Oxiracetam carries a stellar reputation. This “smart drug” has shown sufficient evidence to prove it could enhance cognitive functions. Its ability to improve memory, learning capacity, and verbal fluency is one of the reasons why nootropics are now a $1 billion industry in the US.
However, while its fame is recent, Oxiracetam itself isn’t. It was developed in the 1950s and has been helping users enhance their cognitive processes for the past few decades. Its long history is the reason why we have so much research substantiating Oxiracetam benefits.
The most important of which is that it can prevent age related cognitive decline. Various studies have shown that this drug might help reduce symptoms seen in diseases like dementia. This is excellent news for governments worldwide, given that we live in a fast-aging world.
Oxiracetam benefits aren’t limited to the elderly, though. Students, athletes, and even non-professionals can benefit from this nootropic’s ability to boost verbal fluency and learning powers. Read on to know more about how Oxiracetam may help you or those around you.
What Is Oxiracetam?
Oxiracetam, like piracetam, belongs to the racetam family. Racetams are a class of drugs that modulate several neurotransmitters to offer cognitive benefits. They have been proven to enhance memory by interacting with the glutamate receptors in the central nervous system. [R]
Even though Oxiracetam is chemically derived from piracetam, it is more potent than its parent compound. That is mainly due to the difference in the two drugs’ structures – microscopic analysis has shown that Oxiracetam carries an additional hydroxyl (OH-) group. [R]
Various studies have proven that Oxiracetam reduces age related cognitive decline and related symptoms. At best, this might enable it to reduce the risk of dementia. In dementia patients, Oxiracetam may help reduce the intensity of the disease’s symptoms. [R]
Other benefits that Oxiracetam offers include enhanced learning powers, improved memory, and enhanced verbal fluency. This supplement may also boost your concentration and focus levels. You could thus count on it to improve your day-to-day working life.
On top of everything else, Oxiracetam has mild stimulant properties. This allows it to promote wakefulness by inhibiting sleep. That is excellent news for people who regularly find themselves dozing at the wrong time. Oxiracetam supplementation will help you stay alert.
Overview of Benefits and Effects
Before we look at what human and animal studies have to say about this nootropic, let’s have an overview of this nootropic’s benefits and adverse effects.
Benefits
- Improve Memory Formation
- Arrest Cognitive Decline
- Improve Verbal Fluency
- Protect Brain Health
- Enhance Creativity
- … And Many More
Side Effects
- Headaches
- Insomnia
Research suggests that Oxiracetam causes no adverse effects, even at high doses.
How Does Oxiracetam Work?
Oxiracetam works as a positive modulator of AMPA-sensitive glutamate receptors in neurons.
In plain English, that means that it increases the probability that an agonist will bind to the targeted receptors. This activates the receptors and increases their efficacy. [R]
Researchers tell us that glutamate receptors perform various crucial functions in the brain. They are responsible for communication between neurons, memory formation, regulation, and learning. Their impairment could result in various neurological disorders. [R]
By activating these receptors, Oxiracetam might help them perform their roles much better. This may translate into enhanced memory, improved learning powers, and superior verbal fluency for Oxiracetam users. It may also result in added concentration and focus.
Oxiracetam may also increase the release of acetylcholine.
A rat study showed that a low Oxiracetam dosage stimulated the release of the neurotransmitter in the rats’ hippocampus. That is exciting news given the roles acetylcholine plays in the body. [R]
Acetylcholine slows heart rate, contracts smooth muscles, and dilates blood vessels. It also plays a crucial role in memory formation and learning powers. Taking a choline supplement like Oxiracetam may give all these functions a shot in the arm. [R]
Oxiracetam Benefits
Human clinical trials have shown that Oxiracetam arrests age-related cognitive impairment. It can boost many a cognitive function, too, including memory, language, attention and focus. This supplement can also improve reasoning skills and boost intellectual functions.
