Best Supplements That Help You Study in 2025

Studying is hard. Nootropics for studying can make it a little easier by improving memory retention. In our hyper-competitive academic world, some students mega-dose stimulants to boost alertness while studying. But this is not the smartest (or safest) approach and can lead to cognitive performance-diminishing side effects.

In this article, we present alternative ways that students can enhance cognitive function via safe, natural or synthetic substance nootropic supplements.

We’ll cover how nootropics work, which ones may be best for students, and how combining nootropics into “stacks” may unleash even greater results for academic performance.

We conclude with an in-depth analysis of the best nootropic supplements for students, including the best product overall.

Ready to boost your brain and hit the books? Let’s get to it!

Key Takeaways

• Nootropics can enhance cognitive function for better studying by improving memory, focus, stress resistance and mental clarity without the need for excessive stimulants.
• Effective nootropic ingredients for studying include Bacopa Monnieri for memory, Citicoline for mental energy, and L-Theanine for relaxed focus.
• Nootropics like Lion’s Mane and Phosphatidylserine (PS) support long-term brain health and memory enhancement, making them ideal for academic performance.
• Natural options like Rhodiola Rosea and Maritime Pine Bark Extract improve stress resilience and cognitive performance under pressure, essential for exams and demanding study sessions.
• Supplements like Omega-3s, magnesium, and prebiotics support overall brain health, sleep quality, and mood balance, which are foundational for effective studying.
• Combining multiple nootropics into smart “stacks” can yield greater benefits for students, targeting memory, mood, brain energy, and stress resistance simultaneously.
• Prescription drugs, such as stimulant medications prescribed for ADHD, are often debated for their use in cognitive enhancement among healthy students. Nootropics may be a helpful lternative.

Quick Summary: Supplements That Help You Study in 2025

#1 Best Overall: Mind Lab Pro®

If you are looking for a safe, clean, stim-free product to help you with all kinds of studying, Mind Lab Pro® (MLP®, the Universal Nootropic) is the one for you.

MLP® supplies 11 nootropics including several top picks for studying, specifically. But overall, this formula is designed to optimize the entire brain. That means it is intended to unleash a whole host of different benefits, rising to boost whatever cognitive function needs boosting at any given time.

MLP’s ingredients include nootropics with research-backed benefits for:

• Attention, concentration, focus and cognitive intensity
• All types of memory, including working memory and learning
• Mental energy and sharp alertness without caffeine
• Stress resistance; helping to enhance cognitive performance under pressure
• Fostering a relaxed and creative mindset without sedation
• Mood concerns, like apprehension and feeling blue
• Overall brain health, including neurotransmitter synthesis

If you’re a student, Mind Lab Pro can help you perform better at everything. Studying, test-taking, athletics, gaming, socializing or any other activity where you want to perform at your best.

We’ll go into more detail on this top supplement towards the end of this article.

Get the Best Deal on MLP® Now

Additional nootropics students can use to boost cognitive performance

Mind Lab Pro® is the best for students overall, but there are other high-quality products on the market that can help with academics, too. They include:

• Performance Lab® Prebiotic: Boosts gut probiotics to enhance mood-boosting brain chemicals.
• Caffeine 2: Performance-tuned stimulation; clean energy with fewer jitters and crashes.
• Performance Lab® Omega-3: Ultraclean “good fats” from algae; foundational brain health support.
• Performance Lab® Energy: Caffeine-free energy that optimizes cells’ powerplant mitochondria.
• Performance Lab® Sleep: Soothing support for deep sleep without any next-day grogginess.

We give some more details on these supplements towards the end of this article.

How Nootropics Help the Academic Brain

Students share some common problems when it comes to optimal brain function. Taking a nootropic supplement can help to improve cognitive function where students need it most. Let’s consider just a few of the challenges students face:

• It’s hard to maintain focus during long lectures and study sessions
• Memory! Students must memorize vast amounts of information
• Mood: academic pressure and stress can lead to blue moods and malaise
• Social challenges: it can be daunting for some students to study in groups
• Sleep problems: Late nights studying can disrupt healthy sleep patterns.

All of these challenges can significantly impact a student’s ability to study effectively.

