When is the last time you woke up with full confidence in yourself and your abilities? How often do you feel like your brain is firing on all cylinders? If you were to rate your brain’s performance on a daily basis, what would you rate it?
Look, we get it — not everyone has the intelligence or determination that Elon Musk has. Not many people have the passion that Neil DeGrasse Tyson has, the consistency that Warren Buffett has, or the creativity that Steve Jobs had. And no, there’s no such thing as a Limitless pill that helps you access 100% of your brain at once — unfortunately.
While there’s nothing quite as effective as learning, studying, reading, practicing, and training, those are not the only ways you can improve your brain function. With the introduction of a quality daily nootropic, your brain can easily receive the nutrients it needs for maximum performance.
Nootropics are the new hot trend today, so it’s no surprise that companies from all over are creating their own nootropic formulas. Some of these formulas are highly-effective and do exactly what they’re supposed to. Unfortunately, though, that’s not the case with most of them.
In this review, we’re going to break down everything there is to know about a nootropic supplement called Awaken Gold. This is a newer formula that claims to be the best on the market — but, we’ll see about that. So, without further ado, let’s dive right into this Awaken Gold review!
What Is Awaken Gold?
Awaken Gold is a nootropic supplement curated by Awakened Alchemy, a company located in Brooklyn, New York. They stand by their three core values — integrity, transparency, and effectiveness — and are dedicated to helping others strengthen their mind and body daily.
It’s a daytime supplement that awakens your mind and gives it the fuel needed for maximum performance. It’s supposed to help with learning ability, memory, focus, mental clarity, and motivation. Unlike many nootropic supplements, Awaken Gold doesn’t contain caffeine.
Their Awaken Gold formula is one of four nutritional supplements offered by the company. They also offer Awaken, Mind: Restore, and Thrive Gold. Awaken is their original formula, with Awaken Gold being their new-and-improved formula (the two are very similar).
Mind: Restore is the nighttime equivalent of Awaken Gold. It’s a completely different formula with unique ingredients, but is most effective when combined with Awaken Gold during the day. Thrive Gold is more of an anti-aging supplement that focuses on the body, opposed to the mind.
If you’re searching for a brain-enhancing supplement that utilizes quality ingredients, Awaken Gold is a good place to start. There’s a lot to like about the formula, but that doesn’t always mean it’s the best option out there. Let’s learn a little bit more about this particular supplement.
What Are Nootropics?
Nootropics are a special line of supplements that enhance brain function in a multitude of ways. They utilize a variety of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs, and other natural nootropic ingredients. In essence, nootropic supplements aren’t supposed to cause any side effects.
Nootropics improve brain function in five major ways — energy, mood, focus, memory, and health. Some nootropic ingredients improve one area, some improve a combination of areas, and some improve all areas.
Since everyone’s body is unique, what works for one person might not work for another person. The good news is there are a limited amount of ingredients that are considered true nootropics, which means a good formula is easy to spot. The key is finding the one that reacts best with your body, which often takes a bit of trial-and-error.
How To Take Awaken Gold
Awaken Gold is sold in capsule form, which means it’s very easy to take whenever, wherever. At the same time, there are a few directions and guidelines that must be followed if you want to be safe with it.
For starters, you should limit yourself to 4 capsules per day. The normal dosage is 2 capsules and that’s what they recommend starting your day with — preferably before you eat breakfast, but not mandatory. Taking it on an empty stomach does help expedite the effect.
You should also know that it might take a few days of taking the supplement before you truly start noticing effects, which gradually become more pronounced over time. It doesn’t contain caffeine, it’s not considered a stimulant, and it doesn’t have any additives.
The good news is you can continue drinking caffeine while taking Awaken Gold. In fact, they’ll compliment each other well — amplifying the effects of Awaken Gold and reducing the jitters from caffeine. This is because of the L-Theanine in Awaken Gold, which we’ll discuss below.
If taking Awaken Gold long-term, you should get in the habit of taking a few days off every month — once per week is best. Your mind and body can always use a break, especially if being combined with any other supplements.
Awaken Gold Claims
It doesn’t matter what type of supplement or product a company is selling, they’re going to make some claims or guarantees about it — they need to market the product somehow. The problem most supplement companies face today is they don’t follow through with those claims.
