Factually! with Adam Conover - Nootropics Are Bull@#*t

Episode Date: August 16, 2024

(In addition to your weekly Factually! episode, this week we're bringing you a monologue from Adam. This short, researched monologue originally aired on the Factually! YouTube page, but we to start sharing audio versions of these monologues with our podcast audience as well. Please enjoy, and stay tuned for your regularly scheduled episode of Factually!) Wouldn't it be amazing if there were a magic pill that could unlock untapped potential in your mind? For years, internet hucksters have been raking in money by selling "nootropics"—pills they claim can do exactly that. But here's the truth: these pills aren't just ineffective, they can be downright dangerous, preying on people who are simply trying to improve themselves. In this video, Adam breaks down how the nootropics market skyrocketed and why it’s all just a load of BS.Get an additional 15% off any annual membership at masterclass.com/factuallySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is a HeadGum Podcast. You know, if you ask me, one of the simplest pleasures in life is getting up in the morning and reading the news with a nice bowl of cereal. I got my little ritual. I do some quick stretching. I drink a big glass of cool water, make some tea,

pull up some articles I'm interested in and sit down with a bowl of Magic Spoon. It's like the cereal you loved as a kid with flavors like fruity, cocoa, frosted and peanut butter, but every serving of Magic Sp spoon has 13 to 14 grams of protein, zero grams of sugar, and four to five grams of net carbs. So you can feel good about what you're eating.

What I really love about magic spoon personally is that it's such an easy source of protein. My little morning ritual is often cut short by me needing to run out the door. And I just love that I can have something fueling and high protein when I don't have time to cook. It is gluten-free, it's grain-free, it's keto-friendly, and it has zero sugar per serving.

I honestly don't understand how it tastes so incredible, but it freaking does, all right? I was eating this stuff long before they sponsored this show. It is literally a snack I've had many times. I love this stuff. It is so good. So find out for yourself, use my code FACTUALLY, or click the link in the description

to try Magic Spoon cereal today and get $5 off. You can also find Magic Spoon in your nearest grocery store. And get this, Magic Spoon is so confident in their product, it is backed with a hundred percent happiness guarantee online. So if you don't like it, for any reason, they will refund your money, no questions asked.

Got it? So click the link in the description to go to magicspoon.com slash factually for $5 off. You do that, I'm gonna eat this cereal. Feels like you can't watch a podcast or a YouTube video these days without seeing some dude hawking nootropics. Magic supplements that are supposed to make you smarter and more productive. Whether it's Huberman Labs or Joe Rogan's Alpha Brain, everyone's getting in on it. Even me! Introducing Big Brain Boy! Unleash your brain's true potential and become more productive with my patented blend of

dihydrogen oxide. Ever since starting Big Brain Boy, I've been faster, stronger, and able to do the New York Times Saturday Crossword in under a minute. AHHHHHHHHH BIG BRAIN BOY! It's like anabolic steroids for your mind! But what's the truth about nootropics? What does that word even mean and do these supposed miracle drugs really work at all? Well in today's video we are going to answer those questions, but before we get into it

I just want to thank our sponsor, Masterclass. And I especially want to thank everyone who supports these videos on Patreon. If you'd like to chip in to support us, head to patreon.com slash Adam Conover. We would love to have you. And if you like stand up comedy, I am on tour right now. Come see me in one of these cities located near you. Head to adamconover.net for tickets and tour dates. So the quest to improve yourself by taking supplements is a tale as old as time.

Like this creepy old timey ad for sarsaparilla. Makes the weak strong. Improves the complexion. Purifies the blood. Purifies the blood? They might as well have just written eugenics on that bottle and save themselves some space. But that search for supplement-based self-improvement has continued right up to the modern age. Everyone from hippies to Silicon Valley tech dudes have been looking for a magic brain enhancement pill. And in the early 2000s, this hunt was supercharged by none other than Bradley Cooper. That's right, before Brad was artificially enhancing his nose to pretend to be Jewish,

he was artificially enhancing his brain to pretend to be smart. In the movie Limitless, Cooper's character starts out as a broke schlub. See that guy? That's me. My excuse for looking like this? I'm a writer. Don't you love it when writers write stories

about how writers are total f***ing losers? Barton Fink adaptation, we really hate ourselves. But also, this is Bradley f***ing Cooper we're talking about. According to trustworthy source People Magazine, the dude is objectively hot. You can't fool me just because he needs a shower. But instead of hitting the hair and makeup trailer, Bradley goes in search of a magic pill. Eddie Mora! Hey!

Tell me about this book. Well, how much have you written of it? Not one word. Well, I suppose I can help you with that. You know how they say that we can only access 20% of our brains? This lets you access all of it. Okay, first of all, that is an absolute f***ing myth. No study, anywhere, has ever said

that we only use 10 or 20% of our brains. That's just something people have been repeating for no reason ever since philosopher William James made an offhand comment about it over a hundred years ago. Evolution was not going to give us a gigantic energy-hungry organ that we barely use just so the plot of Limitless could make sense. It is so spectacularly stupid, I'm using up 20% of my brain just being angry about it. Anyway, my favorite part of this trailer is when the greasy drug dealer claims, They've had clinical trials and it's FDA approved. Okay, I feel like that line came from a studio note that they couldn't promote illegal drug use, because nobody anywhere is dumb enough to think a single pill in a dime store baggie was approved by the FDA.

