NoöRacetam is LifeLink’s brand of piracetam. Piracetam, a derivative of the neurotransmatter GABA, is a racetam — a category of cognitive enhancers that includes aniracetam, pramiracetam, oxiracetam, and others. Cognitive enhancers are
also called “noötropics”.
Piracetam was first of the noötropics. Discovered in 1964, it has been in clinical and popular use in Europe and elsewhere
since the early 1970s. In the U.S., however, government bureaucrats have waged a campaign against piracetam and other noötropics,
using scare tactics and gestapo-type actions to prevent U.S. citizens from having access to them. Despite the harrassment, many people have quietly imported small quantities
from Europe for their own use.
In view of the fact that piracetam is a simple derivative of the neurotransmitter GABA and has a proven lack of toxicity,
it was adopted in 2006 as a nutritional supplement by U.S. supplement companies.
What we can’t tell you
In the U.S. and some other industrialized countries, government agencies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
have adopted censorship as a method for intensifying their control over the supplement industry and its customers.
Thus, FDA regulations prohibit us from telling you that any of our products are effective as medical treatments,
even if they are, in fact, effective.
Accordingly, we will limit our discussion of NoöRacetam to a brief summary of relevant research,
and let you draw your own conclusions about what medical conditions it may be effective in treating.
Applications
During its more than 30 years of use in Europe, piracetam has been used to treat a variety of conditions, and benefits have
been reported in the following areas:
- cognitive enhancement for students
- dyslexia
- stroke
- epilepsy
- myoclonus
- dementia
- alcoholism
- lipofuscin build-up (symptom of aging)
- Raynaud’s syndrome
- deep vein thrombosis
- tardive dyskinesia
Mechanism of action
Piracetam’s effects on both nerve cells and on blood may be explained by the fact that it alters the fluidity of membranes
of cells. Such a change in fluidity would affect the function of various proteins that float in these membranes — proteins such as
ion channels in nerve cell membranes, and metabolic enzymes in mitochondrial membranes. Cell membrane fluidity would also
affect the ability of blood cells to pass through small veins and capillaries.
Reviews
Among the many good reviews of this topic are the ones at UC Berkeley’s Sulcus website, at Wikipedia, and the one by Winnicka.
Safety
Piracetam has an excellent reputation for being nontoxic. Many clinical studies have shown this supplement to be safe to use, even in very high doses. Human oral doses as high as 45 grams during 12 hours have been reported to be without ill effects.
Dosage
The recommended dosage of piracetam ranges from 1.6-9.6 grams per day, taken in divided doses. For blood disorders the usual
dosage is 4.8 to 9.6 grams per day divided into three doses about 8 hours apart.
A question to ponder
Why has the U.S. government tried to prevent its citizens from having access to noötropics like piracetam? The official reason
is “to keep the public safe” — this is the standard excuse given for police-state behavior. A more plausible explanation might
be “to keep the public from becoming too smart”. A smarter public would be less tolerant of corrupt and incompetent government
officials.
Cautions
Piracetam should be avoided by people with severe impairment of liver or kidneys, or with cerebral hemorrhage. If piracetam
is to be discontinued, the dosage should be reduced gradually over a period of several days.
Conclusion
Are NoöRacetam supplements useful for the conditions and purposes mentioned above?
We aren’t allowed to tell you, so you should take a look at some of the references cited here,
and then decide for yourself.