Nootropics are a rapidly growing category of supplements that promise to improve cognitive function. While that may sound like something out of a science fiction movie, there are substances out there that have been proven to safely improve brain function. That said, there are also plenty of supplements that are little more than caffeine pills masquerading as brain boosters.
Deciphering which nootropic supplements are real and which will just pump you full of stimulants is challenging, so we’re here to help.
We’ll be taking a look at Force Factor Forebrain to determine whether or not this is a real nootropic that can boost your cognitive function, or just another impostor.
Overview: What is Force Factor Forebrain?
Forebrain is a nootropic pill made and produced by supplement company, Force Factor. Forebrain is one of Force Factor’s more well-known supplements, but they have produced a variety of other options as well, such as Force Factor Alpha King, Test X180, ProbioSlim, LeanFire, and Leanfire XT.
Forebrain is marketed specifically as a nootropic that can improve your workouts. The idea is that peak mental performance will lead to peak physical performance. It uses what they call the Memory Safe Blend, which contains a few different herbal extracts, along with caffeine. The caffeine dose is large, but it’s not excessively high and it’s also not the main active ingredients, so that isn’t necessarily a red flag. Caffeine is a nootropic substance, after all, it’s just not the only one you want to rely on.
It’s a daily, single capsule supplement with a simple, six ingredient formula, and that sounds promising. Those ingredients seem to be premium quality nootropics, too, so there’s a lot of potential here.
Advantages and Benefits of Force Factor Forebrain
- Premium ingredients that have proven nootropic benefits
- Not just a caffeine pill
- Black pepper extract increases nutrient absorption, improving overall effectiveness
- May improve memory and cognitive function
- Bacopa extract is a powerful nootropic that really does boost long term cognitive function
Disadvantages
- Despite their marketing claims, nothing in this formula is exclusive; these are all very common, standard ingredients
- Also despite marketing claims, this specific formula has not been tested at all. The individual ingredients have, but this whole formula
- Proprietary blends are always a huge red flag, because they mask the actual dosage of the active ingredients
- Very expensive for a supplement whose ingredients can all be found much cheaper elsewhere
Who Made Forebrain?
Forebrain is made by Force Factor. Force Factor makes a line of supplements geared towards fitness, and especially male fitness. These include testosterone supplements, sleep aids, various neutraceuticals meant to boost workout performance and sexual health, etc. They are exactly the sort of company you’d expect to find at GNC: their product generally have some benefit, but they tend to be overpriced and you can often find better products from other manufacturers for a lot cheaper.
What Are the Ingredients of Forebrain?
There are six ingredients, in three proprietary blends (although one really isn’t a blend. The Memory Safe blend is made up of Bacopa Monnieri extract and Cognigrape. Bacopa is an herbal extract that’s been used as a nootropic for centuries, and it’s benefits have been confirmed through extensive research. Forebrain delivers a potent dose of Bacopa. Cognigrape is an antioxidant rich grape extract that also has been proven to have powerful cognitive benefits, especially in older people. Cognigrape is a brand name, and it’s used in many supplements, so this isn’t exclusive to Forebrain.
The ThinkUP Advanced Blend uses zumXR Extended Release caffeine, Thinkamine Vincamine, and Toothed Clubmoss. The caffeine is only 65mg, less than a cup of coffee, so it’s not a major player here. Vincamine increases blood flow to the brain, boosting the oxygen and nutrients available to it. Note again that there are brand names here; Force Factor is buying ingredients that are freely available on the market, nothing is exclusive to Forebrain. Toothed Clubmoss helps keep your neurotransmitters functioning properly.
The BIOBRAIN+ blend is confusing because it’s not a blend at all, and there’s no real reason for Force Factor to have trademarked it. It’s simply BioPerine black pepper extract. One ingredient, so not a blend. And that trademark is meaningless because it only applies when used in this supplement; BioPerine is a very commonly used and very effective product. It boosts nutrient absorption, increasing the effectiveness of the supplement.
How Does Forebrain Work?
These ingredients boost cognitive function by increasing bloodflow to the brain and stimulating neurotransmitter activity. This in turn leads to clearer mental energy and improved memory. It’s hard to gauge exactly how effective Forebrain is, because their use of proprietary blends makes it impossible to tell how much of some of the ingredients they really use. That said, there’s no doubt that they are using real nootropics and that they should be effective.
Safety and Side Effects
Nothing to worry about here. These are all well understood ingredients whose effects on the human body are known. Forebrain is perfectly safe, and there should be no dangerous side effects from taking it.
Where to Buy and Its Cost
You can buy it from GNC and Amazon, as well as directly from Force Factor.
From GNC you can get a 30-capsule bottle for $24.99 or you can sign up for their auto-deliver program and save 10% + get free shipping.
Forebrain: Is It Worth It?
Probably not. There’s no doubt it will work. These ingredients are high quality nootropics made by premium brands. The proprietary blends muddy the waters a bit in terms of the dosing, but it seems like they’ve put in enough quality nootropics to have a real effect. In fact, we’d go so far as to say that if you take Forebrain you really will experience improved memory, enhanced awareness and better cognitive function.
The problem is, you can find these exact same ingredients in cheaper supplements. Force Factor is claiming some sort of exclusive formula, and using that to raise the price, but it’s complete nonsense. Nothing in this supplement is exclusive. These are all very common, even standard ingredients in nootropics with mid-range prices. The price simply does not reflect the quality.
Buy it if you want; it will be effective, and you’ll feel the benefits. You’ll just be spending a lot more than you have to.