Adderall is a prescription medication for treating attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). One of the benefits of Adderall is it enhances cognitive function and mental clarity. This ability has caused Adderall to become popular with a wide range of users from students to business people.
Adderall is an enticing option for anyone who wishes to improve their concentration, brain function and mental abilities.
However, Adderall can be addictive and using it long-term only increases the risk of dependence. It is only available on prescription. This is why natural Adderall Alternatives over the counter are in such demand.
Top Alternatives to Adderall – At a Glance
Here are the best natural Adderall alternatives available OTC
- NooCube – Editors Choice
- Mind Lab Pro
- Performance Lab Mind
Adderall can also present side effects. All things considered, using this drug as a brain booster may not be the smart thing to do.
Fortunately, there are safer options. Several supplement companies have developed natural products that are excellent Adderall alternatives.
We’ve evaluated all the top Adderall alternatives and found the ones that are best for improving mental focus, cognitive functions and productivity. We wanted to see proven ingredients, included in adequate quantities. Pressing forward, we further refined our list to only include nootropic supplements with plenty of good customer reviews and sensible pricing.
In the end, we were left with only three products. Our top 3, if you like, and we recommend them 100%.
Best Adderall Alternative of 2022
#1. NooCube
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NooCube is the strongest natural Adderall alternative we found. It works by providing a powerful combination of organic ingredients that greatly enhance cognitive performance and is especially good for improving memory and recall.
A lot of smart drugs contain caffeine. Often in high doses that cause side effects. NooCube is caffeine-free so there is no need to worry about jitters, nausea, or any of the other adverse reactions that stimulants can bring.
In place of caffeine, NooCube provides clean, non-GMO plant extracts that boost mental and physical performance, helping you to remain productive and side-effect free throughout the day.
If you buy NooCube and are not blown away by the cognitive improvements it provides, you can get a refund via the manufacturer’s 67-day money-back guarantee. Noocube is available to buy directly rather than over-the-counter.
NooCube Benefits
- Boost cognitive function
- Improves memory
- Enhances mental speed and mental clarity
- Improves concentration and focus
- Enable better communication skills
- Improve multitasking abilities
More than an Adderall Alternative, NooCube is also one of the best mental health supplements on the market. In addition to helping you to be more productive, it provides vitamins, amino acids, and other nutrients that improve overall brain health.
How NooCube Works
You take two NooCube capsules every morning. It is pretty fast-acting. Many users begin feeling the benefits within 30 – 45 minutes.
Customer reviews suggest most NooCube users continue enjoying the brain-boosting effect for eight to 10 hours.
The ingredients in NooCube work by improving blood flow to the brain and providing nutrients and other beneficial compounds that support optimum thought processing and mental dexterity.
In addition to providing quick improvements in cognitive function, NooCube has neuroprotective properties that may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other mental diseases.
NooCube Formula Overview
NooCube provides a combination of seven powerful brain boosting plant extracts
- Alpha GPC: A powerful nootropic renowned for its ability to enhance memory and boost brain health. Alpha GPC also provides significant improvements in focus. It’s so good at this it is included in some European prescription medications for Alzheimer’s disease.
- Cat’s Claw: Another top nootropic, Cat’s Claw is a South-American herb that aids clear thinking and protects against mental fatigue. These benefits are largely due to the herb’s ability to improve blood supply to the brain.
- Bacopa Monnieri: A perennial creeping herb good for calming the nerves, reducing stress, and helping you to relax.
- Huperzine A: A species of moss. Chinese herbalists have been taking advantage of its many therapeutic abilities for thousands of years. Huperzine A is good for boosting mental energy and improving clarity. It also regulates mood, improves memory, and offers protection against neuron damage due to aging.
- L-Theanine: An amino acid present in green tea and certain species of mushroom. L-theanine calms the mind without causing drowsiness.
- L-Tyrosine: An amino acid that increases mental energy and also helps improve attention span.
- Oat Straw: A nutrient-rich ingredient that offers several nootropic benefits. Oat straw improves thought processing and concentration. It also appears to help some people enjoy better memory retention.
Who Is NooCube For?
NooCube is an excellent option for adult men and women who want to think more clearly, improve their memories, and attain associated cognitive improvement. It is also one of the best supplements for people who have ADHD symptoms and are seeking a good alternative to Adderall.
#2. Mind Lab Pro
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Mind Lab Pro is another brain-boosting supplement and an excellent alternative to Adderall.
