Alpha Brain is a hugely popular nootropic with tons of reviews online from both happy and dissatisfied customers. The product came out years before many of the current players, and it established a name for itself.
But today there are many worthy competitors, few of which outperform Alpha Brain by a mile. Is MInd Vitality one of them? I can tell you it’s a very close call.
Mind Vitality has a slight edge over Alpha Brain because the label clearly shows each ingredient’s dosage. Roughly half of the components in the two products are the same, and Mind Vitality has the higher doses.
Still, the product is underdosed and has not been particularly effective for me. At the same time, Alpha Brain is cheaper and highly popular, and I know people who have found it beneficial.
But based on the list of ingredients, Mind Vitality is the better nootropic.
| Feature | Winner |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Mind Vitality |
| Dosage | Mind Vitality |
| Short-Term Effects | Draw |
| Long Term Effects | Mind Vitality |
| Third-Party Testing | Draw |
| Clinical Research | Alpha Brain |
| Side Effects | Draw |
| User Reviews | Alpha Brain |
| Price | Alpha Brain |
Quick Verdict
Mind Vitality is better because it has higher doses of the shared ingredients with Alpha Brain, which make up roughly half of the formulation.
Alpha Brain’s proprietary blends are too underdosed, but at the same time, it is one of the few nootropics boasting clinical research about its effectiveness.
What Is Mind Vitality?
Mind Vitality is a nootropic created by Health Nutrition Limited, which also produces Blackwolf pre-workout and Testogen.
The supplement is designed to provide an all-in-one solution for increasing mental energy, focus, concentration, and cognitive performance.
It solves typical problems like afternoon energy slumps and procrastination by providing a natural and legal way to boost productivity and prevent fuzzy thinking.
Unlike caffeine-containing products, Mind Vitality provides an energy boost without the inevitable caffeine crash or potential anxiety and sleep difficulties.
If you want to know how my test period went, you can go to my Mind Vitality review.
What Is Alpha Brain?
Alpha Brain is a nootropic created by Onnit Labs, a well-known producer of health and fitness products and equipment.
Onnit co-founder and celebrity Joe Rogan has promoted the product, significantly contributing to its success.
This product is touted as a cutting-edge, caffeine-free brain blend that enhances cognitive performance.
It was one of the first nootropics studied in double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. It is suitable for students, professionals at work, gamers, entrepreneurs, and other groups looking to achieve peak cognitive performance.
I tested Alpha Brain for one month. Read my Alpha Brain review to learn how it went and more about the formulation.
Mind Vitality vs. Alpha Brain Main Differences
Benefits
Mind Vitality is advertised as a natural and safe approach to reduce “fuzzy” thinking. The product contains a variety of plants and herbs that work synergistically to boost mental vitality and eliminate brain fog.
The product can increase your productivity and focus, allowing you to enter the zone more frequently and for longer periods of time.
The product claims to have discovered the optimal formulation, maximizing three critical pathways of mental performance: stress reduction, increased attention, and improved cognition.
Alpha Brain is a comprehensive supplement that boosts memory, concentration, and cognitive performance. The blend contains a number of substances proven to improve cognitive function.
Onnit promotes the pill as the “ultimate way to get in the zone” via boosting brainwave activity. Alpha Brain also regulates the levels of a crucial neurotransmitter called acetylcholine.
Both products attempt to provide mental energy throughout the day without caffeine and its side effects.
Ingredients
Mind Vitality has an extensive list of 17 ingredients, four of which are vitamins, meaning they are not active ingredients.
Alpha Brain also boasts quite a few ingredients, but the issue here is the absence of clear information about dosages. Instead, they are hidden behind the Onnit Flow, Focus, and Fuel proprietary blends.
A few ingredients match between the two products.
Alpha Brain contains the amino acid L-theanine, which is in almost every single nootropic (not in Mind Vitality, though). It is a powerful antioxidant with a proven positive effect on stress reduction, verbal fluency, and executive function. [1][2]
The second core nootropic component available in many products, including Alpha Brain and Mind Vitality, is L-tyrosine, which improves mind flexibility and helps with the all-important multitasking [3].
L-tyrosine also shows notable efficacy during challenging situations. Mind Vitality contains 250 mg of L-tyrosine, most likely more than Alpha Brain.
The next shared active ingredient is the Ayurvedic herb Bacopa monnieri. The plant has been used alone and in formulations to improve language learning, memory acquisition, and delayed recall by increasing the activation of brain receptors. [4]
Mind Vitality matches the recommended dose of 300 mg of Bacopa, while Alpha Bran has only around 100 mg.
