Whether you’re trying to help your child stay awake during the day or help your kid ace their exams, taking a supplement to support brainpower might pop up on your radar. It’s not a surprise that nootropics, also called smart drugs or cognitive enhancers are on the rise. People use nootropics to feel more alert, enhance focus, increase energy, and improve memory.

Types of nootropics can range from natural stimulants like tea, coffee, or L-theanine to organic compounds and supplements like creatine monohydrate and vinpocetine. There are also synthetic compounds like piracetam that are available over the counter in the US. While smart drugs can help your child stay awake, reduce stress, and perform better in the classroom, it’s important to discover if nootropics are safe and beneficial for children.

Discover how nootropics for kids work and if nootropic supplements are brain boosters or a risky drug choice for your child. 

What Do Nootropics do?

A nootropic is any type of substance that can improve, change, or boost cognitive performance. A nootropic agent does this by stimulating or blocking certain neurotransmitters in the brain. For example, a nootropic can inhibit stress signals while sharpening and enhancing memory, creativity, and concentration.  

If you’re trying to get your kid into an Ivy League school or prep for an important test, a cognitive enhancer might seem like the answer. In fact, nootropics’ power to maintain concentration and increase the ability to rationalize and analyze information can seem magical.

A nootropic acts like an effective shortcut that helps your child succeed better than extra tutoring, smart educational materials, and increasing your involvement in your child’s academics. At the same time, most parents are concerned if it’s safe for a child to use a nootropic substance.

Do Nootropics Work?

A few small studies demonstrate that some kinds of nootropics can boost brain and memory function. It’s important to understand that nootropics haven’t been studied in large, controlled groups. Due to a lack of research and hard evidence, experts aren’t recommending nootropics as a safe and tested way to help children perform better in school.

While studies among older adults with memory loss report good results from nootropic use, most experts can’t say for certain that they work for everyone or that they’re safe for young, healthy adults or children to use.

Are Nootropics Safe for Kids?

The jury is out on whether nootropics are safe for kids.

According to Dr. Barry Gordon, who directs cognitive neurology and neuropsychology at Johns Hopkins Medicine, there’s “no strong evidence” to indicate that the wide range of memory-boosters for sale across the country really works.

Since human cognition circuits are a complex function, it’s not just that easy to create a smarter, more concentrated, and analytical child. Many studies only proved that believing in nootropics gave participants a placebo effect since they believed that the drug would help them perform better.

Other experts, such as Dr. Chris D’Adamo, the University of Maryland’s Director of research for the Center for Integrative Medicine, think that nootropics can help some people optimize brain function, particularly for people experiencing cognitive decline due to aging.

Can nootropics help your kid study better? Some types of supplements can help your child relax and perform better by boosting rational and analytical brain functions.

When it comes to children, it’s best to err on the safe side when it comes to cognitive-enhancing drugs. If you’re considering adding a nootropic to your child’s diet, it’s best to talk to a medical professional first even if the drug seems safe or recommended.

Risks and Side Effects of Nootropics for Kids

It’s important to know that nootropics can affect people differently depending on the type of supplement used, the dosage, age, and the health of the person. 

A bad reaction to a nootropic can include nausea and headaches. 

According to experts, a child’s brain is a fragile organ that is still undergoing massive development during childhood. That’s why over-the-counter boosters or some types of supplements could do more harm than good to a developing brain. By age 20, many experts agree that it’s safe to take most nootropics to hit those college exams.

Alternative Options to Nootropics

According to Medical News Today, much of the cognitive dysfunction observed in children can be traced to nutritional deficiencies.

If you’re trying to boost your child’s brain power, natural foods and safe, kid-friendly supplements are a better and less risky way to go. For example, taking omega-3 fatty acids, found in salmon and walnuts, can improve a child’s concentration, reasoning skills, and memory.

The good news is that improving your child’s diet and overall nutrition can support their overall health and provide important neurological support.