But, oh, remember, Brad's only using 20% of his brain at this point, enough to think a single pill in a dime store baggie was approved by the FDA. But oh, remember, Brad's only using 20% of his brain at this point, so he pops the pill and you guessed it, he becomes limitless. Okay, Bradley, a lot of people have done an upper and gotten a haircut. This is basically a movie about a guy who does some coke in the bathroom and then thinks he could be president. And yeah, it worked for George W. Bush, but that doesn't mean it'll work for you. But the crazy thing is, a lot of people were inspired by this movie. After it came out, searches for real limitless pills skyrocketed, and within the first year of the release of the film,

prescriptions for modafinil, a narcolepsy medication that treats drowsiness and brain fog, more than tripled. And you know what? I don't think it's because three times as many people were falling asleep at work. Dumb Dums just started popping other people's meds because they thought it would make them more like the Coop. And when that didn't work, they kept searching for new ways to be as hot and smart as a famous actor in full makeup taking a fictional pill. A lot of them wound up on a subreddit called r slash Neutropics, a thriving community of the internet randos,

crowdsourcing ways to boost performance by haphazardly mixing and matching random chemicals. It's a lot of fun. And these posters are asking for and doling out tons of reliable medical advice. Hotstud213 asks, is it wise to take Donepazil and Rivastigmine? To which JSEC2144 replies, it might work perhaps.

All right, that drug combo is Reddit approved. MajesticBullfrog37 wants to know if he can use nicotine instead of Adderall to treat his ADHD. You got it, buddy. Skip the pills and just light up during your math test. Pfft, ah, the nootropics are working already. I can feel it.

I mean, some of these posts are a little concerning. Like in this one, AmazingQuantity85 says they overdosed on nooptept. Oh yeah, I guess he really did take an amazing quantity, but don't worry, he was fine. The nooptept just made his tummy a little ooptept. But you know, all this amateur medical advice begs the question, what the fuck is a nootropic anyway?

Well, according to the New York Times, a neutropic can be any substance that may positively influence mental skills, whether it's a prescription drug like Adderall or a dietary supplement like fish oil. Yeah, that's right, may positively influence mental skills. That means you can claim that any substance is a neutropic because the word doesn't actually refer to any properties of the substance itself, only to what it supposedly does. Some neutropics do have a real psychoactive effect,

like Adderall, because they're actually prescription pharmaceuticals. But the vagueness of the term means that anyone can draft off of those real drugs to sell you a big stinking pile of non-prescription, unregulated, ineffective, understudied bullshit. The US Neutropics market reached $4.73 billion in 2023, and it's anticipated to be worth around $20 billion by 2033.

And that's a little bit of a problem because most Neutropics don't actually f***ing work. But before we get into why, let me tell you a little bit more about this video's sponsor. If you really want to improve your brain and become the best version of yourself, well guess what? With Masterclass, you can learn from the best to become your best. Masterclass is the only streaming platform where you can learn and grow with over 200 of the world's best. For just $10 a month, an annual membership with Masterclass gets you unlimited access to every instructor. And you can access Masterclass on your phone, computer, smart TV, or even in audio mode. Are you interested in really improving your brain?

Well ditch the supplements and check out their Brain Health Class. You can learn science-backed tips from the world's leading brain experts to combat brain fog and fatigue, all while exploring the science of super aging. As a person who uses my brain for a living, I always wanna know more about how my brain works. And this class helped me avoid stress, reduce anxiety, and learn how to use my brain more effectively every day. And you can too.

88% of members feel that MasterClass has made a positive impact in their lives. Plus, every new membership comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. So don't wait another moment to start your learning journey with MasterClass. So if it sounds too good to be true that you could take a pill and immediately become smarter, calmer, or more focused, that's because it probably is. While there are some nootropics that do have a significant effect,

those are the ones you've already heard of, specifically caffeine and some prescription medications. In general, there is no evidence to suggest that other nootropics work at all. A 2022 study that looked into several specific nootropics ultimately concluded that there is incomplete clinical evidence on their effectiveness and safety and that they cannot be recommended to most individuals. Hey, but Adam, what about my personal specific favorite nootropic that I swear works? I can feel safe taking that, right? Well, the answer is uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu. To take an example, let's look at the original

nootropic and still one of the most popular, Parasitam. Parasitam was first synthesized by Corneliu E. Gyrga, a man whose name is as fun to say as it is to spell. He was a Romanian chemist who first coined the word neutropic. And paracetam is still popular today, with fans on Reddit calling it a godsend that feels so good. You might even say it feels so Gheurgha-d.