Instead of caffeine or amphetamine salts, Mind Lab Pro provides a combination of herbs, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.
With some of the best ingredients, included in doses that are proven effective, it’s no wonder so many people love this product.
Regardless of whether you are looking for a safe alternative to Adderall or only want something to give your brain a boost, this supplement can help.
Mind Lab Pro Benefits
- Boost mental focus
- Better cognitive function
- Increase mental energy levels
- Improves memory retention
- Supports long-term improvements in brain health and mental function.
How Mind Lab Pro Works
The formulation targets and enhances several important aspects of mental performance.
Improves Brain Circulation: The first thing Mind Lab Pro does is help the brain benefit from a better supply of blood. This is more important than it may appear because blood has the task of carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain and other major organs. The blood also provides the glucose that powers cerebral activity. Yes, believe it or not, thinking requires energy. Brain functioning activity accounts for around 20% of your daily calorie expenditure.
Improves Brain Chemistry: the supplement also aids the flow of brain chemicals, enabling faster, more efficient thought processing, better memory, and improvements in attention, mood, and motivation.
Increases Brain Energy: By increasing brain energy, this natural Adderall alternative saves you from mental fatigue and brain fog.
Increasing Brain Wave Activity: By increasing Alpha brain waves, Mind Lab Pro makes you more mentally alert and enhances your productivity, and creativity.
Aiding Brain Regeneration: Brain health generally declines with age. If you have elderly relatives, you may have already noticed this. The ingredients help to prevent this unfortunate scenario by protecting your existing brain cells and helping your body to create fresh ones. It also eliminates the free radical toxins that can be so detrimental to brain health.
Formula Overview
Now we look at the ingredients that provide Mind Lab Pro with its brain-boosting potency and make it such a good natural Adderall alternative.
● B Vitamins: B vitamins are key players in energy metabolism. They also help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia by reducing homocysteine levels. By aiding red blood cell production, the B vitamins in the formula make sure the brain gets plenty of oxygen.
● Bacopa Monnieri: This herb is great for calming the mind. It also improves memory retention.
● Lion’s Mane Mushroom: If you want to be a fun guy or gal, by improving your mood, Lion’s Mane Mushroom can help. It is a popular fungal nootropic that also helps you to maximize your productivity by improving memory and mental focus.
● Maritime Pine Bark: Another versatile nootropic, Maritime Pine Bark contains compounds that increase mental focus like Adderall. This ingredient is also good for improving short-term memory and overall mental performance.
● Rhodiola Rosea: A potent adaptogen herb. Rhodiola rosea relieves stress and anxiety, helping you to maintain increased levels of mental activity without letting it get you down.
● L-Theanine: This ingredient is also present in NooCube. Its ability to calm the mind makes it an excellent companion for the other ingredients in the smart drug.
● N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine: Also known as NAT, this ingredient provides L-Tyrosine in an easy to assimilate form.
● Cognizin: Great for improving multi-tasking abilities, Cognizin is a brand of citicoline extract. Citicoline is vital for healthy brain function and it never hurts to get some more. Cognizin benefits include improvements in memory, focus, and attention along with enhancements in motor capabilities and brain energy.
Who Is Mind Lab Pro For?
Mind Lab Pro is a good option for anyone who wants to improve their thinking ability and have a clear more focused mind. It supports improvements in study ability, creativity, and mental endurance. Like all the best Adderall alternatives, it does everything the medication does and then some more.
#3. Performance Lab Mind
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Boasting some of the best brain-enhancing ingredients and first-rate customer reviews, Performance Lab Mind is a regular addition to most of the best nootropic lists.
This natural supplement gets a lot of praise for its ability to relieve and prevent mental burnout. It’s also a firm favorite with the thousands of ADHD sufferers who are using it as an Adderall substitute or replacement.
Like other top nootropics, Performance Lab Mind feeds the brain a high-potency supply of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and beneficial plant compounds. It is vegan-friendly, non-GMO, and stimulant-free.
Performance Lab Mind Benefits
- Improves concentration and focus
- Enhances memory, and motivation
- Improves mood
- Makes multitasking easier
- Prevents mental exhaustion and speeds up recovery
- Helps you to remain at the top of your game in high-stress situations
How Performance Lab Mind Works
If you want a stimulant-free Adderall alternative, this is another good option to choose. Its ability to blow away mental cobwebs and promote clearer thinking is second to none.
