Vitaae is a nootropic supplement sold by a brand called SANE Laboratories. The brand describes their supplement as a " clinically proven brain health and anti aging supplement."
But does Vitaae contain ingredients shown in clinical trials to improve cognition? Does it contain any unhealthy additives? Will the supplement cause side effects? And how do real users rate and describe its effects?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Vitaae to give our take on whether or not the supplement is likely to be effective as as nootropic, and whether or not it's healthy.
We’ll also highlight some questionable health and media claims on the Vitaae website, and feature customer reviews of the supplement.
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Vitaae are shown above.
Vitamin D is the first active ingredient, at a dose of 125 micrograms (mcg).
This is 625% of the daily value (DV). Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning it bioaccumulates. It may be unsafe to take such a high daily dose of vitamin D without a vitamin D deficiency, and we can't find any evidence that this dose of vitamin D has a cognitive-enhancing effect.
Magnafolate C is a patented form of folic acid, which is a B-vitamin.
We can’t identify any clinical trials showing that this ingredient increases cognition, nor are any currently cited by the manufacturer.
Citicoline has been shown in a clinical trial published in The Journal of Nutrition to improve memory in older adults, however the dose used in the study was 500 milligrams (mg) per day, or 5x the amount in Vitaae.
We can’t find any studies showing it to be effective at the relatively low dose in Vitaae.
Coenzyme Q-10 has been clinically shown to slow age-related cognitive decline at a daily dose of 200 mg, as we documented in our review of another nootropic supplement called Focus Factor.
However, the dose in Vitaae is only 50 mg.
The remaining active ingredients are included in a proprietary blend called “VitaalMind Proprietary Blend.”
Acetyl l-carnitine was studied in a 2017 medical review.
The study authors analyzed whether the compound could cause cognitive enhancement in people without cognitive impairment, and concluded that there was not enough evidence to suggest so.
L-carnitine tartrate is typically used for athletic endurance. We can’t identify any clinical research suggesting it’s effective for improving brain function.
Gymnema sylvestre leaf extract was shown to improve blood vessel health in the brain of diabetic rats in a 2021 clinical trial, however this doesn’t necessarily mean the same effects apply in humans.
Omega 3 fatty acids can improve brain health, but the 450 mg average ingredient dose in this blend is relatively low.
One single can of sardines provides drastically more EPA than this supplement according to the USDA.
Overall, we consider Vitaae unlikely to have a nootropic effect because we’re unable to identify any active ingredients that we consider effectively dosed based on a review of clinical research.
The supplement does contain some effective ingredients, but those ingredients may be underdosed.
The good news is that the inactive ingredients in this formulation should be safe and non-toxic.
Questionable Health Claims
There are a number of highly questionable health claims on the Vitaae website that we disagree with.
The brand features a graphic, shown above, suggesting “brain-boosting ‘fountain of youth’ results.”
This graphic is misleading because it makes it seem as though the results are from a clinical trial on Vitaae, when they actually derive from a clinical trial on one of its ingredients, citicoline.
The clinical trial cited by the brand to back this claim used doses far higher than exist in Vitaae: 250 mg or 500 mg of daily citicoline supplementation.
The dose in Vitaae is only 100 mg.
The brand claims that their product is “clinically proven,” but we can't find any clinical trials on Vitaae.
The citation for this claim is to the same clinical trial linked above, which tested citicoline at a higher dose than exists in Vitaae.
SANE Labs claims that one of their ingredients “helps reverse neurological inflammation.” There is no citation for this claim, we cannot find any evidence of it, and this is a specific disease claim that is in violation of FDA guidelines.
Questionable Media Claims
SANE Labs claims to be one of the Inc 500 fastest-growing companies.
We found no mention of their brand on Inc’s website or in their fastest-growing companies list.
At the top of the Vitaae website, there’s a claim that the brand is “seen on” major media publishers like TIME and The Wall Street Journal.
We searched all five websites and found no references to Vitaae on any of them.
Perhaps the brand was referencing television apperances, but we recommend that consumers exercise caution with brands that make media claims without providing proof.
Does Vitaae Cause Side Effects?
Vitaae does not appear to have been studied in any clinical trials, which makes it challenging to say whether or not the supplement will cause side effects.
However, we can make an educated guess based on its ingredients.
All of the active ingredients in Vitaae are safe and well-studied at their included doses, so we do not believe that the supplement is likely to cause side effects in healthy adults.
A medical review published in the BioMed Research International journal found that high doses of Gymnema sylvestre may cause side effects such as hypoglycemia, weakness and excessive sweating.
We do not consider the dose in Vitaae likely to be high, but the brand fails to publish the individual ingredient dose. This is why we consider prop blends (where only the total dose of the blend is listed) to be harmful to consumers.
There is currently no mention of side effects on the Vitaae brand website.
Our Clean Nootropic Picks
Mind Lab Pro by Performance Lab is our top premium 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.
Performance Lab MCT Oil is our top food-based nootropic pick.
MCT oil is derived from coconut oil, and improved memory recall by 20% in adults in a 2022 meta-study.
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.
Customers Rate Vitaae
Amazon is a better resource for honest customer reviews than a brand’s website in our opinion.
At the time of updating this article, Vitaae has been reviewed over 2,000 times on Amazon, and has an average customer review rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars.
A top positive review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named “Mary Bouldin” who gave the product a 5/5 rating:
“Phlegm is SO much less. The side effects are A-OK as well. Lost 10 pounds in 8 days, and now have twice the energy as well. I know not everything works for everyone, but for me, it's really been a game-changer.”
A top negative review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named “Randy Rawls” who gave the product a 1/5 rating:
“First, the delivery took an extended time, making me wonder where it is manufactured. Second, I was shocked to find a capsule ONE INCH long. If I could swallow something that big, I wouldn't have the phlegm problem. Since it's not returnable, I'm out the cost of the first bottle. Order at your own risk.”
SANE Labs has an average review rating of 2.33 out of 5 stars on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website, and responds to the majority of customer complaints, which is a good sign of brand quality.
A BBB reviewer named “T.S.” claims that the product is effective but dislikes the company’s business practices:
“Love the product, business practice is deceptive. The advertise one thing and do another. Don't fall for the bogus promotions.”
Where to Get the Best Price
Vitaae is sold on the brand's website and on Amazon at the time of updating this article.
Here's a price comparison for a one-time purchase:
Brand website: $46.95 (plus shipping, link)
Amazon: $39.95 (free shipping, link to official Amazon listing)
Vitaae is currently around 25% cheaper at Amazon than the brand’s official website when factoring in shipping fees.
Vitaae Pros and Cons
Here are the pros and cons of Vitaae in our opinion:
Pros:
- Some research-backed active ingredients
- Safe inactive ingredients
- Unlikely to cause side effects
- Decent BBB reviews
Cons:
- Many active ingredients may be underdosed
- Doesn't appear clinically tested
- Relatively high vitamin D dose
- Brand website charges for shipping
- Mediocre Amazon reviews
- Challenging to find real customer reviews on TikTok or YouTube
- Questionable health claims on brand's website
- Questionable media claims on brand's website
