Dynamic Brain Review - Does It Really Work?
March 12, 2024
In this Dynamic Brain review, we're taking a close look at a nootropic supplement that's packed with a range of vitamins, minerals, and nootropics. Dynamic Brain says it can boost your brain power, and we're here to share our firsthand experience with it.
We're all for supplements that can give your brain a lift, but with Dynamic Brain, we've got a few reservations, especially when it comes to what's actually in it. We're going to break down its ingredients to spotlight any areas that might not live up to expectations in boosting brain function. We're not writing it off completely, but we want to give you all the details so you can decide if it's the right fit for your brain's needs.
Overall Verdict
2.9 / 5 Stars
Introduction To Dynamic Brain and Stonehenge Health
Dynamic Brain comes from Stonehenge Health, a name that's pretty well-known in the supplement game. They've got everything from probiotics and mushroom pills to supplements that boosts your immunity and krill oil. Basically, Stonehenge Health tries to cover all bases when it comes to keeping you healthy.
With Dynamic Brain, they're showing they want to tackle brain health too. But here's the thing: when a company has its hands in so many different health supplement pots, it makes you wonder if they can really nail something as tricky as nootropics. Can they really be experts in all these areas?
Benefits of Dynamic Brain
Claimed Benefits of Dynamic Brain
Dynamic Brain claims the following:
Stonehenge Health markets Dynamic Brain as a top-tier brain supplement with 40 different ingredients. This blend includes things like choline, brain-boosting fats, natural stress relievers, amino acids, minerals, and vitamins, all meant to work together to help your brain out in a bunch of ways. Ingredients include DMAE, Bacopa Monnieri, GABA, DHA, and Huperzine A, which aim to improve memory, focus, how alert you feel, learning abilities, mood, and even your word recall and thinking skills. They also say it can help keep your brain in good shape as you get older. But, we've got to take a good look at these claims because the proof that one supplement can do all of this is a bit thin on the ground.
Our Experience With Dynamic Brain
Our test run with Dynamic Brain didn't live up to our expectations, to put it mildly. Stonehenge Health sells it as a mix packed with 40 different bits and pieces aimed at boosting your brainpower. Yet, the impact we felt was far from the big promises made. With a lineup including choline, DMAE, Bacopa Monnieri, and Huperzine A, you'd think it would be a slam dunk for mental boosts. But, we barely noticed a difference.
The problem might lie in the mix itself. It's got a bunch of vitamins and minerals—like Vitamin A, C, E, and the B group—which are great for you but don't directly amp up your brain functions (1,2). Also, because it's all wrapped up in a "proprietary blend," it's hard to tell if the real brain-boosting stuff like choline and Bacopa Monnieri is in there in strong enough amounts. Research points out that you need a good chunk of Bacopa Monnieri, say around 300mg, to see real benefits (3,4).
Then there's stuff like Green Tea Extract, Grape Seed Extract, and Bilberry Fruit Extract tossed into the mix, which don't have a solid rep for making your brain sharper (5,6,7). They're healthy, sure, but seem more flashy than functional in this context.
The gap between what's promised and what we got was pretty wide. The claims of better memory, sharper alertness, improved learning, mood, and thinking didn't pan out in our experience. We did catch a slight uptick in focus, but it wasn't anything to write home about and didn't stick around.
In trying to cover too much ground, Dynamic Brain might be stretching itself too thin. It tries to grab a bit of everything but ends up not hitting the mark on anything in particular. It looks like the product could use a more focused, research-driven formula to really make a splash in boosting brainpower, instead of leaving us wanting more.
As always, individual responses to nootropics can vary, and some users might find Dynamic Brain beneficial. However, in our experience, there are other products in the market, like NooCube for example, with more focused formulations that deliver more pronounced and consistent cognitive benefits. In the world of nootropics, it seems, less can indeed be more (8,9,10).
Research And Evidence
Potentially Misleading Claims
- Contains 40 unique ingredients: While the product does indeed contain a variety of ingredients, it's not necessarily a strength. Including too many ingredients, especially in a proprietary blend, can dilute the effective quantities of the most potent substances. Furthermore, the lack of specific dosage information for individual ingredients in the blend may obscure whether they are included at therapeutic levels.
- With Nootropic Compounds: Choline, Phosphatidylserine, Adaptogens, Amino Acids, plus Neuro-Minerals and Vitamins: The product does contain these elements, but the dosage is questionable. For instance, Choline is underdosed at 50mg, considering that the effective dosage range for cognitive benefits is typically between 250-500mg.
