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 "Turbocharge Memory" and "Intensify Focus."
But does Noobru contain ingredients shown in research studies to support memory and focus? Does the brand use any unhealthy 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 to give our take on whether or not the supplement is likely to have a nootropic (cognitive enhancing) effect, and whether or not it's healthy.
We'll feature real customer reviews, and share our concerns about some of the health and media claims on the Noobru website.
Key takeaways:
- Contains some research-backed ingredients for cognition
- Contains four ingredients we consider unhealthy
- We do not currently recommend Noobru
Ingredient Analysis
The active ingredients in Noobru Advantage are shown below:
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, but the doses used in all of the examined studies were vastly higher than in Noobru.
Alpha GPC is clinically shown to support cognitive function, as we documented in our Auri Mushroom Gummies reviews article.
However, it's also clinically shown to worsen arterial function and increase stroke risk in older adults (source 1, source 2).
Phosphatidylserine is another research-backed nootropic ingredient, and was shown in a 2010 medical review to enhance memory.
The inactive ingredients in Noobru are shown below:
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.
Sucralose is clinically shown to worsen insulin function, as we documented in our is Neuro Gum bad for you article.
Overall, we consider Noobru Advantage likely to support optimal cognitive function, but we do not currently recommend this supplement due to the inclusion of Alpha GPC and the three inactive ingredients highlighted above, which we consider to be unhealthy.
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 stated ingredients.
We do not consider Noobru likely to cause acute side effects in otherwise healthy adults, because its ingredients are relatively well-studied.
However, we are concerned about the risk of long-term side effects of Alpha GPC intake in older adults, for reasons explained in the Ingredient Analysis section of this article.
At the time of updating this article, the brand's website states that there are "zero reported side effects" which is false, because there are reported side effects in customer reviews on the product's Amazon listing.
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
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.
Both of the products mentioned in this section are free of ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy.
Noobru Pros and Cons
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
