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Piracetam

Also known as: Pyracetam, Pyrrolidone acetamide, 2-Oxo-1-pyrrolidine, Memotopril, Fezam (with cinnarizine), UCB6215

Overview

Piracetam is the parent compound of the racetam class of nootropic supplements. When supplemented, it provides a mild boost to brain function. Piracetam is the prototype for racetam supplements, which are a group of synthetic supplements intended to provide a cognitive boost. Piracetam has a history of being used to treat cognitive impairment. According to a meta-analysis on human studies, piracetam improves general cognition when supplemented by people in a state of cognitive decline, such as the kind that comes with aging. Though piracetam may be a useful supplement for improving longevity, it offers limited benefits for healthy people. Healthy people supplementing piracetam do experience little to no cognitive benefit. Though piracetam supplementation in healthy people is understudied, preliminary evidence suggests that piracetam is most effective for older people. Piracetam supplementation has also been found to reduce the chances of a breath-holding spell in children. Piracetam enhances cellular membrane fluidity. This mechanism explains why piracetam is able to improve cognition, particularly in elderly people. Piracetam is as effective as aspirin when it comes to preventing blood clotting, which makes it a useful supplemental intervention after cardiovascular trauma.

Benefits

Piracetam enhances cellular membrane fluidity. This mechanism explains why piracetam is able to improve cognition, particularly in elderly people.

How it works

Piracetam is most often used for Brain Health. It is linked to cognitive improvement, breath holding spells, and more. It has been found to improve general cognition in individuals experiencing cognitive decline, particularly in older adults. Additionally, it has been shown to reduce the chances of breath-holding spells in children.

Side effects

The standard piracetam dose for children is between 40-100mg per kilogram of bodyweight. This dose is intended for the treatment of breath-holding spells, though it has also been used for children with dyslexia. The lower end of the range (40-50mg/kg) is used most often. The standard piracetam dose for adults is between 1,200-4,800mg a day. The largest effective dose is 1,600mg, taken three times a day for a total of 4,800mg.