Nootropics are one of the simplest means for students to improve their studying and ultimate academic performance. In addition to optimizing overall mental performance, nootropics can enhance multiple cognitive functions related to effective studying:

• Memory Pathways - Memory is key for studying; nootropics can help with long-term memory, short-term memory, encoding, storage and recall; ultimately nootropics can help with better test performance.
• Mood and Motivation - If you are moody and unmotivated, studying may seem like an impossible task. Some nootropics help to spark motivation and uplift mood by influencing brain chemicals, so you can hit the books with enthusiasm.
• Brain Energy - An energized brain studies more effectively, but stimulants for alertness can have some negative side effects. Nootropics for studying include clean, stim-free brain energizers.
• Stress resistance - Taking exams is stressful! Some of our top nootropic picks can actually help the mind become more resilient in the face of stress; perfect for multitasking, test-taking, studying and other key aspects of peak academic performance. Learn more about nootropics for exams

As promising as individual nootropics may be for studying, their greatest potential may be realized when they are combined together – a practice known as stacking that can help to elevate multiple study-related cognitive functions at the same time.

For the sake of clarity and safety: The academic nootropics in this guide are for an 18 and older, college aged crowd. However, all learners age 18+ may benefit by these brain boosters, as the academic brain isn’t limited to the classroom.

Best Nootropic Ingredients for Studying

By stacking a diverse, bio-effective mix of nootropic ingredients, students may bolster their brainpower and studying capacity from multiple cognitive angles.

Let's now take a look at some of the best to consider if you want to up your academic game:

Bacopa Monnieri

This Ayurvedic “Herb of Grace” is among the most legendary nootropics for studying and all things academic.

Bacopa monnieri, an Ayurvedic adaptogen nootropic herb, falls under a particular category of India’s ancient health system: Medhya Rasayana – which roughly translates to the essence of intellect (“medhya” meaning intellect and retention; “rasayana” meaning path of essence).

A brain herb used for centuries in Ayurveda to enhance cognitive function, Bacopa is also fairly well-studied as a nootropic for modern times, and has been shown to promote neuroprotection, neural regeneration and performance-driving neurotransmitters.

Specifically, Bacopa has been linked to enhanced learning and clear memory benefits that may be especially helpful for students. (Learn more about nootropics for learning here)

In one double-blind, placebo-controlled study, the 12-week administration of Bacopa monnieri was found to improve the following mental performance measures:

• Speed of visual information processing
• Learning rate and memory consolidation
• State of anxiety(1)

Bacopa monnieri has a strong reputation as a nootropic for students, specifically: Researchers have suggested it may “decrease the rate of forgetting newly acquired information.”(2)

Quality Bacopa supplements and stacks deliver the herb as a standardized extract; the best Bacopa extracts supply a bio-active concentrate of Bacopa’s 9 active bacosides and a full spectrum of its natural antioxidants (for neuroprotection).

Bacopa’s Anti-Stress Bonus for Students: Bacopa monnieri is suggested to possess potent adaptogenic anti-stress activity.(3) As such, it may help students to strengthen their resistance to both short-term exam day stress and the ongoing stressors associated with a grueling academic schedule.

More on Bacopa Monnieri

Phosphatidylserine (PS)

Memory is one brain function all students need in order to succeed. Phosphatidylserine (PS) is one of the best nootropics for studying and academics in general due to its combination of memory-boosting, anti-stress effects.

Phosphatidylserine (PS) is a type of good fat nootropic called a phospholipid. It performs several roles in brain health, including in the production of brain chemicals (including dopamine and acetylcholine) and glucose metabolism support for brain energy. It also is crucial for brain cell creation, brain cell maintenance and repair.

But more than anything, PS is known as the best nootropic to sharpen memory – making it an excellent supplement choice for academic pursuits.

Researchers have suggested that PS may help to improve(4)

• Recall (retrieval of memories)
• Short-term memory storage (working memory)
• Consolidation of long-term memory
• Memory retention

Memory is a big part of studying! PS is the best nootropic for memory, but it’s certainly not the only one. You can learn about more top nootropics for memory.

With additional research-backed benefits to promote mood, mental clarity and stress resistance,(5) PS is one of the best nootropics for studying and peak performance during exams, tests and presentations.