Like our other two recommendations, Performance Lab Mind boosts attention and overall brain function by using the best Adderall alternative. It feeds your brain and helps it get plenty of blood.
One or two pills a day is all it takes to enjoy all the Performance Lab Mind benefits. It is best to take them on an empty stomach.
Performance Lab Mind Formula Overview
Performance Lab Mind has a somewhat simpler formulation than our other two recommended Adderall alternatives, but fewer ingredients do not mean less power and one of the inclusions is not available in other brands.
- Cognizin: As already mentioned in our formula overview for Mind Lab Pro, Cognizin provides improvements in multi-tasking, along with a number of other desirable mental benefits.
- Maritime Pine Bark Extract: Again, we have already covered the mental benefits Maritime Bark Extract provides. A good ingredient that contributes much to the power of the Performance Lab Mind formulation.
- Sharp PS: This is a patented form of phosphatidylserine developed by the company that created Performance Lab Mind. Phosphatidylserine occurs naturally in omega-3 fatty acids. Among other things, it supports improvements in learning capabilities and better memory recall.
- AjiPure: A patented form of L-Tyrosine. In one form or another, L-tyrosine is present in all the best Adderall alternatives. It doesn’t take a genius to realize there must be a reason for that.
Who Is Performance Lab Mind Best for?
Performance Lab Mind is one of the best natural Adderall alternatives for people who have hectic lifestyles and need something to help them keep their mental capabilities in top form. But let’s not sell it short. Anyone can benefit from its brain-boosting capabilities and, let’s not forget, unlike Adderall, Performance Lab Mind has no known side effects. It does have a 30-day money-back guarantee though. So you get the results you want or your money back. Nobody can argue with a great deal like that.
What Is Adderall?
We’ve already provided a brief introduction to Adderall but it makes sense to add a little more information here. A better understanding of the drug makes it easier to appreciate why our natural alternatives are so good.
As already stated, Adderall is a prescription drug for people suffering from ADHD. Some people believe the condition only affects children. This is not so. Many adults struggle with ADHD too.
Adderall is a combination drug that tackles the symptoms of ADHD by providing four amphetamine salts. The same salt combination is available under other names but Adderall is the most popular brand.
After the amphetamine salts pass through the walls of the intestines and enter the blood they travel to the brain, producing favorable changes in the activity of the neurotransmitters that govern attention and cause hyperactivity.
Although prescription brain health drugs work for many people. The success rate is far from 100%. That is why some people seek out good Adderall alternatives, such as the ones on our list.
The drug’s potential for side effects is another reason good Adderall alternatives are in such great demand.
One of the main problems with Adderall is it is a stimulant. Bearing this in mind, it is crazy that so many of the alternative options are so reliant on caffeine. It makes no sense to swap one stimulant for another.
Another less well known use for Adderall is weight loss. Doctors often prescribe Adderall for losing weight for patients that are overweight and obese.
Adderall Side Effects
We have already mentioned Adderall’s potential for causing side effects. However, it’s hard to appreciate the value of good alternatives without a better understanding of what the Adderall side effects are; so we will look at them now.
The most commonly reported Adderall side effects are:
- Headaches
- Nervousness
- Dizziness
- Restlessness
- Cottonmouth
- Slow speech
- Insomnia and/or other sleep difficulties
- Extreme mood swings
Less commonly reported side effects include:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Fatigue
- Panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Hallucinations
- Suicidal thoughts
- Seizures or uncontrollable shaking
Due to its potential for dependency, people who use Adderall for a long time and then quit may experience withdrawal symptoms. This is something you will need to bear in mind if you are planning on switching to a safer alternative.
Adderall & ADHD
Although doctors sometimes prescribe Adderall for narcolepsy, its primary value is as a treatment for ADHD.
ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a genetic brain condition that causes inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Scientists still have much to learn about ADHD and the triggers remain unclear. However, there are strong pointers to indicate a connection with unbalanced catecholamine levels.
Catecholamines are neurotransmitters that regulate thought. Dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine are three of the most important ones.
Dopamine serves several roles including supporting motivation. It is the hormone that rewards you with feelings of pleasure after you achieve a desired task or goal. Dopamine could be seen as being more important than norepinephrine, and epinephrine put together because it accounts for around 80% of catecholamine activity in the brain. Anything that influences dopamine for the better can have a dramatic effect.
