Many nootropics, such as Apex Mastermind and Mind Lab Pro, on the market today claim to do some fantastic things for our physical, mental, and spiritual health. While some show amazing effects, unfortunately, a large majority of these products don’t follow through with effective results.
It’s very easy to fall for the bold letters and fancy font on the packaging, but a simple browse through the listed ingredients can tell you everything you need to know before committing to a purchase.
NeuroActiv6 is another nootropic that claims to do a lot, but does it deliver a quality product?
What is NeuroActiv6 by NaturalCell?
NeuroActiv6 is a rather new nootropic on the market, created by a company called NaturalCell. Taking a look at their official site for this product — and the label itself — they make it clear that it is intended to be a cure-all with a wide range of benefits.
NaturalCell claims that NeuroActiv6 will benefit consumers in the following ways:
- Improve the ability to focus and keep concentration
- Enhances mental clarity
- Helps fight brain fog and mental fatigue
- Improves overall mood
- Relaxing and calming effects
- Contains antioxidants that help repair cells
- Energy-booster
- Anti-aging benefits
In addition to that, NeuroActiv6 is listed as Non-GMO, Soy-Free, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, and made with “100% all pure natural ingredients.”
NaturalCell is so confident in their nootropic that they even offer a “promise,” which states that their product is of the highest quality due to their partnership with one of the leading supplements manufacturing facilities in the United States. This department is in charge of insuring products meet quality standards and are safe to use for consumers.
The Quality Assurance Department also insures “that all operations and processes are conducted in accordance with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP’s) as required by the United State Food and Drug Administration,” according to NaturalCell.
NeuroActiv6 Ingredients
Ah, the lovely ingredient list — the bearer of the truth. With many nootropics on the market today, the consumer will come across a variety of issues that are a direct result of the ingredients chosen by the company.
And just as a side note, just because they say they use quality ingredients doesn’t mean that those ingredients hold any amount of value to the consumer.
With NaturalCell’s NeuroActiv6, there are a total of 7 main ingredients listed on the label:
- Cognizin
- Ashwagandha
- Turmeric
- Grape Seed Extract
- Active B Energy Complex
- Organic Mediterranean Berrie Fruit and Vegetable Blend
- Coffee Fruit Extract
Let’s break these ingredients down one-by-one and see what we like, and what we don’t like about this product.
Cognizin (Citicoline) – 250mg
Citicoline is going to be one of the two most important ingredients in this product. It is a chemical found in the brain that is naturally made by the body.
When citicoline levels in the brain decrease, it limits a brain cell’s ability to produce acetyl-choline. This can lead to the brain cells breaking down cell membranes to produce acetyl-choline. This is very important for memory and cognitive speed.
Ashwagandha – 250mg
This will be the other important ingredient in this nootropic. Ashwagandha is an ancient medicinal herb that plays a major role in relieving stress, but also packs on a wide variety of other benefits.
Ashwagandha is also proven to help increase energy levels, concentration, reduce blood sugar levels, decrease cortisol levels (stress), manage anxiety and depression, as well as improve your memory and brain function.
Turmeric – 150mg
Turmeric isn’t necessarily a bad ingredient, but it’s definitely tough to justify it as a major nootropic ingredient with value to the consumer. It does have a lot of curcumin in it, which is known as an antioxidant that helps protect cells from damage.
There are studies that suggest cognitive value with turmeric, including a study that showed a 28% increase in memory compared to those that took a placebo. These studies are still new and faint, but it does show promise.
If you’re a lover of Indian food and consume it on a regular basis, this ingredient won’t hold as much value to you. Turmeric is a common ingredient in Indian food that gives it the golden color.
Grape Seed Extract – 100mg
Another ingredient that I wouldn’t necessarily list as bad or great, but somewhere in the middle. Like Turmeric, there are definitely some proven benefits of grape seed extract (GSE), but I’m not sure if it’s an ingredient that should excite a lot of people.
GSE is known to improve blood flow, reduce oxidative damage, support your brain through aging, and enhance memory. GSE does contain high levels of proanthocyanidins, a powerful antioxidant.