Huperzine A is a substance found in both products linked with assisting recovery from brain injuries and enhancing brain function in patients with Alzheimer’s disease [8,9].
Alpha Brain has an approximately 40 mg dose, which is still much more than the tiny 200 mcg of Mind Vitality.
Cat’s Claw is a common ingredient in nootropic formulations and is even mentioned as a separate entry rather than part of a blend in Alpha Brain. It has traditionally been used to improve cognitive performance.
Panax ginseng, a well-studied ingredient in Mind Vitality, is a traditional remedy to reduce stress. Recent research shows several cognitive benefits, such as improved working memory and faster recall. [5,6,7]
Mind Vitality contains 200 mg of Ashwagandha, an age-old herbal remedy that helps relieve stress and improve sleep, among other benefits.
Mind Vitality also has one of my favorite nootropic ingredients, Lion’s mane mushroom.
These fungi produce chemicals that trigger nerve growth factors. Studies have also demonstrated that Lion’s Mane increases cognitive function, such as memory and brain cell regeneration [10].
Mind Vitality also contains a few other potent nootropic ingredients, such as Ginkgo Biloba and Choline. However, both are heavily underdosed, and it’s unlikely they bring the benefits possible in higher doses.
A notable Alpha Brain ingredient is Phosphatidylserine. Daily supplementation with the substance has been shown to positively impact memory in older adults [11].
The 50 to 100 mg in Alpha Brain may prove beneficial.
The remaining Alpha brain constituents are Pterostilbene, L-Leucine, and Alpha-GPC.
Stimulant vs. Non-Stimulant
Both products contain no stimulants and are touted as a clean and safe energy source.
This means they provide mental energy and clarity but not as fast or distinctly as products containing caffeine, the most frequent stimulant found in nootropic supplements.
The benefit of no caffeine is that you won’t have energy crashes and can take the pills later in the day.
Mind Vitality still cautions against taking the supplement too close to bedtime because it may interrupt your sleep.
The Black Label version of Alpha Brain does contain caffeine and multiple additional ingredients, so it’s a distinctly different product and not part of this comparison.
Short vs. Long-Term Effects
Experts and regular users agree that non-stimulant nootropics function best when taken continuously. The accumulation of the substances in the body enhances their effects on energy, focus, and memory.
To gain the full benefits of nootropics, it is recommended to take them for at least three months.
For this reason (and to ensure a more consistent profit), companies typically provide a significant discount when you buy in bulk for three or more months, as Mind Vitality does.
Clinical Research
Alpha Brain was the first nootropic to release peer-reviewed research on their product.
After 6 weeks, Alpha Brain was revealed to dramatically improve delayed verbal recall and executive performance compared to a placebo group.
However, the major fault in this study is that it was paid for by Onnit, which may slant the results in their favor.
Mind Vitality also doesn’t have a complete formula study. However, some clinical studies have been done on all ingredients, and you can find many of them linked on the company’s website.
Some substances are more speculative, and the evidence is limited, but there is still some literature to review if you want to gain peace of mind from reading medical research yourself.
Side Effects
Both products rely on natural components that most people, including myself, can handle without issues. I haven’t experienced any side effects from either product.
However, with so many ingredients in the mix, some people may feel stomach discomfort, dizziness, or mild headaches.
If you’ve used nootropics previously, you’ll have no trouble with these two. If one of them is your first product of this sort, proceed with caution and be aware of any potential side effects.
I have found some user reviews complaining about the side effects of Alpha Brain, but the percentage is small. I am certain if there were Mind Vitality reviews available, the situation would be the same.
User Reviews
Being promoted by Joe Rogan is one of the most effective forms of advertising for a product, which is why Alpha Brain has nearly 30,000 Amazon ratings and 7,000 on its website.
The score on Amazon is 4.3, whereas on the website, it is 3.5. Some customers report lackluster experiences similar to mine, but given the vast number of reviews, the score clearly shows a solid level of satisfaction among most buyers.
Mind Vitality, on the other hand, has zero user reviews. Yes, zero. Not even hand-picked ones on the official website like many other companies do.
The situation on Reddit is similar, and at the moment of writing, you will be hard-pressed to find more than a couple of actual user reviews online.
Price
| Product | 1 / 1 Bottle | 1 / 3 bottles | 1 Sub / 5 bottles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha Brain | $34.95 / 15 servings ($2.33/serving) | $79.95 / 45 servings ($1.78/serving) | $67.96 / 45 servings ($1.44/serving w/ subscription) |
| Mind Vitality | $69.99 / 30 servings ($2.33/ servings) | $139.99 / 90 servings ($1.56/servings) | $209.99 / 150 servings ($1.40/servings) |
My Experience With Mind Vitality And Alpha Brain
Despite their popularity and comprehensive ingredient lists, neither Mind Vitality nor Alpha Brain offered me any notable benefits.