There is still much to learn, but some research suggests a link between norepinephrine and ADHD. One study also indicates low levels of norepinephrine may contribute to aging of the brain.
Epinephrine has another name you may be more familiar with – adrenaline. It is responsible for regulating many important biological functions including respiration. Also a key player in the fight or flight survival response.
There is a lot to learn, but it seems likely disruptions in catecholamine levels could be a major contributing factor in ADHD. Future research may reveal additional contributing factors as well.
Regardless of the root cause(s), Adderall has proven to be an effective treatment for many ADHD sufferers. Always seek help from a medical professional before using prescription drugs.
What Are Nootropic Supplements and How Do They Work?
The term “nootropic” applies to any compound or product that improves mental performance or delivers favorable mental changes. Adderall does this, so it is one example of a nootropic drug. Ritalin is another.
Sometimes known as brain pills, nootropic supplements are brain-enhancing products you can buy online or over the counter (OTC). They do not require a prescription and are easy to obtain.
Caffeine is one of the most established nootropics. How many people do you know who grab a cup of coffee every time they need to ward off fatigue or improve their concentration? Most people do it. Often without thinking. Few of them are likely to realize they are using a nootropic.
Caffeine tablets take the concept further and, these days, caffeine is combined with other stimulants to treat ADHD in many specialist formulations. However, as we already mentioned earlier in this article, using caffeine to replace Adderall is not a good idea.
Good natural nootropics like cat’s claw, Bacopa Monnieri, and L-theanine are much better options. Specialist combinations, such as the one used in NooCube can tackle the symptoms of ADHD without causing side effects and offer additional desirable mental benefits.
How Natural Nootropics Relieve the Symptoms of ADHD
Feedback from people who are using naturally formulated nootropics shows how effective they can be. Although much of their prowess is doubtless due to their ability to improve cranial circulation and brain health, their ability to influence catecholamine levels is important too.
Top nootropics like NooCube, Mind Lab Pro, and Performance Lab Mind contain ingredients that provide natural support to catecholamine production.
If and when future research reveals more about ADHD triggering factors, it may also reveal additional reasons why natural Adderall alternatives can be so effective.
Natural Nootropics vs ADHD Drugs
There are pros and cons to most things in life. One of the drawbacks of Adderall alternatives is they often don’t work as fast as their chemical alternatives. There are exceptions though. NooCube is one of them.
The fact that the benefits may take a little longer to kick in with many natural nootropic supplements is understandable. A lot of the best natural ingredients work by providing improvements in human brain health. Nootropic drugs are more of a quick-fix solution that acts as a form of a temporary patch.
When you stop taking Adderall, all the benefits will vanish and you may have to contend with withdrawal symptoms. When you stop taking natural nootropics, many of the benefits may remain for quite some time.
There are good arguments for using natural products whenever possible. The beneficial compounds nature provides are not as harsh on the body as chemical-based drugs are.
Nootropic supplements are also easier to obtain than Adderall and similar brain medicines that require a prescription. Admittedly, some people manage to obtain nootropic drugs via deception or illegal means, but it is never a good idea to operate on the wrong side of the law.
You can buy natural nootropics from your local health food store. There are also plenty of options available to buy online.
The top natural nootropics, like our three Adderall alternatives, are only available online. You have to buy them directly from the manufacturers’ websites. That means you may have to wait a few days for them to arrive but, for most people, options like NooCube, Mind Lab Pro, and Performance Lab Mind are still much easier to obtain than nootropic drugs like Adderall.
Natural Nootropics Pros and Cons
Natural Nootropics Positives
- Available to all and easy to obtain
- Safe and legal
- Do not require a prescription
- Improve overall brain health
- Improve cognitive performance and brain cells
- The benefits often last longer
- The best options are designed to be side effect free
- Often cheaper to buy
- Often have money-back guarantees
Natural Nootropics Negatives
- May take a little longer to work
- You can only buy the best ones directly from the manufacturers
Caffeine In Adderall Alternatives: Why It is a Bad Idea
Although caffeine is not one of the best ingredient options for Adderall alternatives, it has value in many areas. Caffeine is good for preventing and alleviating fatigue. It also boosts energy levels and improves concentration and focus.
Caffeine has mind-boosting benefits due to its ability to stimulate the central nervous system and increase dopamine production. Dopamine is essential for focus and concentration.