Its mild stimulant properties enable this nootropic drug to inhibit sleep. Perhaps that’s the key reason why many Oxiracetam users credit this nootropic for helping them stay alert for extended periods. This might make it worth a try for students, night-time shift workers and anyone facing a deadline.
Here are the various benefits of Oxiracetam:
- Enhance Memory Formation
- Safeguards Brain Health
- Improve Cognitive Function
- Boosts Verbal Fluency
- Enhance Cognition
- … And Many More
Let’s expound on these benefits
1) Improves Memory Formation
According to a human trial, Oxiracetam brings about more improvements in memory than piracetam, from which it’s derived. The trial was conducted on patients with organic brain syndrome. Evidence is lacking on whether Oxiracetam can improve memory in healthy humans, too. [R]
Still, while empirical evidence is lacking, there’s an excellent chance that Oxiracetam improves memory formation and consolidation in healthy users too. That’s because it increases the release of two neurotransmitters (acetylcholine and glutamate) that are proven to be crucial for memory. [R] [R]
What’s more, animal studies also show that Oxiracetam successfully improves memory. This makes this supplement much similar to Mucuna Pruriens, another nootropic that successfully improved memory in animal trials but doesn’t have human studies to get FDA approval. [R]
2) Enhances Learning
Oxiracetam improves learning by increasing the release of glutamate chemical in the brain. Glutamate is responsible for strengthening the signaling (communication) between neurons. The improved signaling between neurons boosts learning, mental functions, and problem solving skills.
That means that by taking Oxiracetam, you’d be able to retain information that would otherwise be too easy to forget. That is great news, not only for students dreading an upcoming test. Any person of any age can improve the quality of their life by learning and retaining new pieces of information.
What’s more, while there are no clinical studies to prove that Oxiracetam improves learning, multiple animal studies confirm this hypothesis. In two different studies, weight-dependent administration of this drug boosted learning power in mice, raising hopes that it could do the same in humans. [R] [R]
3) Boosts Verbal Fluency
A human trial has found that Oxiracetam boosts verbal fluency in patients with Alzheimer-type dementia. All the patients who took the drug were easily able to tolerate it. This shows that Oxiracetam is not only beneficial but it’s also safe, especially for users with a neurological disorder. [R]
Researchers have given us a clue of how Oxiracetam boosts verbal fluency. This cognitive enhancer works on glutamate receptors, which are crucial for language comprehension, and whose impairment leads to multiple language disorders, such as aphasic stroke syndromes. [R]
Little wonder, then, anecdotal evidence credits Oxiracetam for boosting verbal fluency. Multiple users report a significant improvement in their vocabulary, as well as eloquence and word recall, only a few weeks after they started taking this nootropic supplement.
4) Improves Memory Retention
Oxiracetam improves memory retention by blocking PDE4 enzymes. These enzymes are responsible for the breakdown of neurotransmitters acetylcholine and dopamine, both of which have well-publicized links to memory retention and recall capabilities.
Research has shown that dopamine’s release can help stabilize memory in the hippocampus. The neurotransmitter acetylcholine, meanwhile, enhances the encoding of memory. It is crucial for helping your brain register and recall memories, especially the episodic ones. [R] [R]
By preventing PDE4 enzymes from breaking down these neurotransmitters, Oxiracetam helps users experience improved memory retention. This is especially beneficial for dementia patients. The drug eases the symptoms of their disease by preventing the breakdown of these two neurotransmitters.