- Includes a blend of diverse ingredients DMAE, Bacopa Monnieri, GABA, DHA, and Huperzine A: Again, the challenge here is the undisclosed quantities of each ingredient within the proprietary blend. Without this transparency, it's impossible to evaluate the effectiveness of each component.
- Helps support memory, focus, alertness, learning, and mood: These are broad claims that can be difficult to substantiate without specific clinical trials on the supplement itself. While individual ingredients, such as Bacopa Monnieri, have shown potential in these areas, their effectiveness in this specific formula, at these specific doses, is unverified.
- Supports improved verbal recall, analytical thinking, and a healthy brain during aging: These claims are largely unproven due to the lack of direct scientific research on the supplement. While individual ingredients may have some scientific backing for these benefits, it's crucial to remember that effectiveness depends heavily on dosage and individual response. The lack of detailed dosing information for many of the ingredients in Dynamic Brain leaves these claims questionable at best.
While Dynamic Brain has a promising array of ingredients, the lack of transparency regarding dosage, the potential underdosing of key ingredients, and the reliance on a proprietary blend makes many of the claims about its effectiveness potentially misleading.
Ingredients
- Proprietary Blend (DMAE Bitartrate, L-Glutamine HCL, Glutamic Acid, Green Tea Extract, Bacopa Extract, Inositol, Bilberry Fruit Extract, Grape Seed Extract, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Olive Leaf, Cinnamon Bark Extract, Licorice Root Extract, Boron, DHA 14%, Vanadyl, Phosphatidylserine, Huperzone A) (617mg)
- Vitamin A (122mcg)
- Vitamin C (125mg)
- Calcium (20mg)
- Iron (1mg)
- Vitamin D (3mcg)
- Vitamin E (14mg)
- Vitamin B1 (3mg)
- Vitamin B2 (1.7mg)
- Vitamin B3 (12.5mg)
- Vitamin B6 (12mg)
- Folate (666mcg)
- Biotin (3mcg)
- Vitamin B5 (12mg)
- Magnesium (50mg)
- Zinc (10mg)
- Selenium (50mcg)
- Copper (52mcg)
- Mananese (400mcg)
- Chromium (12mcg)
- Molybdenum (10mcg)
- Potassium (19mg)
- Choline (50mg)
Dynamic Brain, a product of Stonehenge Health, offers a blend of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and a proprietary blend of various extracts and compounds, aimed to enhance cognitive functions. However, a closer analysis of the ingredient list and dosages brings up some important considerations.
Firstly, vitamins and minerals are essential for healthy brain function, but the dosages used in Dynamic Brain for most micronutrients are well below the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) established by the Institute of Medicine (11). For instance, Vitamin D is provided at only 3mcg, a fraction of the RDA of 15-20mcg (12). The mineral content is similarly lacking, with values below established daily requirements (13).
The product also includes Choline, a nutrient critical for cognitive function. However, the dosage at 50mg falls significantly short of the recommended intake of 425-550mg per day for adults (14).
The proprietary blend of 617mg comprises numerous compounds. The presence of Bacopa Monnieri, a well-researched nootropic known for its memory-enhancing effects, is notable (15). However, optimal results usually require a dosage of around 300mg per day (15), raising questions about its efficacy in the blend given the numerous other components.
The inclusion of DMAE Bitartrate, an organic compound thought to improve memory and mood, is interesting, but its effectiveness as a nootropic is not yet fully supported by research (16). The blend also contains Huperzine A, a compound with neuroprotective effects. However, given that an effective daily dose is around 50-200mcg (17), its impact may be diminished due to the lack of dosage clarity in the blend.
The use of a proprietary blend is a common but widely criticized industry practice that often conceals the exact amount of each ingredient. This lack of transparency makes it challenging to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the product fully.
The blend also fails to use several proven nootropics, such as L-Theanine, which works synergistically with caffeine to improve cognitive performance and mood (18), and Rhodiola Rosea, a potent adaptogen known for its anti-fatigue effects (19).
Dynamic Brain's formulation and ingredient dosages appear to fall short of clinically proven levels required for significant cognitive enhancement. Furthermore, the proprietary blend lacks transparency, making it difficult to assess the product's full potential. To top it off, the absence of numerous proven nootropics hints at a missed opportunity in the product's design.
Cons
Potential Side Effects of Dynamic Brain
Dynamic Brain, a nootropic supplement produced by Stonehenge Health, is composed of a variety of ingredients with different physiological effects. While it's aimed to enhance cognitive performance, it's crucial to be aware that certain components can cause side effects. Here's a detailed list of potential side effects and their respective causes:
Main problems experienced with Dynamic Brain
- Gastrointestinal discomfort: Some ingredients, like green tea extract and licorice root extract, may cause stomach upset in some individuals, particularly when taken on an empty stomach (20,21).