As an athlete, coach, and writer, the promises of defeating procrastination once and all given by Mind Vitality and entering the flow state almost at will promised on the Alpha Brain website sounded exciting.
Sadly, neither happened.
I took the two products for 30 days each, with minimal effects. Perhaps there was some clarity, focus, and less urge to procrastinate, but not nearly as much as with similar products I enjoy, such as Noocube or Mind Lab Pro.
I attribute this weak performance to the underdosed formulations. The ingredients are not bad, but the doses must be much higher.
Should You Choose Mind Vitality Or Alpha Brain?
Neither product falls into my list of recommended nootropics because both are underdosed and haven’t benefited me enough to like them.
However, mind vitality has a slight edge over Alpha Brain based on its transparency and slightly higher dosages.
Alpha Brain’s advantages are the lower price and user reviews. The user reviews may not seem like an advantage, but the option to read through tens of thousands of personal experiences brings peace of mind because real people have benefited from the product.
An issue I must mention is the big and rough pills of Mind Vitality. They are not capsules or coated tablets, and taking 3 of them daily was something I began to hate at the end of the 30-day test.
In general, if you are looking for a non-stimulant nootropic with a similar formulation, comparable price, and higher dosages, I recommend Noocube, Nooceptin, or Mind Lab Pro.
Winner
Mind Vitality
A solid comprehensive formulation undermined by low dosages. Still the doses are higher than in Alpha Brain
CHECK CURRENT DEALSRunner up
Alpha Brain
A nootropic supplement backed by prominent podcasters and clinical research for boosting brain function.
CHECK CURRENT DEALSReferences
- Hidese, S., Ogawa, S., Ota, M., Ishida, I., Yasukawa, Z., Ozeki, M., & Kunugi, H. (2019). Effects of L-theanine administration on stress-related symptoms and cognitive functions in healthy adults: a randomized controlled trial. Nutrients, 11(10), 2362.
- Williams, J. L., Everett, J. M., D’Cunha, N. M., Sergi, D., Georgousopoulou, E. N., Keegan, R. J., … & Naumovski, N. (2020). The effects of green tea amino acid L-theanine consumption on the ability to manage stress and anxiety levels: A systematic review. Plant foods for human nutrition, 75, 12-23.
- Steenbergen, L., Sellaro, R., Hommel, B., & Colzato, L. S. (2015). Tyrosine promotes cognitive flexibility: evidence from proactive vs. reactive control during task switching performance. Neuropsychologia, 69, 50-55.
- Morgan, A., & Stevens, J. (2010). Does Bacopa monnieri improve memory performance in older persons? Results of a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. The journal of alternative and complementary medicine, 16(7), 753-759.
- Park, K. C., Jin, H., Zheng, R., Kim, S., Lee, S. E., Kim, B. H., & Yim, S. V. (2019). Cognition enhancing effect of panax ginseng in Korean volunteers with mild cognitive impairment: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Translational and Clinical Pharmacology, 27(3), 92-97.
- Kennedy, D. O., Reay, J. L., & Scholey, A. B. (2007). Effects of 8 weeks administration of Korean Panax ginseng extract on the mood and cognitive performance of healthy individuals. Journal of Ginseng Research, 31(1), 34.
- Kennedy, D. O., & Scholey, A. B. (2003). Ginseng: potential for the enhancement of cognitive performance and mood. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, 75(3), 687-700.
- Li, J., Wu, H. M., Zhou, R. L., Liu, G. J., & Dong, B. R. (2008). Huperzine A for Alzheimer’s disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (2).
- Mei, Z., Zheng, P., Tan, X., Wang, Y., & Situ, B. (2017). Huperzine A alleviates neuroinflammation, oxidative stress and improves cognitive function after repetitive traumatic brain injury. Metabolic Brain Disease, 32, 1861-1869.
- La Monica, M. B., Raub, B., Ziegenfuss, E. J., Hartshorn, S., Grdic, J., Gustat, A., … & Ziegenfuss, T. N. (2023). Acute Effects of Naturally Occurring Guayusa Tea and Nordic Lion’s Mane Extracts on Cognitive Performance. Nutrients, 15(24), 5018.
- Kang, E. Y., Cui, F., Kim, H. K., Nawaz, H., Kang, S., Kim, H., … & Go, G. W. (2022). Effect of Phosphatidylserine on cognitive function in the elderly: A systematic review and meta-analysis. ????????, 54(1), 52-58
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