Learn more about Phosphatidylserine (PS)

Citicoline

Citicoline, or CDP Choline, is a stim-free mental energizer that can help power the brain through marathon studying sessions.

Of the dietary cholines, citicoline is perhaps the best for nootropic bioactivity, due to its 1+2 cognitive enhancing punch. Upon digestion, Citicoline branches into two essential compounds:

• Choline - a precursor to neurotransmitter acetylcholine, the brain chemical associated with memory, learning, and mental processing.
• Cytidine - a precursor to uridine, an RNA nucleotide base that aids brain cell repair and boosts brain cell membrane formation.

Why should students care? Because citicoline’s unique choline + cytidine duo may boost:

• Neurotransmitter Synthesis - increasing acetylcholine numbers, as well as dopamine receptors.
• Neuronal Plasticity - bolstering cell-to-cell communication.
• ATP Energy Levels - the basic currency for brain and bodily vitality; citicoline energizes brain cells.

For the late night studying, early morning note-taking students, Citicoline’s maintenance and enhancement on membrane health and ATP energy may help to keep the brain fresher for longer – helping you to maintain optimal cognitive function when you need it most.

One patented form of citicoline called Cognizin has been shown to boost brain energy by 13.6%.(6)

While plasticity and ATP decreases don’t become major issues until decades past a traditional graduation date, some research indicates that Citicoline may improve attention and psychomotor speed even among adolescents.(7)

Researchers further suggest it promotes memory and focus, as well as supports mental performance overall. Plus, it is healthy for the brain: It helps maintain healthy brain function, neuroprotection, brain cell regeneration and more.

As a nootropic, citicoline makes sense for students as a stim-free energizer that works at a cellular level and avoids energy spikes and crashes. It can work in conjunction with caffeine, too.

More on Citicoline

L-Theanine

L-theanine is a non-sedative amino acid that supports relaxation and attention, promoting an ideal mindset for studying and clear cognitive function.

Sourced primarily from Camellia sinensis (e.g., green tea) leaves, L-theanine is the psychoactive amino acid responsible for the feelings of relaxed focus and alertness that comes drinking tea.

Much of this can be attributed to the amino’s modulatory effect on alpha brainwaves – the brain wave state most associated with effective cognitive function:

• Calm, relaxed thinking without sedation.
• Alert, yet focused attention without stimulation.
• Self-regulation of stress.(8,9)

It also appears to work because it settles excitable neurotransmitters and promotes calming neurotransmitters. The relaxing and tranquil feelings that follow can promote sharpened alertness without any mind-dulling sedation. It’s also associated with enhanced creativity for art creativity, tranquility for meditation, and other calming benefits.

Drinking green tea may induce the benefits of L-theanine, however given the wide variability of L-theanine concentration in tea leaves, it’s not the most reliable method.

Many students remedy this by supplementing extracted and isolated L-theanine, consuming anywhere from 100 mg to 1,000 mg daily, with single servings ranging from the 100 mg to 400 mg range.

Due to the dose-dependent effects of L-theanine, as well as its high safety rating, users may gradually gravitate towards higher dosages for more profound benefits.

L-Theanine is one of the very few natural substances shown to modulate alpha brainwaves.

Yet, when it comes to long studying sessions and demanding lectures, L-theanine will only get you halfway there.

The other psychoactive compound responsible for tea’s cognitive boosts is caffeine, a stimulant associated with increased attention, but notable side effects.

Stacking L-theanine + caffeine has been shown to have a nutritional synergy. The result: Clean, caffeinated focus and energy minus the jittery side effects.(10)

Students who rely on caffeine to stay energized and sharp are well-advised to consider supplementing with L-Theanine.

More on L-Theanine

Caffeine

Caffeine’s reliable benefits for energy, alertness and overall mental performance make it a mainstay nootropic for many students.

In fact, one research study of 1,248 students found that 92% of all students surveyed consumed some form of caffeine.(11)

The problem is, many students are not utilizing caffeine optimally. Many seek to megadose caffeine to levels associated with performance-diminishing side effects, like brain fog, jitters, apprehension, etc.

Meanwhile, research has shown that low-to-moderate doses of caffeine are associated with greater cognitive function enhancements.(12)

Tip: Today’s best caffeine pills are designed with lower caffeine doses than energy drinks and “high-octane” coffee drinks. The most advanced will also include L-theanine plus other nootropics that complement caffeine and help it work better.