5) Protects Brain Health
Various studies have shown that Oxiracetam protects overall brain health. This supplement has been shown to reduce brain inflammation in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. This finding helped the researchers conclude that Oxiracetam may exert a ‘protective’ role in Alzheimer’s disease patients. [R]
Oxiracetam may induce neuroprotection in users with head injury, too. Head injuries can be very dangerous as they might lead to brain trauma or worse. Research suggests that soldiers with a concussive injury experienced improved motor functions after Oxiracetam therapy. [R]
An animal study involving rats, meanwhile, showed that Oxiracetam alleviates blood brain barrier dysfunction and protects against ischemic stroke. Ischemic stroke happens when the artery carrying blood to the brain gets blocked. If untreated, it can be fatal. [R] [R]
6) Increases Cerebral Flow
Similar to other best nootropics on the market, Oxiracetam boosts blood flow toward and within the brain. This enables this supplement to promote wakefulness (explained in detail below). The increase in cerebral blood flow also leads to increased mental energy.
That probably explains why many athletes use this supplement. By boosting mental energy and promoting wakefulness, Oxiracetam lets them train harder and recover quickly. As a result, anyone who is serious about smashing their fitness and/or health-related goals might consider taking it.
Yet another benefit of increased cerebral circulation is that it leads to the quick removal of carbon dioxide and other waste products from your brain. These waste products are replaced with nutrient- and oxygen-rich blood. This, in turn, allows the neurons to rev up, leading to cognitive enhancement. [R]
7) Promotes Wakefulness
Oxiracetam might have what it takes to help people stay awake. In animal studies, this supplement has been shown to promote wakefulness and inhibit sleep. Rats who took Oxiracetam experienced a heightened sense of their surroundings for an extended amount of time. [R]
Another way Oxiracetam might make you feel alert is by enhancing blood flow toward and within the brain. Studies that unearthed this phenomenon found that it ends up improving energy metabolism, which, as you might guess, gives way to wakeful alertness. [R]
That is great news for an estimated 4% to 6% of the general population. That is the amount of people who are estimated to be struggling with hypersomnia – a condition in which one struggles to stay awake during the day. All these people could do with Oxiracetam. [R]
8) Boosts Creativity
Oxiracetam is capable of boosting the creativity of users. The reason most people don’t take this claim seriously is because of the assumption that creativity is godsend. That you are either creative or you see things black and white. And there’s a neat, hidden mental divide between the two types.
However, as Oxiracetam users could verify, this assumption is false. Science has found that how creative you’re depends on the levels of dopamine in your brain – with higher dopamine levels driving an individual’s motivation to boost explore new things and boosting creativity. [R]
Oxiracetam boosts creativity by increasing dopamine levels in the brain – letting users come with solutions other people don’t know even exist. That is probably the reason why several users report regularly coming up with new ideas after they started taking Oxiracetam powder.
Oxiracetam Dosage
Oxiracetam is a synthetic dietary supplement. That means this compound isn’t available in nature or organic food sources. You can only purchase Oxiracetam in powder form, capsules, or tablets. You can ingest this supplement orally or sublingually (under the tongue).
Given the fact that this drug isn’t unregulated – the US Food and Drug Administration is yet to approve it. We don’t have any official guidelines on how much Oxiracetam you could take per day. All we have are suggestions from users or guidelines from studies involving this supplement.
In human clinical trials, patients were administered 700 – 2400 mg Oxiracetam per day. Beginners should stick to the lower end of this range. Having said that, we’re yet to see any reports of people overdosing on this drug. So experienced users might safely take the maximum recommended dosage.
Make sure to avoid drinking alcohol 24 hours either side of taking this drug. A few users suggest that alcohol diminishes this supplement’s effects. Try to take Oxiracetam early in the day, as this drug promotes wakefulness. If you took it late in the evening, it might disturb your sleeping routine.
Try to divide the daily dosage into three doses. For instance, if you’re taking the maximum dosage (2,400 mg) every day, divide it into three, 800 mg doses. Regular users suggest taking a month-long break after using Oxiracetam every day for 2-3 months. Or, at least, switch to a lower dosage for 30 days.
Oxiracetam Side Effects
Research suggests there are no severe adverse effects of taking Oxiracetam, even if you take high doses of this supplement. Having said that, if you’ve never used a nootropic drug before, we suggest that you start with a low dose at first. Observe how your body reacts to it and increase the dose from there.
