ranked nootropic supplement overall.
Magnesium and Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR) are basic brain-and-nerve-health nutrients, but don’t boost mental performance, and don’t seem to add much to these formulas.
truBrain Boost Think Drink
This formula drops the Citicoline and adds Uridine and Centrophenoxine.
Uridine raises brain choline levels, and is believed to support the neural “firing” that powers thought.
Centrophenoxine is related to the nootropic DMAE, and is believed to boost the brain’s energy production by optimizing brain cells’ oxygen and glucose uptake.
These nootropic additions seem to support the use of Boost as an occasional “brain-charger” on days when you need a little extra brain support.
Boost also increases the Caffeine to 100 mg and L-Theanine to 200 mg.
We’re not fans of caffeine in nootropic formulas, but this little change says a lot about truBrain: As formulators, they seem to know what they’re doing. It makes total sense to up the L-Theanine to counteract & balance any jitters that may come with the extra caffeine dosage.
truBrain’s formulas look strong to us. Dosages are low for a couple of ingredients, and we’d like to see more support for brain circulation… but overall they are using evidence-backed nootropics in some intriguing combinations that we’ve never seen before.
truBrain Benefits
truBrain places a lot of emphasis on cognitive work performance, making claims for optimizing productivity and efficiency, enhancing focus & attention, and even helping with procrastination.
Also described are Alpha and Beta brain wave-boosting effects that may help concentration and reasoning ability. These claims seem to check out.
Soooo, do truBrain Formulas Work?
truBRAIN mentions “experiments” where they did EEG tests on Wall Street traders, measuring their brainwaves to prove the Think Drinks work on stressed-out people. This is very casual… but they do such a good job of building credibility that we believe them.
The truBrain Original formulas are a regimen, requiring days of use before they start enhancing work performance & productivity.
But overall, truBrain formulas do seem designed to work–with brain wave, brain chemical and brain energy benefits that would improve many aspects of mental performance, and seem to back their productivity claims of getting more done in less time.
Who Takes It?
truBRAIN targets young professionals working long workweeks who still want a good work-life balance, entrepreneurs who need mental energy and creativity, small business owners seeking a little extra help to build their companies, and working moms who are managing a career and family.
There seems to be a multi-tasking angle; truBRAIN seems to address people whose cognitive resources may be spread a little thin.
Other groups they mention are musicians, consultants, and software developers; those who want to get the most out of their brains.
Any Side Effects?
They say that none of the ingredients have any side effects except for ONE that may cause vivid dreams… an effect that can be avoided by not taking truBrain within 5 hours of bedtime.
truBrain Summary
Pros
- Novel. Unique mix of natural and synthetic nootropics.
- Smart. Skillfully designed; many brain-boosting benefits.
- Transparent. They show all doses and explain ingredients.
- “Think Drinks.” Little drink pouches are convenient & tasty.
- Quality. Some premium organic & exotic fruits; no junk.
- Credible. On-staff neuroscientists, great customer service.
Cons
- Expensive. $100/month for a basic truBrain package.
- Caffeine. Weak to rely on it, but they provide caffeine-free, too.
- Conflicted. truBrain is similar to the Energy Drinks it criticizes.
- Autoship. Not scammy, but truBrain is slick at getting you subscribed.
Pricing & Buying Info
- 15 drinks: $60 ($50 with Autoship)
- 30 drinks: $100 ($85 with Autoship)
- 60 drinks: $190 ($155 with Autoship)
- Trial offer: $19.95 for 15 doses (with Autoship)
- truBrain appears to be available on their website only
Final Word on truBrain
truBrain features excellent nootropics (including exotics) in “shots” that taste good. The formulas don’t just work, they make it easier to take your brain supplement… which ultimately brings better results.
Hello, how do I get a sample ?
Jarrod, you don’t get a free sample as far as we know. Click “Get Started” and you’ll see the “Trial” offer, which is $19 for 10 truBrain Think Drinks: 5 Original, 5 Boost.
Reminder: If you sign up for truBrain’s Trial, you WILL be enrolled in Autoship… which is 15 Think Drinks for $50/monthly.
We’re not going to accuse truBrain of being scammy, but their Autoship game is strong… very slick. Sign up for a simple $19 trial, the next thing you know 3 months have gone by and you’re $170 in the hole. Then again, that’s typical Autoship for you. At least truBrain gives you a good nootropic in return.