You can learn more about today’s best caffeine pills here.

Learn more about caffeine and studying here. 

N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine

This brain chemical-supportive amino acid optimizes cognitive function under stress and after all-night studying sessions.

When the brain is tired, over-stressed, and over-excited, the body’s natural tyrosine reserves are burned as fuel for catecholamine synthesis – i.e., the production of excitatory energy and focus brain chemicals, such as norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine.(13)

When tyrosine depletes, mood and motivation tank, and cognitive function worsens under stress. Supplementing tyrosine may help to restore sharp performance when you’ve got nothing left in the tank, for example after a heavy study session or towards the end of a semester.

Basically, it counteracts the effects of high-pressure thinking and assists in multitasking, stress management, fatigue management and more.

One of the most pertinent effects of L-tyrosine for studying is the amino’s benefits on cognitive performance under sleep deprivation.

Following one night's sleep loss, subjects in a placebo-controlled experiment were found to significantly reduce the usual cognitive performance decline associated with all-nighters. Specifically, tyrosine improved measures of psychomotor and vigilance tasks for up to 3 hours.(14)

In the clutch, the most bioavailable form of tyrosine (N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine) may be one of the nootropics for studying that gives you the final push you need to lead you safely and happily into the weekend and holiday. It assists in multitasking, fatigue management, optimized attention and more.

Pro Tip: L-tyrosine is only one factor in catecholamine synthesis. For optimal nootropic improvement, stack L-tyrosine with B vitamins, which are also key catecholamine co-factors.

More on N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine

Lion's Mane Mushroom

Students sometimes get stressed out in a way that ultimately affects their mood and ultimately cognitive function. If feeling down in the dumps is making it harder to stay focused on academics, then a nootropic like Lion’s Mane might help.

Long used in ancient Asian herbalism practices (and also enjoyed as a food), Lion’s Mane Mushroom (also called yamabushitake) is one of the best nootropics for improving Nerve Growth Factor (NGF), (15) which is like a fertilizer for brain function.

Optimal NGF levels in the brain are associated with healthy cognitive functions like neuroplasticity, brain cell signaling and brain regeneration.

When NGF is low, on the other hand, cognitive health declines, and may be associated with memory problems.

Full spectrum lion’s mane has active ingredients called hericenones and erinacines. While researchers aren’t sure exactly how it works, they have reported in some research that Lion’s Mane demonstrated potential to help with anxiety and mood.(16)

Learn more about Lion's Mane Mushroom

Maritime Pine Bark Extract

Maritime Pine Bark is one of the top natural nootropics with antioxidant activity. It is known for its potential to protect brain cells, boost blood circulation to the brain and increase a brain growth factor called BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor).

Maritime Pine Bark supplies flavonoid antioxidants called proanthocyanidins. This particular class of neuroprotection antioxidants has been linked to several brain benefits, including functions related to learning, memory, and robust overall cognitive function.(17)

As a cerebral circulation booster, Maritime Pine Bark delivers energizing oxygen and neuro-nutrients to the brain that can help increase brain energy metabolism, ease mental fatigue and enhance mental clarity.

In addition, this substance has been studied for its potential to help with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) -- an increasingly common student concern that can really interfere with studying.(18)

Learn more about Maritime Pine Bark Extract

Rhodiola Rosea

This golden root herb has been used for powerlifters and for biathletes in Olympic training and competition. Just imagine using it as a nootropic for studying!

Rhodiola Rosea is considered a legal performance enhancer and has been traditionally used to boost both mental and physical performance across work, academics and athletics.

While it has a few different mechanisms of action, Rhodiola's most profound benefits are linked to its active rosavins and salidrosides, which are antioxidant compounds associated with stress resistance.

Classified as an herbal adaptogen, Rhodiola as a nootropic supplement:(19)

• helps the body to adapt to stress
• blunts the production of stress hormones, including cortisol
• promotes calm thinking under stress
• strengthens mental resilience
• Helps people perform better under intense conditions

In the context of challenges students face, it's worth noting that research suggests Rhodiola enhance cognitive performance under high stress, mental fatigue and overall brain "burnout."(20)

In addition, Rhodiola has natural energy metabolism benefits (stim-free): an anti-fatigue effect that's noticeable as soon as 30 minutes after it is taken, and lasting up to 6 hours. And evidence further suggests it improves memory, mood, attention span and more.