Before we deep-dive any further into Awaken Gold’s formula, let’s take a look at the claims they make — that way, we can judge how truthful this product really is:
- Nourishes the brain, fuels ingenuity, and unleashes creativity
- Improves learning, memory, focus, clarity, positive thoughts, motivation, drive, and long-term brain health
- Caffeine-free, additive-free, and stimulant-free
- Increases BDNF and NGF, as well as neurotransmitter activity
- 30-Day Satisfaction Guarantee
- Free Worldwide Shipping
Those claims fall in line with most nootropics on the market today, so there’s nothing farfetch’d about anything listed above. The major question from this point forward is whether or not the ingredients in the formula provide those benefits — without side effects.
How Does Awaken Gold Differ From Awaken?
Earlier, we mentioned how Awaken Gold is the new-and-improved Awaken formula — which is the company’s original formula. We also mentioned how there aren’t a whole lot of differences between the two. In fact, they share 10/11 same ingredients.
The one ingredient that separates the two is Noopept, also known by its scientific name n-phenylacetyl-l-prolylglycine ethyl ester. It’s found in Awaken Gold, but not in Awaken. The other 10 ingredients found in both formulas are the same — though dosages vary.
We’ll talk more about Noopept below, but the main takeaway here is that the two formulas are very similar. There’s only a $10 difference between the two, so it really comes down to whether or not you want Noopept. If you don’t, Awaken makes up for it with higher doses of everything else.
Awaken Gold Ingredients
By now, we have a solid understanding of what this nootropic supplement is supposed to do and how they recommend taking it. One of the main things we’re missing is the ingredients, but don’t worry — we’re going to break those down one-by-one so you know exactly what you’re getting.
There are 11 ingredients total — 10 of which are natural. They include Phenylethylamine, N-phenylacetyl-l-prolylglycine ethyl ester, PQQ, L-Theanine, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, KSM-66, CDP Choline, Uridine 5’-Monophosphate, Phosphatidylserine, Methylcobalamin, and Bioperine.
Let’s take a closer look!
N-Phenylacetyl-L-prolylglycine ethyl ester – 20mg
This might look like a scary word, but it’s just the scientific name for Noopept — that ingredient we’ve mentioned several times thus far. Noopept, also known as N-Phenylacetyl-L-prolylglycine ethyl ester, is an ampakine nootropic that falls in the class of racetam-like compounds.
Noopept is supposed to be a much stronger version of Piracetam, the first nootropic ever created. While Piracetam was discovered by a Belgian company, Noopept was discovered by a Russian company.
In the brain, Noopept helps increase cycloprolylglycine (CPG) levels, which consists of both glycine and proline. Together, these two compounds act as an acetylcholine (memory) modulator and AMPA receptor. It boosts learning, memory, perception, logic, and mood.
When taking Noopept in a supplement, it’s best when stacked with a choline supplement. Avoid an empty stomach when taking Noopept because it might cause a headache. Instead, take it after eating a meal that contains healthy fats.
Recommended Dosage: 10-30mg per day
Phenylethylamine – 350mg
Phenylethylamine is a trace amino acid that might look similar to another amino acid commonly found in supplements — L-Phenylalanine. Although the two are different, L-Phenylalanine is eventually converted to Phenylethylamine inside the brain.
Phenylethylamine has several benefits when taken as directed. It activates TAAR1 and TAAR2 receptors in the brain, which increases dopamine and serotonin release. The presence of monoamine oxidase helps protect the brain and relieves anxiety in certain people.
The main issue with Phenylethylamine is the effects are short-lived. It’ll help you feel less-anxious and happier, but the half-life of these effects is only about 5-10 minutes. It won’t harm you if you follow directions, but I don’t see why they used this ingredient (opposed to others).
Recommended Dosage: 500-1,500mg per day
PQQ (pyrroloquinoline quinone) – 20mg
When PQQ was discovered, it quickly grew in popularity as the first nutrient to ever help the body create more mitochondria in each cell. This helps give the body more cellular energy, which means better performance across the board — mind and body.
If you take PQQ as directed, it acts as a very potent antioxidant and helps reduce oxidative stress in the body. It also helps stimulate Nerve Growth Factor in the brain. Overall, this nutrient is designed to increase energy, brain health, memory, recall, and cognition.
Believe it or not, PQQ is actually found in a variety of foods we eat often — including beans, celery, cocoa, fermented foods (i.e. tempeh, natto), kiwi, papaya, parsley, potatoes, spinach and wine. It also goes by the name pyrroloquinoline quinone.
Unfortunately, there’s only one type of PQQ supplement that’s effective and natural — BioPQQ® by Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company of Japan. The rest are made synthetically and won’t produce the same effects. If it’s not BioPQQ, then you’re better off with another ingredient.