Active B Energy Complex
The B Vitamin group is essential for many roles of your body and is found in most nootropics, but is another ingredient that doesn’t hold a lot of value by itself. These vitamins help your body’s metabolism, cellular signaling, creation of neurotransmitters, cell growth, neurological function, and red blood cell development.
The average consumer will get the needed levels of B Vitamins through their everyday diet routine, but getting more than you need isn’t a bad thing. Pregnant women, the elderly, and vegans/vegetarians could benefit from a larger intake of B Vitamins.
Organic Mediterranean Berrie Fruit and Vegetable Blend – 2500mg
I’m not too fond of this ingredient, which is essentially a mixture of different fruit powders. Not necessarily a bad ingredient for you, but not too sure what benefits this has in a nootropic supplement.
The nutrition label states that the blend is 2,500mg — that’s a large portion of the product. This is concerning when you figure that a majority of what you’re paying for is this ingredient. It might be more enjoyable to just eat fruit and vegetables.
Coffee Fruit Extract – 100mg
Coffee fruit extract can provide some good benefits, but won’t be an ingredient that knocks your socks off. It is known to be a powerful antioxidant and increases BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) by 143% — which plays a major role in creating new pathways for your brain and improving mental clarity.
Coffee fruit extract can be beneficial to fighting inflammation and easing anxiety, as well.
Dosage, Pricing, and Packaging
NaturalCell’s NeuroActiv6 product comes in a rather “busy” packaging, full of text, claims, and information. It makes use of a calming gradient green-blue labeling in your normal powder supplement tub container.
The 6oz. containers are priced at $69.95 each, but you can purchase a monthly subscription at $49.95 per tub. They also offer a 3-bottle purchase at $129.99 ($43.33 per tub) and a 6-bottle option for $229.99 ($38.33 per tub). Amazon has them listed for $47.95 per tub.
In one tub, you will receive 30 servings (1 scoop per serving) of the powder formula, which is intended to be mixed in water.
Pros vs. Cons
Going through the ingredient list, it’s noticeable that NaturalCell’s NeuroActiv6 formula contains some pros and cons that will be crucial to your decision when shopping.
I will say, this isn’t a bad nootropic by any means, but there are some things that make it less effective compared to other products on the market.
Pros
- Cognizin, a form of citicoline, is a powerful nootropic naturally made in the body
- Ashwagandha is an ancient medicinal herb with proven benefits
- Grape seed extract contains high levels of antioxidants, including proanthocyanidins
- Coffee fruit extract is known to increase BDNF
- Turmeric can improve memory
- B Vitamins are essential to cognitive function
- Ingredients are monitored by Quality Assurance Department
- Lists the amount of each ingredient, good for keeping track of consumption
- I’d approve of 6/7 ingredients
- Ease of use (tasty drink)
Cons
- That fruit and vegetable blend is 2,500mg, no direct cognitive benefits
- Rather pricey for what you get
- Falls short of outside competition
Claims vs. Reality
Let’s take a quick look back at what this product was claiming to do, which is evidenced by their official site and packaging. Those go as follows:
- Improve ability to focus and keep concentration
- Enhances mental clarity
- Helps fight brain fog and mental fatigue
- Improves overall mood
- Relaxing and calming effects
- Contains antioxidants that help repair cells
- Energy-booster
- Anti-aging benefits
This nootropic definitely contains ingredients that are known to help treat all of these claims, but I’m a little skeptical on how effective it would be at relieving those issues.
The ingredients I will most point to are the citicoline, ashwagandha, coffee fruit extract, and grape seed extract. These are great ingredients that most nootropics should contain, my only hope is that they would up the dosage of these more important ingredients.
Final Verdict on NeuroActiv6
Overall, it’s hard to dislike this product when it doesn’t seem to provide any negative side effects. That could be reason enough for some to try it, knowing it wouldn’t hurt. Even then, it’s price could be reason enough for some to stay away.
Many nootropics on the market today add a lot of unproven and dangerous ingredients that could do more harm than good. NaturalCell’s NeuroActiv6 formula might contain some useless ingredients, like the organic fruit blend, but it doesn’t contain anything that could hurt you.
This is a product that will likely have differing results for different body types. I would suggest it as a beginner nootropic for those looking for an enjoyable way of improving their brain health.