Paracetam is not approved in the United States for any purpose, and it can cause psychological side effects like anxiety, depression, and insomnia. But despite that, nootropics noodlers take it because they believe it's a brain booster. Unfortunately for them, studies have found no evidence that paracetam is any better than a placebo. But here's the real problem. Even if you don't believe those studies, and you should, because paracetam, like all supplements, is completely unregulated by the FDA, if you buy it, you have no guarantee

that you're actually getting what you think you are. In one study, scientists analyzed the ingredients in popular paracetam supplements, and in one, there was literally no paracetam at all. And in others, the quantity varied wildly from the claimed amount on the packaging. These supplements contain between 830 milligrams to 11,300 milligrams of paracetam. That means the dose you're getting

could vary by over 10 times. Are you taking two pills or 20? You have no way of knowing. And accidentally overdosing yourself on paracetam is not harmless. Paracetam is metabolized by the kidneys, so if you have any kind of kidney issues, even just those that naturally come from aging, taking these pills can be like playing Russian roulette with your piss strainers. And it gets worse, because some nootropic supplements contain dangerous drugs that aren't

even disclosed on the packaging. In that same study, two of the analyzed neutropics contained brain-stimulating drugs that weren't listed on the product's labels, and these included fenibut, an addictive substance. And yeah, butts are addictive, but if you really want to eat ass, it's cheaper and safer to just re-download Grindr, okay? And the FDA agrees. I mean, not about eating ass, but about the dangers of nootropics. The FDA recently released a warning

about 17 nootropic supplements, but in terms of actual enforcement, they haven't done shit. And that's because, again, in the United States, supplements have no government oversight whatsoever. The FDA website even says, the FDA does not approve dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness or their labeling

before they are sold to the public. That means these companies and the podcasters they pay can say whatever the fuck they want. That's why I can legally say that my nootropic big brain boy will make you earn more money, make you irresistible to women, and give you better hair

than a freshly showered Bradley Cooper. Look at what it did for me. I'm hot now and I drive a super car. And if I'm lying, it doesn't fucking matter. As long as I put in teeny tiny print that these statements haven't been evaluated by the FDA, I can say whatever the fuck I want. In fact, nootropics companies

are so comically full of bullshit that even the brain-dead stuffed shirts on Shark Tank weren't fooled. In 2016, the company Nutribox went on Shark Tank and got absolutely f***ing reamed. All of our ingredients are generally regarded as safe. Generally regarded as not the same as safe. It just scares the hell out of me as an investor. And it scares the hell out of me as a human being because I don't think we know the long-term consequences. It scares the hell out of me as an investor. And it scares the hell out of me as a human being, because I don't think we know the long-term consequences. It scares the hell out of me. 40 million for sugar.

Holy shit! If Canadian Donald Trump thinks you're a ripoff, you are really screwed. And in this case, they were right. After a study in 2017 found that Nutribox's product was less neurologically stimulating than a plain old cup of coffee, they rebranded, and now they're selling something called ketones, which they claim are a powerful macronutrient, but are really just, you guessed it, caffeine shots. Even the Redditors are starting to wise up and realize there is no magic pill. In between the loving posts about word salad chemicals like peptide selenke and bacopa moneri,

there are posts like, why are 99% of nootropics useless despite sounding good on paper I don't know cuz they're not fucking real man do nootropics just don't work for some people yes nootropics do just don't work work on your grammar but you got the right idea and one user wrote I I have tried NewPept, Hooperzine A, Phenolpyracetam, Coluracetam, Fasoracetam, DMAE, AlphaGPC, Bacobomoneri, L-Pheonine, and L-Tyrosine. Nothing happens to me. It does the opposite of what it allegedly do. I have two more orders coming Saturday, Phenibut and Sobutiamine.

If these two don't work, I will try Bodafenil. Dude, go outside! Stop ordering nootropics! You've wasted thousands of dollars on alphabet soup! Like, I know you guys are chasing health and productivity, but it is not actually healthy or productive to spend all your time obsessing over magic brain pills. Like, look at this post, where Mystery Seeker 123 writes, I was so obsessed with my health that it was almost giving me anxiety. And have you guys ever tried taking nothing? What a f***ing brainstorm. This dude finally realized that just going to the doctor every once in a while, walking and eating vegetables made him feel way better than obsessively purchasing, consuming, and tracking mystery chemicals. The truth is that there are things in life that can make you smarter, more productive,

and happier. But they're not things some swole podcaster can sell you. Think about the most productive person you know. Are they hanging around Reddit, buying supplements from Andrew Huberman? Or are they just living their life and getting shit done? They're practicing piano, they're writing their novel, they're touching fucking grass! And they're also fucking up and failing just like you. There's nothing you can take that will make you a supercomputer,

and that's actually great because you're something so much more interesting. You're a fucking human being. And yes, that makes you fragile and imperfect. Nothing but a big ball of emotions that shits out of an asshole and gets sleepy and cries when they see a dog and orangutan become friends. Sure. And you know what is that frustrating sometimes?

To know that you can't be endlessly productive, that you won't get to be everything you ever dreamed of before you die? Abs-o-fucking-lutely. But that's the thing about spending your life chasing perfection. One day you will die, no matter how many supplements you take.

So do you really wanna spend your one precious life researching nootropic stacks and falling for scams peddled by the dumbest people on the internet? Or do you want to be a really big brain boy and throw that shit in the fucking trash?