The stimulation caffeine provides can make you feel alert for a long time. This can help you to study more, exercise harder, and be more productive at work
The flip side is caffeine also has the potential to cause jitters, headaches, nausea, dizziness, heart palpitations, and a range of other side effects. However, unless you have tolerance issues, side effects like these only occur when the caffeine dose is too high. The problem with a lot of poor-quality Adderall substitutes is the dose is too high.
The body adjusts to the presence of caffeine. Over time, this can make it less beneficial in all areas. That’s an important consideration too. A lot of people who need a good Adderall alternative probably plan on using it for a long time.
Caffeine is also a vasoconstrictor that narrows the blood vessels hampering circulation. Amphetamines do this too. The best natural nootropics improve blood flow to the brain. That’s a more desirable scenario.
Are Natural Adderall Alternatives Cost-Effective?
All the best over the counter Adderall alternatives are very reasonably priced. You can get a 30-day supply of Mind Lab Pro or Performance Lab Mind for just under $70 and NooCube costs $10 less.
Compare that to Adderall. Unless your insurance company is willing to foot most of the bill you can expect to pay around $285 per month. Try and get it illegally, and it can be costlier still. Anyone who can obtain Adderall from a college friend or local drug dealer can expect to pay upwards of $10 per pill.
Once you know that, the question answers itself. The best Adderall alternatives are very cost-effective. And that’s just buying one bottle at a time. When you take advantage of on-site discounts and special deals, the cost of using them becomes better still.
Using NooCube as an example, when you order two bottles, you get a third one free. Add one more bottle to your order and you get six bottles of NooCube for the price of three. That allows you to use NooCube for half a year and get all your bottles half price.
If you get extra lucky and arrive on the NooCube website when one of the 24-hour flash sales is running, you can get a further 20% saving on top.
ADHD is a problem that does not go away. Regardless of whether you are using Adderall or a natural alternative, treatment will be ongoing. With that in mind, if you do choose to take the natural route, it makes sense to take advantage of multi-bottle savings.
Play it smart and you can get a six-month supply of natural smart drugs and still make a $100 saving on the average spend for a 30-day supply of Adderall. Again, we are using Noo Cube as an example but there are fantastic savings with our other two Adderall alternatives as well.
Tips for Choosing the Best Adderall Substitute
The market is saturated with supplements that are allegedly good alternatives to Adderall. A lot of them don’t work and some of them cause worse side effects than the prescription medicine they are supposed to replace.
The best way to find a suitable Adderall replacement is to go with one of the three nootropics detailed on this page. We’ve provided plenty of information about the benefits they offer and the ingredients that make them possible.
However, we appreciate you may want to go your own way. If so, that’s fine. We still want to help so we are providing a list of areas to investigate.
Customer Reviews on Natural Adderall Alternatives
Good or bad, customer reviews are extremely important. They can help you to quickly separate the good products from the ones best to avoid.
Look for plenty of people confirming supplements are doing the things they are meant to do. Keep an eye out for reports of side effects too. If a product has a reputation for causing side effects, it is not a viable Adderall alternative.
Watch out for reports of quality issues, billing problems, auto-ship scams, and problems getting refunds via money-back guarantees. These are also things you do not want.
Be picky where you source your reviews too. Never rely on reviews published on manufacturer’s websites. They may be hand-picked or even fake.
Adderall Alternative Full Ingredient Disclosure
When you are choosing supplements, you need to see a full list of ingredients. You also want to see all the inclusion rates, so it is best to avoid proprietary blends.
When you know everything in a supplement, along with the quantities, it helps you avoid supplements that contain ingredients you have had bad experiences with in the past. It also helps you avoid dangerous ingredients or overly high doses that are likely to cause side effects.
Knowing all the ingredients also allows you to search online scientific databases to check their abilities.
Brand Reputation of Adderall Alternatives
Regardless of whether you are buying a nootropic or some other type of supplement, brand reputation is important. Good supplement companies follow best industry practices, deliver high-quality products, and provide excellent after-sales service.
They also provide easy-to-find contact details. Companies that fail to do this often have something to hide.
Adderall Alternative Final Thoughts
Adderall can be an effective ADHD treatment. It also has value as a smart pill for cognitive enhancement and study drugs but it has many negative aspects as well.
The top natural alternatives to Adderall are cost-effective, safer to use, and provide additional benefits the drug cannot. We place NooCube at the top of our list of Adderall alternatives because in addition to being powerful and versatile it is also the cheapest option to use and has a generous money-back guarantee.
