Brainmaxxing

What is "brain health"

• Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to rewire itself. Existing neurons forming new connections, pruning unused ones, strengthening or weakening synapses based on use. This is how you learn, how you recover from injury. Declines with age, depression, and chronic stress.

• Neurogenesis is the literal growth of new neurons. Was thought impossible in adults until the 1990s. Happens primarily in the hippocampus (memory). Declines with age, depression, and inflammation.

• Synaptogenesis is the formation of new synapses (connections between neurons). This is the cellular substrate of learning. Every new skill you build is synaptogenesis in action.

• BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) is the master growth factor for neurons. Drives neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, and neuron survival across most of the brain, including the circuits behind memory, learning, mood, and attention. Low BDNF is associated with depression & cognitive decline.

• NGF (Nerve Growth Factor) is more narrowly targeted than BDNF. It specifically supports cholinergic neurons (the ones using acetylcholine), which are disproportionately responsible for memory and attention.

• GDNF (Glial-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) supports dopaminergic neurons specifically.

• Choline is an essential nutrient your brain uses to build neuron membranes (every neuron is made partly of choline-based fats) and to produce acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter behind memory and attention. Four eggs every morning covers baseline (600mg choline). No-brainer.

• Glutamate is the brain's main excitatory neurotransmitter. Roughly 80% of neurons in your brain communicate using glutamate. When one neuron fires and tells another neuron to activate, the molecule it releases is usually glutamate and it’s at the centre of learning and memory. Too much glutamate damages neurons (excitotoxicity). A balance of glutamate (excitatory) and GABA (inhibitory) signalling is what keeps the brain functioning well.

What to track

• Subjective: memory sharpness, mental stamina, learning speed, recall under pressure, mood baseline, sleep quality

• Cognitive performance over time. If your memory, learning speed, and mental stamina are holding steady or improving over years, your neurotrophic signalling is probably fine. If they're declining noticeably, something is off (which may or may not be growth factor related).

• Direct measurement of BDNF, NGF, or GDNF in blood isn't practical outside research settings, peripheral levels don't reliably reflect brain levels.

0- Lifestyle

• Stop all recreational drugs and alcohol completely. You cannot rebuild neural pathways while actively damaging them. even "moderate" drinking creates inflammation and disrupts neuroplasticity. 

• fix your gut health. the gut-brain axis is real and gut dysfunction creates systemic inflammation that crosses the blood-brain barrier and impairs recovery. 

• eat real food. brain tissue is energy-expensive and requires quality nutrition. processed food and seed oils create inflammation. whole foods, adequate protein, avoid industrial oils.

• optimize dopaminergic habits. if you're recovering from stimulant abuse, your dopamine system is wrecked. stop all supernormal stimuli - porn, excessive social media, video games, anything that provides easy dopamine hits. your brain needs to relearn how to find motivation in normal activities.

• Aerobic exercise. The single biggest natural lever for BDNF. 30 minutes, 3-5 times per week. Zone 2 cardio specifically grows new hippocampal neurons in humans.

• Resistance training. Independent cognitive benefits beyond aerobic, particularly for executive function and memory. Builds muscle that releases myokines like BDNF and irisin into the bloodstream.

• Learning new skills. Genuinely hard novel learning (language, instrument, complex sport) is the most direct neuroplasticity trigger. Watching educational content is not the same thing.

• Sleep. 7-9 hours, consistent timing. Most memory consolidation and synaptic remodelling happens during deep sleep. Chronic short sleep is one of the fastest ways to lose cognitive function.

• Social engagement. Strong social ties consistently associate with reduced cognitive decline. Isolation is a meaningful risk factor for dementia.

• Sauna. 3-4 sessions per week. Heat shock proteins protect neurons. Frequent sauna use to significantly reduced dementia and Alzheimer's risk.

• Avoid: alcohol (neurotoxic, suppresses neurogenesis), cannabis (downregulates dopamine, blunts motivation), high-frequency social media (trains the brain toward short attention spans), sleep restriction.

Tier 1 — Universal brainmaxxer essentials

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  Creatine, 5-10g daily. The brain uses creatine phosphate the same way muscle does, buffering ATP availability during demanding tasks. Helps short-term memory, reasoning, and mental fatigue.

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  Omega-3, 2-3g EPA+DHA daily. DHA is a structural component of every neuron membrane. Supports membrane fluidity, synaptic signalling, and BDNF expression over time.

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  Magnesium, 200-400 mg daily. Required cofactor for the NMDA receptor (the main learning and memory receptor in the brain) and hundreds of other brain enzymes. Deficiency is common and meaningfully impairs cognition.

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  Vitamin B12, if deficient. Required for myelin synthesis (the insulation around neurons) and neurotransmitter production. Deficiency causes cognitive symptoms ranging from brain fog to dementia-like presentation. Test before supplementing.