Many of Rhodiola's beneficial activities seem perfect for studying for a test or taking an exam.

And, because it is a stim-free substance used successfully for centuries in traditional herbalism, it is a sensible choice for students seeking nootropic supplements for studying that are safe and natural.

Learn more about Rhodiola Rosea

Vitamins B6, B9, B12

The B-complex might not seem like the most exciting supplement for students to take. But in reality, they do more than support brain health -- they are vital for peak cognitive function.

This is due to the B-Complex -- especially B6, B9, and B12 -- and its positive effects on brain chemicals and blood flow to the brain.

Researchers have shown that Vitamin B6 alone:

• Supports brain chemicals associated with mood balance and sharp cognitive performance
• Increases the brain's capacity to store information.(21) 

B-Complex doesn't have to be a centerpiece, but is a nice quality touch to look for in today's most advanced nootropic stacks and caffeine pills. Simply put, they are foundational nutrients for supporting optimal brain function.

More on Vitamin B9

More on Vitamin B12

Learn more about vitamins for studying. 

Prebiotics

Gut health is an important contributor to brain function. Med students may already know: the probiotic colony that inhabits the gut – known as the microbiome – produces 95% of the body’s feel-good brain chemical serotonin. The Bifidobacterium strain of probiotics in the gut produces even more brain chemicals, including GABA, dopamine and norepinephrine. (22)

A healthy gut-brain connection helps supports important brain chemicals for students’ mental health and mental performance.

Prebiotic fiber is increasingly popular as a nootropic because it helps the gut microbiome to flourish in a natural and organic way. Rather than a probiotic supplement introducing strains to the gut, a prebiotic feeds the microbiome that’s already there.

Boosting your gut microbiome may positively impact a student’s cognitive function in the context of mood. One research study noted that supplementing with prebiotics may help to ease apprehension and support a bright mood.(23)

Tip: In addition to helping support cognitive function via brain chemicals, Prebiotic fiber is effective at satisfying hunger, which can be a real distraction while studying.

Omega-3s

Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy fats for the whole body, especially the brain. DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) in particular is regarded for its ability to enhance cognitive function by supporting flexible, healthy membranes in brain cells and improving brain cell signaling.

Omega-3s are not really mental performance boosters. Rather, they are among the most important nootropic supplements for supporting brain health, nourishing multiple brain structures and functions.

As such, they are a smart choice for any student-oriented nootropic supplements.

Magnesium

A student's life can be full of tension. All that stress can disrupt sleep. Poor sleep creates more stress. Magnesium can help break the cycle, restoring healthy sleep that students need to achieve their full academic potential.

Magnesium as a sleep nutrient: Unwinds and relaxes muscles. Promotes calming brain chemical GABA. Soothes away stress.

Magnesium as a nootropic: Magnesium is a crucial cofactor in the production of ATP energy that powers all cognitive function.

Magnesium's two-way support seems to hold the potential to help students simply feel better. In one research study, magnesium was suggested as an effective, fast-acting supplement for improving feelings of depression.(24)

Best Nootropics for Studying in 2025

Mind Lab Pro®

Mind Lab Pro® supplies several of the best nootropics for studying in one whole-brain formula.

MLP has 11 research-backed nootropics total. It is designed as a Universal Nootropic, which means it can boost the mental performance of students and learners in many ways, depending on what you need at that time.

For example, if you are in the middle of a stressful exam, MLP helps you feel relaxed. When you're studying, it helps with memory storage -- both short-term and long-range. During a test, it helps recall. When giving a presentation, you might feel calmer and clearer. Your overall cognitive function just feels better.

MLP nootropics work across the board for students seeking to improve cognitive function:

• boost multiple aspects of memory to help you retain knowledge;
• energize the brain without stimulants to power late-night study sessions;
• enhance recall and cognition on exam day to optimize test-taking.