- Headaches: Some people may experience headaches due to choline or DMAE bitartrate. The exact cause isn't well understood, but it could be related to changes in cholinergic activity (22).
- Nausea: Certain ingredients like Bacopa Monnieri and Huperzine A may cause nausea in some individuals, possibly due to their effects on neurotransmitter systems (23,24).
- Insomnia: Ingredients like green tea extract contain caffeine, which can disrupt sleep patterns if taken late in the day (25).
- Dizziness: Dizziness may occur as a side effect of choline, DMAE bitartrate, or Huperzine A, potentially due to their influence on acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in maintaining balance and coordination (26,27).
- Restlessness or jitteriness: The caffeine in green tea extract can lead to feelings of restlessness or jitteriness, particularly in individuals sensitive to its effects (28).
- Allergic reactions: Although rare, some individuals might have allergic reactions to certain plant extracts such as grapefruit seed, olive leaf, or cinnamon bark extract (29).
While these side effects can occur, it's important to remember that everyone reacts differently to supplements, and not everyone will experience these issues. Additionally, these side effects are often dose-dependent and may not occur if the supplement is taken at the recommended dosage. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new supplement regimen, particularly if you have any pre-existing health conditions or are taking other medications.
Best Alternative to Dynamic Brain
NooCube outshines Dynamic Brain as an effective nootropic supplement due to its superior formulation and scientific approach to its formulation and choice of ingredients.
NooCube
4.9 / 5
NooCube incorporates a scientifically-backed selection of ingredients, including Bacopa Monnieri, Panax Ginseng and L-theanine, among others, each noted for their specific cognitive-enhancing properties (30,31,32).
NooCube delivers precise doses of each, promoting transparency and enabling users to understand the value they're getting. Its inclusion of unique components like LuteMax 2020 and Pterostilbene adds an edge over many competitors, reflecting recent advances in cognitive science.
In contrast to Dynamic Brain's proprietary blend, NooCube's open formulation fosters trust and empowers consumers, making it the superior choice for those seeking to boost their cognitive performance.
Conclusion
Dynamic Brain by Stonehenge Health raises some red flags with its setup and how it's sold. The big worry is that it uses a "proprietary blend," meaning it doesn't tell you how much of each ingredient is in there. This makes it hard to know what you're taking and if it's safe or will work.
They say it helps with memory, focus, staying alert, and brainpower, but there's not enough solid research backing these big statements. The little research out there focuses on single ingredients at specific doses, which might not match what's in Dynamic Brain. Saying the whole product can do all these things might not be accurate.
On the other hand, NooCube is all about being open and honest. They tell you exactly what's in it and how much, which is key for knowing it's safe and can actually help. Their claims have more backing from scientific studies, making it a more reliable choice.
While Dynamic Brain and NooCube both aim to boost your brain, the way they go about it is very different. Dynamic Brain's vague promises and hidden details don't stack up to NooCube's clear, research-based approach. That's why we lean towards NooCube as the better option.
FAQs
Many nootropic ingredients and formulations have been shown to improve attention, memory, and learning, while others may promote relaxation and reduce stress and anxiety. For example, caffeine is a commonly used nootropic that can increase alertness and reduce fatigue, while L-Theanine, an amino acid found in tea leaves, has been shown to promote relaxation and reduce stress.
Nootropics that contain natural ingredients and have undergone clinical testing are generally considered safe when used properly. It is important to follow recommended dosages and to avoid taking more than the recommended amount. It's also worth being aware of any potential side effects and if necessary consult with your doctor if you have any underlying medical conditions.
When taking a nootropic supplement, you should expect to experience some improvement in cognitive function, such as enhanced memory, concentration, and mental clarity. The effects of a nootropic will vary depending on the specific ingredients and dosage of the supplement, as well as individual factors such as age, overall health, and your lifestyle.
Popular nootropic supplements include NooCube, Mind Lab Pro, and Vyvamind. NooCube contains a blend of ingredients that may improve memory, focus, and overall cognitive function. Mind Lab Pro is designed to support brain health and cognitive performance through a variety of ingredients, including vitamins, minerals, and plant-based compounds. Vyvamind is a premium nootropic supplement that focuses almost exlcusively on cognitive function and mental performance. Read DBEM's guide to nootropics to see how the leading nootropic brands compare.
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