Noobru is a supplement brand that's been growing in popularity. The company's most popular product is a powdered nootropic supplement called Noobru Advantage that's used to "Think Clear" and "Boost Focus."
But does Noobru contain ingredients shown in clinical studies to support optimal cognition, or are these just marketing claims? Does the brand use any questionable additive ingredients? How do real users rate and describe the effects of Noobru? And was Noobru really featured in The Guardian?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Noobru based on clinical studies to give our take on whether or not the supplement is likely to have a nootropic (cognitive enhancing) effect.
We'll feature unsponsored customer reviews of the brand, and share our concerns about some of the health and media claims on the Noobru website.
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Noobru Advantage are shown above.
Some of the active ingredients do have research backing for their nootropic effect.
Choline bitartrate "has shown favorable effects...in terms of improved cognitive function" according to a medical review published in the Frontiers in Endocrinology journal.
N-acetyl tyrosine is a dopamine precursor, and can improve cognitive function during short-term stress (such as an exam setting) according to a 2015 medical review.
Alpha GPC is clinically shown to support cognitive function, as we documented in our Auri Mushroom Gummies reviews article.
Phosphatidylserine is another research-backed nootropic ingredient, and was shown in a 2010 medical review to enhance memory.
Some of the inactive ingredients in this supplement, however, may be questionable from a health perspective.
Erythritol is a naturally-derived sweetener that can increase blood clotting and is associated with increased risk of stroke according to a medical review published in the Nature Medicine journal.
Citric acid is clinically shown to trigger whole-body inflammation in some individuals.
Natural flavors is a broad categorical descriptor that fails to document the specific flavoring agents used, and without this information it's challenging to make a safety assessment.
Overall, we consider Noobru Advantage to be an effectively formulated supplement for nootropic effect, but it's not a product we currently recommend given the inactive ingredients highlighted above.
Real People Try Noobru
A YouTube creator named "RunArnoRun" has a video sharing his experience after taking Noobru Advantage for a full year:
A TikTok creator named Leslie Crudup suggests in the comments that Noobru has been helpful for supporting her focus:
@lesliecrudup4 For focus....works well. #busyleslie #beaxtraordinary #beaprettybuddha #beabrilliant #focus #noobru #wellness #fyp #mentalhealth ♬ Peace - BCD Studio
Does Noobru Cause Side Effects?
Noobru doesn't appear to be clinically tested, which makes it challenging to predict the risk of side effects.
However, we can make an educated guess based on its ingredients.
We already discussed the potential risk related to erythritol in the ingredient analysis section.
Alpha GPC increased the risk of stroke by over 40% in people over 50 years old in one medical review, as we documented in our Quantumind reviews article.
Based on these two active ingredients, we consider the risk of side effects to be somewhat higher for Noobru than for the average nootropic supplement that we've reviewed to date on Illuminate Health.
We would advise patients to speak with their doctor about the ingredients in this supplement before taking it.
Questionable Claims on Brand's Website
There are a number of questionable and uncited claims on the Noobru website that we want to call reader attention to.
As shown below, Noobru's website suggests that the supplement was praised in The Guardian:
However, we can't find any evidence that this is the case, and as shown below, a search of the brand's name on The Guardian's website returns no results:
The Noobru website also claims that their formulation delivers a synergy "far more potent" than the sum of the individual effects from the active ingredients:
We don't understand how the brand can make this specific health claim, since this supplement doesn't appear to have been studied in any clinical trials.
There is no citation provided for this claim.
We recommend that consumers be extremely wary when purchasing from brands that make specific and uncited health claims.
Our Clean Nootropic Picks
There are compounds which have been shown in medical studies to be effective for cognitive enhancement and memory support.
MCT oil is a food supplement derived from coconut oil that improved memory recall by 20% in adults in a 2022 meta-study.
Bulletproof MCT Oil is our top MCT oil pick, because its only ingredient is MCT oil derived from coconuts and it has zero additives. It currently retails for under $16.
Ginkgo biloba extract is arguably the most well-studied nootropic supplement apart from caffeine.
A medical review published in the Psychopharmacology journal found that ginkgo biloba supplementation improved attention and cognitive performance in healthy, young adults.
Illuminate Labs Ginkgo Biloba Extract is our supplement which is third-party tested to ensure purity and label accuracy, and retails for only $15 at a subscription price.
Panax ginseng extract is another well-studied nootropic supplement. A 2013 clinical trial found that ginseng extract caused "overwhelmingly positive effects on neurocognitive function across different cognitive domains."
Illuminate Labs Panax Ginseng Extract is our supplement which is third-party tested to ensure purity and label accuracy, and retails for only $15 at a subscription price.
Pros and Cons of Noobru
Here are the pros and cons of Noobru in our opinion:
Pros:
- Should support cognition
- Should support memory
- Stimulant-free
- Free shipping
Cons:
- Contains erythritol
- Contains citric acid
- Contains natural flavors
- Contains Alpha GPC
- Doesn't appear clinically tested
- Brand makes questionable health and media claims
- Some ingredients may cause side effects