Featuring several of the best nootropics for studying discussed in this article, MLP supplies 11 nootropics total:

• Citicoline, dosage 250mg
• Phosphatidylserine (PS), dosage 100mg
• Bacopa monnieri, dosage 150mg (full-spectrum extract, 24% bacosides with 9 bioactives)
• Organic Lion's Mane Mushroom, dosage 500mg (fruit and mycelium)
• Maritime Pine Bark Extract, dosage 75mg: (Standardized to 95% proanthocyanidins)
• N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, dosage 175mg
• L-Theanine, dosage 100mg
• Rhodiola rosea, dosage 50mg (Standardized to 3% rosavins and 1% salidrosides)
• NutriGenesis® B-Vitamins: Vitamin B6 (dosage 2.5mg), Vitamin B9 (100 mcg), Vitamin B12 (7.5 mcg)

MLP's 11 ingredients make it highly versatile in its brain function benefits for students and beyond, including learning and memory processes that assist with studying:

• Natural mental energy support, no jitters, no caffeine
• Enhance attention, focus, concentration in class
• Peak mental performance under stress, multitasking, etc.
• Shown to improve memory: short-term, long-range, learning, recall
• A bright, balanced, calm and motivated mood

For students specifically, Mind Lab Pro® is a great choice to enhance studying and learning, sharpen attention, improve memory and recall, and fight the dulling effects of stress and burnout.

MLP® has high quality standards, including many that students actively seek in a supplement. For example, MLP is backed by human research (more on that in a moment), clean, vegan, GMO-free, Caffeine free, soy free and eco-friendly. All presented in a high-quality prebiotic capsule.

Learn more about Mind Lab Pro Quality here.

Mind Lab Pro® is Backed by Research.

MLP® is also #1-ranked because it is one of the very few nootropic supplements that is actually backed by human research demonstrating memory and cognitive function benefits:

• Study 1: Subjects taking MLP showed significant improvements (compared to placebo) in information processing tasks.(25)
• Study 2: MLP may enhance memory. Subjects taking MLP had significant improvements across multiple memory functions, including auditory, visual, visual working, immediate and delayed recall memory.(26)

Pricing & Shipping

• 1 Bottle (one month supply): $69 ($2.30/serving)
• 2 bottles (two month supply): $138 ($2.30/serving)
• Best deal: 3 bottles + 1 free, with free shipping: $207 ($1.73/serving)
• All covered by 30-day money back guarantee

Buy Performance Lab® MLP® Now

Additional nootropic supplements that are good for studying

• Performance Lab® Prebiotic: Supplies a premium-quality, research-backed Orafti® Synergy1 chicory root fiber. It feeds the gut microbiome until it thrives, which in turn helps brain chemicals that may help support a brighter and more confident mood for students.
• Caffeine 2: Best caffeine pill for students because it is the evolution of caffeine. This capsule supplies low-dose caffeine plus L-Theanine, B-Complex and L-Tyrosine, for a superior stimulation state for students: Calmer, cleaner cognitive abilities with no side effects or crashes.
• Performance Lab® Omega-3: Supplies Omega-3 fatty acids (DHA+EPA) sourced from algae, so it is cleaner and more eco-friendly than common fish oil supplements. This formula is the best version of one of the most important nutrients a student can take for overall brain health.
• Performance Lab® Energy: An energy pill that is good for cognitive health. Energy charges-up the mitochondria that produce ATP energy in cells throughout the body (including the brain). The result is a natural lift of energy -- no jitters, no crashes, no stim -- that works great for students who prefer to avoid caffeine.

Summary

Mind Lab Pro® supplies the best nootropics for studying. Take it to optimize memory storage, recall and ultimate test-taking performance. All while supporting brain health.

Nootropics may as well be renamed academic nutrition. If the athletes have sports nutrition, then consider nootropics student nutrition. And similar to athletic sports nutrition, consider also that natural nootropics encompass the safe, legal methods of cognitive enhancement. Not all substances that enhance brain function can claim they support brain health, too.

Typically, a student's go-to is coffee, or any other reliable source of caffeine. The convenience of these nootropics is that they can easily be stacked with coffee, potentially enhancing the caffeinated brain boosts further.

This gives students the option of mixing premium grade cognitive enhancers with an energizing cup of coffee or simply taking it straight for 100% clean, relaxed brainpower for superior studying performance and top scores on exams.