Some users report experiencing headaches after taking this supplement. If you too experience headaches, add a choline source to your daily diet. Peanuts, liver and eggs are all natural sources rich in choline. If you’re looking for a choline supplement, our recommendation is the PRL-8-53 drug.
Other reported adverse effects include insomnia, especially when you take Oxiracetam in high doses or too close before bedtime. Some users might also experience nausea, though the number of users who report this side effect is a pittance when compared to the total number of this drug’s users.
Keep in mind that Oxiracetam is for short-term use-only. Stop taking this drug after using it every day for 2-3 months. Pregnant women or breastfeeding mothers are advised not to take this drug given that there is no evidence-based analysis of its effects on unborn/nursing babies.
Recommended Oxiracetam Stacks
There are multiple reasons why you might want to stack Oxiracetam with other supplements. The first of them is that stacking it with other supplements will help you enjoy more significant benefits. That’s because two nootropics reinforce each other’s effects when combined.
Another is that Oxiracetam might cause headache at higher doses. Combining this nootropic with a choline supplement will keep headaches at bay. Aside from that, choline is an essential nutrient that helps with memory, muscle movement, and mood, so you’d get these effects as a bonus. [R]
Here are some user-recommended Oxiracetam stacks:
Stack # 1: Oxiracetam + Alpha GPC
Combining Oxiracetam with Alpha GPC will help you kill two birds with one stone. On the one end, it will enable you to keep headaches at bay. Alpha GPC is rich in choline, which, in turn, is known for its ability to prevent headaches, one of Oxiracetam’s most-reported side effects.
This stack might offer other benefits, too. These include improved memory formation, better memory recall and enhanced memory retention. That’s due to the fact that Alpha GPC increases acetylcholine levels in the brain, a key neurotransmitter that regulates memory formation and recall.
Users recommend stacking 750 mg Oxiracetam with 300 mg Alpha GPC in up to two doses a day.
Stack # 2: Oxiracetam + Piracetam
Both these nootropics are same side of the same coin. Oxiracetam is derived from piracetam and while it contains one extra hydroxyl group, both these racetams possess intelligence boosting effects. Combining them therefore seems a no-brainer.
Once you combine Oxiracetam with piracetam, you’d garner greater benefits than using either of them individually. We have stated in our piracetam review that it works as a vasodilator (expands blood vessels); an effect that lets it potentiate the benefits Oxiracetam has to offer.
Users recommend stacking 1,600 mg Piracetam with 400 mg Oxiracetam in up to doses a day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Oxiracetam good for memory?
According to a placebo controlled study, Oxiracetam boosts memory recall of users. Participants who took 1,600 mg of Oxiracetam during the study fared better on the word-recall test. Another study showed that Oxiracetam successfully enhanced memory of head injury patients. [R] [R]
What is the safest Racetam?
Oxiracetam is one of the safest racetams out there. Several studies have shown that this nootropic causes no adverse side effects, even at higher doses. Most users only experience a headache after taking this supplement – something that can be addressed by using a choline supplement.
Conclusion
Oxiracetam is one of the most beneficial nootropics out there. This supplement boosts memory formation and recall, enhances analytical thinking and mental abilities, and gives your overall cognitive function a shot in the arm. It also increases cerebral blood flow and protects brain health.
Sure, this supplement causes a few side effects, but almost all of them are benign. Headaches, one of its most-reported side-effects, can be easily avoided by stacking it with a choline supplement. Doing so might help you garner additional benefits, too.
If you’ve liked what you’ve read about Oxiracetam, and are prepared to give it a go, we suggest you buy it from Pure Rawz. All of Science Bio’s supplements come with a 30-day moneyback guarantee and a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Consequently, there’s nothing for you to lose if you order Oxiracetam powder from Science Bio. You’d also get publicly available lab reports to verify the supplement’s safety and efficacy.