Recommended Dosage: 10-30mg per day
L-Theanine – 100mg
If you’re a caffeine-lover, then L-Theanine might be your new favorite nutrient. It’s also known as r-glutamylethylamide and is commonly found in green tea — as well as Xerocomus badius (a type of mushroom). When taken as directed, it helps calm your nerves and relaxes you.
Although it’s a non-dietary amino acid, L-Theanine is structurally similar to L-Glutamate and L-Glutamine, two neurotransmitters in the brain. It can cross the blood-brain barrier and only takes about a half-hour to reach the brain. It boosts both alpha and theta brain waves.
L-Theanine is often combined with caffeine because the two work well together. It helps relieve the jitters and crash often associated with caffeine, allowing you to enjoy the true effects of caffeine. If you ever see caffeine in a supplement, make sure there’s also L-Theanine.
Recommended Dosage: 250-1,200mg per day
N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine – 100mg
L-Tyrosine is a very important amino acid that gets converted to L-DOPA with the help of tyrosine hydroxylase (an enzyme) inside the brain. Once converted to L-DOPA, the brain converts it into dopamine — which is then converted into epinephrine and norepinephrine.
N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine is the most bioavailable form of L-Tyrosine, so it’s no wonder they chose this form for the formula. It’s a highly-effective cognitive enhancer that provides the most benefit when under extreme stress or in a high-pressured situation.
In addition to that, L-Tyrosine is known to increase thyroid hormones T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (thyroxine). These hormones are extremely important throughout the body and are necessary for a wide range of body processes throughout the day.
Recommended Dosage: 350-1,000mg per day
KSM-66 (Ashwagandha) – 150mg
Ashwagandha, also known as KSM-66, is one of the most popular and effective nootropic supplements available today. It’s a staple in traditional Ayurvedic medicine and is one of the most frequently-studied nootropic ingredients. You can’t go wrong with Ashwagandha.
It’s best-known for its ability to reverse and repair damage in the brain that was caused by stress or anxiety. It also acts as an antioxidant, helps protect the brain, and it inhibits acetylcholinesterase — an enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine (memory).
When taken as directed, Ashwagandha has stress-relieving properties, reduces oxidative stress and inflammation, improves memory, and increases brain health. Any nootropic that wants to improve mood must contain Ashwagandha — end of story.
Recommended Dosage: 100-500mg per day
Citicoline – 225mg
There are several different choline sources found in nootropic formulas, but Citicoline is one of the most effective — along with AlphaGPC. Choline is very important because it helps synthesize acetylcholine, the main neurotransmitter for memory and learning.
Citicoline, which is also referred to as CDP-Choline or cytidine 5′-diphosphocholine, gets converted into choline and cytidine in the brain. The presence of cytidine is what separates Citicoline from other choline sources, such as AlphaGPC.
Cytidine is a component of RNA and eventually converts into uridine, which improves transmission between neuron cells. Combining it with choline makes this one of the best memory-enhancing ingredients available today.
CDP Choline can also be found in other potent nootropics like Avantera Elevate.
Recommended Dosage: 250-1,000mg per day
Uridine 5’-Monophosphate – 150mg
Uridine 5’-Monophosphate is a pyrimidine nucleoside that’s found in most living organisms — including bacteria. It’s one of four recurring compounds that make up RNA and DNA, making it necessary for brain development.
Although Uridine Monophosphate is an effective nutrient, especially when combined with a choline source, it’s not 100% needed in this formula because Citicoline already converts into Uridine in the brain. Adding extra isn’t harmful, but it’s certainly not required.
Overall, Uridine 5’-Monophosphate will have similar effects as Citicoline. It improves cognition, learning, memory, mood, and helps protect the brain long-term. It’s best combined with a B-Vitamin Complex, Omega-3s, and trace minerals (magnesium).
Recommended Dosage: 100-500mg per day
Phosphatidylserine – 100mg
Did you know there’s a membrane that surrounds every single one of the cells inside your body? Phosphatidylserine is a phospholipid component of that membrane and it’s extremely important to sustained brain health and optimum brain function.
Phosphatidylserine helps improve the permeability and fluidity of brain cells. Without this essential nutrient, the body wouldn’t be able to transfer proteins, enzymes, nutrients, oxygen and glucose from one cell to the next. Neurons would struggle to communicate as well.
By increasing Nerve Growth Factor and helping build mitochondria in the cell, Phosphatidylserine improves memory formation, brain health, focus, alertness, recall, and mood. It’s found in most nootropic supplements today and for good reason.