Tier 2 — Building blocks and precursors

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  Bacopa Monnieri, 300-600 mg standardised extract daily (50% bacosides). Ayurvedic herb with one of the strongest evidence bases for a natural cognitive supplement. Drives dendritic branching (neuron receivers), supports BDNF, and improves memory formation. Effects build over 8-12 weeks, not acute.

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  Lion's Mane Mushroom, 1-2g daily extract. Contains compounds that cross the blood-brain barrier and stimulate NGF production. Most evidenced cognitive supplement in the natural category. Effects build over months. (there’s a growing reddit community claiming it ruined them similar to finasteride & ashwagandha)

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  Phosphatidylserine, 100-300 mg daily. A phospholipid that's structurally part of every neuron membrane. Supplementation has decent evidence for memory and cognitive function in older adults. Less impressive in healthy young people. Often stacked with omega-3.

• 
  Alpha-GPC or
  
  CDP Choline (citicoline), 300-600 mg daily. Both are choline sources that cross the blood-brain barrier and raise acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter behind memory and attention. Alpha-GPC raises acetylcholine more directly, CDP Choline supports both acetylcholine and dopamine. Use as tools to bump Choline if your diet is low.

• 
  Uridine, 250-500 mg daily. A nucleotide your brain uses to build neuron membranes and synapses. Often stacked with DHA and choline as the "Mr Happy Stack" because the three combined raise synaptic density measurably in research models.

Tier 3 — Peptides and stronger neuroplasticity agents

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  Semax, nasal spray or injectable. Russian-developed peptide that raises BDNF and NGF directly. Used clinically in Russia for stroke recovery, ADHD, and cognitive enhancement. Subjective effects on focus and motivation in days, neuroplasticity effects over weeks.

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  Selank, nasal spray or injectable. Sister peptide to Semax, more anxiolytic. Raises BDNF, reduces anxiety without sedation. Worth considering if anxiety is part of why brain function feels off.

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  9-Me-BC, 5-15 mg daily. Promotes dopaminergic neuron survival and mild monoamine oxidase inhibition. More targeted at protecting and supporting the dopamine system than building new neurons broadly. Some users notice improved mood and motivation.

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  Selegiline, 5-10 mg daily. Selective MAO-B inhibitor (the enzyme that breaks down dopamine). Preserves dopamine that would otherwise be broken down. Real neuroprotective effects on dopaminergic neurons, used in Parkinson's. Most relevant 40+ where dopamine systems start showing decline.

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  Racetams (piracetam, aniracetam, phenylpiracetam) (piracetam and aniracetam specifically), dosing varies. The original nootropic class. Mechanism still partly unclear but evidence suggests they support membrane fluidity and cholinergic function over time. Improve learning and memory in healthy and impaired subjects. (Phenylpiracetam is closer to a short-term stimulant)

• 
  Methylene Blue, 0.5-2 mg/kg daily microdose. At low chronic doses, real neuroprotective evidence in dementia and age-related cognitive decline. Acts as a backup electron carrier in mitochondria and protects against oxidative damage in the brain.

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  Noopept, 10-30 mg daily, oral or sublingual. Russian-developed nootropic, more potent than racetams. Raises BDNF and NGF in animal models, with real but variable subjective effects on memory and clarity in users. Most evidence from Russian research groups, broader human data is thinner.

Tier 4 — Heavy/experimental

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  Cerebrolysin, injection. A cocktail of neurotrophic peptides (essentially fragments resembling BDNF, NGF, and GDNF activity) extracted from pig brain. Used clinically for stroke, traumatic brain injury, dementia, and ADHD. The most clinically validated neuroplasticity intervention in this tier.

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  Dihexa, 8-45 mg daily oral. A potent synthetic peptide that crosses the blood-brain barrier and triggers synaptogenesis through a hepatocyte growth factor pathway. Animal data shows dramatic memory improvements, human data is thinner. Anecdotally one of the strongest brain peptides available.

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  Pinealon, injected, cycle-based protocols (typically 5-10 days). Russian-developed short peptide claimed to provide neuroprotection, reduce oxidative damage in brain tissue, and support hippocampal function. Mechanism is plausible and animal evidence exists, primarily from Russian research groups. Reasonably consistent user reports of improved memory, mental clarity, and mood over a cycle.

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  P21, injected. A neurogenic peptide derived from Cerebrolysin, narrower mechanism but more concentrated. Targets hippocampal neurogenesis specifically.

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  NSI-189, oral. Selective neurogenic compound, strongest evidence for hippocampal neurogenesis specifically. Originally researched for depression. Limited human data outside trials.

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  ACD856, oral. Newer compound that potentiates NGF and BDNF signalling without directly raising the growth factors. Early human trials.