[Haibundadam]

I posted the below summary & links for Cronos' thread on this a while back, though I ain't no scientician so take it with a grain of salt:

Drugs aside, it never hurts to drop by GNC and get some nootropic supplements; most of the herbal stuff is just overpriced placebos at worst or have had inconclusive testing at best, but supplementing endogenous things like Coenzyme Q10, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, L-Cartinine, Lecithin, DHEA, Tyrosine, Creatine, Inositol, Phenylalanine, etc. is more reliable, depending on how much of each you get from normal diet (Q10 and Omega-3 are typically deficient even in what's considered a balanced diet, Lecithin to a lesser extent, the others not so much, but certainly all would be a boost if your usual daily choices are between Ramen and Easy Mac). There's also some debate about the recommended daily amount of Ascorbic Acid with regard to cognition; for instance Linus Pauling recommends 60-180 times the DRI.

As far as herbal stuff, the familiar Ginkgo Biloba and Ginseng have the most scientific backing and they did give me some more energy and focus when I tried them for a week each, but nothing coming close to prescription drugs of course. I've noticed a much stronger effect from green tea, which is backed by scientific studies showing that Theanine has cognitive effects distinct from the caffeine/theobromine/theophylline also in tea. I'd also highly recommend blueberries or raspberries for high Anthocyanin content.

I've heard some good things about Gotu Kola, Mucuna Pruriens, Galantamine, Vinpocetine, Huperzine-A, Waterhyssop, Royal Jelly, Yohimbe, Areca Nut, Rosemary, Salvia, Siberian Ginseng, and Vitis Vinifera, but I haven't done enough research on what's bunk or not to recommend anything. Some animal and human studies on some of them seem promising, but no slam-dunks AFAICS.

Oh and how could I leave out Kinshuk:

It is said that the tree is a form of Agnidev, God of Fire. It was a punishment given to Him by Goddess Parvati for disturbing Hers and Lord Shiva's privacy.

LS http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?t=181976