Recommended Dosage: 100-300mg per day
Methylcobalamin – 25mcg
We’ve all heard of methylcobalamin, even if you have no idea what it is. Methylcobalamin is the active form of Vitamin B12, which is also known as cobalamin. The body can’t use Vitamin B12 until it attaches to a methyl group, which is where Methylcobalamin comes in.
Vitamin B12 is found in a wide variety of foods including animal liver, kidneys, clams, sardines, beef, fortified cereal, tuna, trout, and salmon. It improves cerebral circulation, synthesizes a variety of neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin, GABA, and norepinephrine), and improves mood.
Since Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin, supplementation is necessary on a daily basis if you aren’t receiving the right amounts through your diet. Any excess Vitamin B12 is eventually excreted from the body, opposed to being stored like fat-soluble vitamins.
Recommended Dosage: 100mcg per day
Bioperine – 5mg
BioPerine is a staple in virtually every nootropic supplement — or any supplement, really. It’s a basic ingredient and we even use it often when cooking. BioPerine is the trademark name for Piperine, the active ingredient in black pepper.
That’s right, the black pepper inside your shaker at home is much more valuable than you think. In addition to adding spice and flavor to your food, it helps activate and absorb all the other nutrients being consumed. Believe it or not, the same goes for supplements.
When added to a nootropic formula, BioPerine makes it that much more effective. It helps absorb nutrients, improve metabolism, increase neurotransmitters, improve the immune system, and boost cognition. It truly is a superstar ingredient in any nootropic.
Recommended Dosage: 5-10mg per day
Awaken Gold Dosages, Packaging, And Pricing
When you see the packaging on most nootropics today, there’s something about it that looks fake and cheap. That’s not the case with Awaken Gold. It has a sleek design to it that depicts quality and a gold logo with a royal feel to it.
The bottle has a dark tint to it, but the label brings some real pizzazz to the overall packaging. It has a purple background with gold trim on the top and bottom. The lettering is gold and they keep the text to a minimum. It’s the type of clean packaging you want in a supplement.
With that said, Awaken Gold certainly isn’t cheap. It costs $99 for a 90-capsule bottle. If you follow the 2-capsules per day recommendation, each $99 bottle will last you 45 days (1.5 months). You can save 15% by subscribing to a recurring delivery.
It’s certainly a quality nootropic if you have the money, but there’s also some better options out there that won’t cost quite as much.
Awaken Gold Pros vs. Cons
We’ve gotten to know this formula pretty well up to this point. By now, we have a pretty clear idea of what’s good about this supplement and what could be improved with this supplement.
Since that type of information is extremely important when shopping for a new nootropic supplement, we’re going to summarize everything we’ve learned up to this point — including what we like and what we don’t like.
You’ll find that it’s a solid formula, but the price suggests you might be better off going in a different direction. Let’s take a look!
Pros
- Nourishes the brain, fuels ingenuity, and unleashes creativity
- Improves learning, memory, focus, clarity, positive thoughts, motivation, drive, and long-term brain health
- Caffeine-free, additive-free, and stimulant-free
- Increases BDNF and NGF, as well as neurotransmitter activity
- 30-Day Satisfaction Guarantee
- Free Worldwide Shipping
- Noopept, Citicoline, and L-Tyrosine are supposed to increase cognitive performance
- Phenylethylamine, L-Theanine, and Ashwagandha are supposed to improve mood
- PQQ helps create new mitochondria, giving you more cellular energy
- Adding a choline source (Citicoline) helps improve the effects of Noopept
- Phosphatidylserine is necessary for memory formation and long-term brain health
- They use the active form of Vitamin B12, which means it doesn’t need to be converted in the body
- BioPerine helps improve nutrient absorption in the body, making the supplement more effective
Cons
- Although it’s worth it, the price point is a bit expensive for some
- Don’t necessarily need Uridine in there because Citicoline provides the brain with cytidine (which converts to uridine)
- Could’ve used Bacopa Monnieri or Lion’s Mane Mushroom (for memory)
- The effects of Phenylethylamine are short-lived and don’t last long
- There isn’t enough human research on the effects of Noopept (mostly rats)
Claims vs. Reality
Awaken Gold is a solid formula. It uses some of the most well-known and well-researched nootropic ingredients available today, which is always a good sign in any supplement. After carefully reviewing each ingredient, it’s safe to say you can trust the claims being made about this supplement.
