Disclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice, and is just the opinion of the writer(s). We recommend that patients follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to nootropic supplements.
Brillia is a homeopathic nootropic supplement. The brand claims that it “enhances clarity & improves focus,” and it’s marketed to both children and adults.
But what is homeopathic medicine and is there any evidence it works? Does Brillia contain research-backed ingredients for improving focus and mental clarity? Does it contain any potentially harmful ingredients? And how do real users rate and describe the effects of Brilia?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze clinical studies on homeopathy to give our take on whether or not this type of medicine is likely to be effective.
We’ll then analyze the ingredients in Brillia to give our take on whether or not the supplement is likely to improve focus and cognition.
We’ll also share our concerns about the research cited by the brand to prove their product works, and feature real customer reviews.
Is Homeopathy Unscientific?
Homeopathy is an unsubstantiated medical discipline that uses extremely small amounts of active substances and claims that these small amounts are actually more potent than larger amounts of the substance, which defies basic logic.
A meta-study published in the Medical Journal of Australia analyzed data from tens of clinical trials on homeopathy.
The study authors concluded that homeopathy has not been proven effective for any health condition: "The findings of currently available Cochrane reviews of studies of homeopathy do not show that homeopathic medicines have effects beyond placebo."
As we discussed in our AZO Yeast Plus reviews article on another homeopathic supplement, we have not come across any convincing medical research suggesting that homeopathy works.
An animated YouTube video on the “Reactions” channel has over 450,000 views, is produced by the American Chemical Society, and investigates homeopathy:
Highly Questionable Brillia Research
Brillia claims there is “verified science” and “in-depth research” backing their product on a page on their site titled “Verified Science:”
The page features graphics such as the one shown above, which suggest that the supplement has been studied in a clinical trial.
However, there is zero explanation of where this data is sourced from, and there are currently no links on the page to the full clinical trial.
We consider it to be a major red flag when a supplement company claims their product is clinically proven to work without clearly citing a clinical trial backing that claim.
The same page claims that Brillia “has the efficacy of other prescription medications without the harmful side-effects,” as shown above.
This is an unproven, uncited and dangerous claim. There is no proof that Brillia is as effective as other nootropic supplements or drugs, and we cannot find evidence that Brillia has been studied in any clinical trials published in peer-reviewed journals proving it to be free of side effects.
The prescription drug comparison is highly confusing, because Brillia is not a prescription medication.
Brilla Ingredient Analysis
Brillia contains three active ingredients, all of which are different potencies of a compound called Lapine S-100 immune globulin.
We cannot find any clinical studies published in peer-reviewed journals proving the safety or efficacy of this ingredient.
Brillia describes this ingredient as “antibodies to the brain-specific S100 protein.”
We consider antibody therapy a very strange way to target something as simple as focus and attention, when there are research-backed and safe alternatives like caffeine, which have been studied extensively and shown to support those outcomes.
As shown in the ingredient label above, the active ingredients are listed with a numeric multiplier of “C:” 12C, 30C and 200C, which describes how many times the active ingredient is diluted in a homeopathic remedy.
Wikipedia’s resource page on homeopathic dilutions documents that a 30C dilution results in such a small amount of the original ingredient that no molecules of the original ingredient would exist if diluted in water.
There are no active ingredients in this formulation that we consider likely to be effective for improving focus or concentration.
Real People Try Brillia
A TikTok user named Erin shares her experience using Brillia to treat her children who have ADHD:
@erin.the.great...nurse pardon my hair and face but I wanted to get this out to share. #momsoftiktok #RN #proudmama #Brillia #registerednurse #momlife #adhd ♬ original sound - Erin
A YouTube creator named Dana Kay explains whether or not she recommends Brillia:
Does Brilla Cause Side Effects?
Brillia’s Drug Facts label claims that “allergic reactions may occur in very rare cases,” likely due to the inclusion of lactose as an inactive ingredient.
Lactose intolerant individuals may wish to avoid this supplement.
Brillia’s own “Verified Science” page reports the following side effects for trial participants taking the supplement: headaches (2% of users), impaired glucose tolerance (2%), hay fever (2%).
The same page concludes: “Therefore, Brillia is determined to be completely safe,” which is counterintuitive given the documented side effects above.
We do not believe that Brillia is likely to cause side effects in healthy individuals for the same reason that we do not believe any homeopathic medication will: the active ingredients are included at too low of a dose to have any biological effects or side effects.
Can Therapy Treat ADHD?
A video published by NBC News is only two minutes long and explores results from a clinical study which found that behavioral therapy was highly effective for ADHD in children:
Our Clean Nootropic Picks
Illuminate Labs Ginkgo Biloba Extract is our top herbal nootropic pick.
A medical review published in the Psychopharmacology journal found that ginkgo biloba supplementation improved attention and cognitive performance in healthy, young adults.
Mind Lab Pro by Performance Lab is our top multi-ingredient nootropic pick.
This is the first Illuminate Labs Certified supplement, and has been shown to be effective for short-term cognitive improvements in two clinical trials published in peer-reviewed journals.
Brillia Pros and Cons
Here are the pros and cons of Brillia in our opinion:
Pros:
- Unlikely to cause side effects
Cons:
- Homeopathic remedy
- Extremely low doses
- Questionable health claims on brand's website
- Questionable clinical claims on brand's website
- Strange comparisons made to prescription medication
- We can't find any studies on the active ingredient
