In our review of truBrain’s nootropic drinks, we mentioned the company’s unique pedigree in the world of nootropics: Instead of a supplement company that decided to make a nootropic, truBrain started off as the project of several high-profile entrepreneurs and neuroscientists who wanted to make a new line of high-quality brain supplements.
The company currently produces two lines of nootropics: their popular (and admittedly pretty tasty) drinks, and a more standard line of nootropic stacks in pill form. The drinks are innovative for a few reasons, including their slick, easily portable packaging and mix-ability in smoothies, shakes, and whatever else you like to sip. We were a little skeptical when we received our first shipments, as the product packaging appeared over-engineered at first, but we were ultimately all pleased with the quality and clarity the drinks imparted. They currently manufacturer in three drinkable stacks: Original, Caffeine-Free, and the ready-when-you-need-it Boost. We didn’t notice a ton of flavor difference between the three, and the only one that gave us less pep was, predictably, caffeine free. (Caffeine-Free it’s still a great option for those sensitive to or trying to avoid caffeine, which is understandable and one reason stimulant-free stacks like Alpha Brain and truBrain’s caffeine-free are becoming increasingly popular.)
TruBrain says they recently “upgraded” their formula to include piracetam, a compound that’s been a favorite of bio-hackers and nootropic enthusiasts for decades (it’s pretty powerful stuff).
The team behind truBrain is pretty impressive, and what really stands out is how transparent they are about their partners and employees; many nootropic manufacturers are very protective of their personnel and formulas. They’ve got capital backing from an Accenture-powered accelerator, corporate partners like JPMorganChase and TriNet, and a wide-ranging team including at least two neuroscientists. At the top of their masthead is Founder and CEO Chris Thompson and Lead Neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Hill, who received his PhD from UCLA in 2012.
While we like truBrain’s products, they’ve still got a lot of room for growth, innovation, and improvement; for example, we’d like to see an even simpler version of their stack or potentially a sleep formula in the near future. In the meantime, we’re pretty pleased with their products and will keep tuning in to see what’s new on their site.