L-Theanine, L-Tyrosine, Phosphatidylserine, Citicoline, Methylcobalamin, Ashwagandha, and BioPerine are the real superstars in this formula. They provide most of what you need in a nootropic supplement — including memory, mood, focus, and health.
The rest of the formula is good as well, but you almost wish there was more evidence supporting Noopept. The formula could also do without Uridine and Phenylethylamine, since I don’t see a real reason for them being in there. The good news is they won’t harm you.
Overall, Awaken Gold is going to give your brain a boost. It won’t work in 100% of the subjects, but that’s true with 100% of the supplements in existence today — even the ones prescribed by health professionals.
What I like most about this supplement is it uses safe and effective ingredients, which is more than you can say with most supplements today.
Awaken Gold Alternatives
The world of nootropics is growing and evolving every single day. New science is being utilized, technology is advancing, and companies are creating new formulas. Among the beautiful chaos that science provides, there are a few nootropics that stand above the rest.
That’s not to say Awaken Gold is a bad formula. It’s actually extremely powerful and 100% worth the $99 if you’re willing to pay it. At the same time, there are some cheaper options out there that are just as powerful — so we’ll leave it up to you!
There are three competitors we’d like to highlight here — Lab Mind Pro, Performance Lab Mind, and HVMN Nootrobox.
Performance Lab Mind
Performance Lab Mind only contains four ingredients, but they’re four of the most popular and well-researched nootropic ingredients known today. In fact, three of them are found in the Awaken Gold formula above — Citicoline, Phosphatidylserine, and L-Tyrosine.
The fourth ingredient is Maritime Pine Bark Extract, which supplies the brain with antioxidants and improves long-term brain health. It also increases the release of Nitric Oxide, which improves blood flow and relaxes blood vessels.
A one-month supply of Performance Lab Mind costs just $49, which means you can get two months for $98. The best deal is when you buy a three-month supply at $147 because you get a free one-month supply (4 months for $147).
Mind Lab Pro
Mind Lab Pro is much more powerful than Performance Lab Mind and contains a total of 11 nootropic ingredients. Four of those ingredients are the ones found in Performance Lab Mind — Citicoline, Maritime Pine Bark Extract, Phosphatidylserine, and L-Tyrosine.
The seven other ingredients are Lion’s Mane Mushroom, Bacopa Monnieri, L-Theanine, Rhodiola Rosea, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B9, and Vitamin B12. Of the 11 ingredients in Mind Lab Pro, five of them are found in Awaken Gold — Citicoline, Phosphatidylserine, L-Tyrosine, L-Theanine, and Vitamin B12.
Mind Lab Pro costs $65 for a one-month supply and $130 for a two-month supply, which is more than Performance Lab Mind and about the same as Awaken Gold. It should be noted that you can receive a fourth box free when purchasing a three-month supply at $195 — a great deal that makes it cheaper than Awaken Gold.
HVMN Nootrobox
The final nootropic supplement we’re going to highlight is HVMN Nootrobox. This one is unique because it’s actually four supplements bundled together as one. The four supplements are Rise, Kado, Yawn, and Sprint — each targeting a unique brain function.
Rise contains Bacopa Monnieri, Ashwagandha, and Citicoline. Kado contains Vitamin D3, Vitamin K, Omega-3 fatty acids, Omega-6 fatty acids, and astaxanthin. Sprint contains Caffeine, L-Theanine, and Panax Ginseng Extract. Yawn contains L-Glycine, L-Theanine, Melatonin, and Magnesium Glycinate.
With HVMN Nootrobox, you get all-day coverage from the moment you wake up until you go to bed — and throughout the night. It’s a continuous cycle that improves over time. You can purchase the supplements as a bundle ($100) or separately ($20-$35 each).
Final Verdict: Awaken Gold
Awaken Gold is a fine nootropic supplement and one that you can purchase with confidence. With that said, I personally believe there are better options out there. It’s the Noopept, Uridine, Phenylethylamine, and PQQ that I think they can improve on with this formula.
Noopept doesn’t have enough human research, Uridine is a byproduct of Citicoline (also in the formula), Phenylethylamine’s effects don’t last long enough, and PQQ can be replaced by a better nutrient (Maritime Pine Bark Extract, for example).
If you prefer Noopept and it works well for you, this is a good purchase. If not, you’re better off with their Awaken formula (the same, but without Noopept) or purchasing one of the other ones we discussed above (Performance Lab Mind, Mind Lab Pro, or HVMN Nootrobox).
