The word ‘nootropic’ has become a buzzword in the wellness industry, with numerous individuals praising its benefits for enhancing memory, focus, and motivation.

The latest player in the smart drug market is Neuro, a company that offers mints and chewing gum formulated with a mix of ingredients believed to enhance cognitive function. These include caffeine, the most widely consumed psychoactive substance globally, alongside l-theanine and vitamins B6 and B12.

Caffeine is well-known for its ability to increase alertness and concentration, although excessive intake can lead to restlessness and anxiety. This is where l-theanine plays a crucial role.

Found in green tea, l-theanine is an amino acid that helps alleviate the usual side effects of caffeine, such as nervousness and high blood pressure, promoting a state of calm alertness with sharper mental clarity.

Vitamins B6 and B12 are recognized for their role in reducing fatigue, enhancing cognitive functions, and boosting mood.

After conducting a series of tests over several weeks, reporters from the Daily Mail concluded that the gum effectively enhances attention and focus, particularly during those challenging afternoon energy dips.

Whether the benefits are rooted in science or a well-crafted placebo effect is still unclear, but the distinction matters less when the result feels real. 

The latest company to venture into the smart drug space is Neuro

Emily’s experience

I am completely dependent on coffee, and I don’t see that changing any time soon. 

But after a decade of drinking it twice a day, it doesn’t keep me as awake and alert as it used to, and by the time I get on the subway after work, I’m practically falling asleep on the unsuspecting passenger next to me. 

With 40 milligrams of caffeine and 60 milligrams of L-theanine, Neuro Gum promises to banish that slump and increase alertness and focus. 

And unlike my favorite coffee creamers, it boasts no sugar.

With this in mind, I spent the last several weeks chewing Neuro Gum on my 40-minute evening commute or in the afternoons when a second cup of Joe just wasn’t hitting. 

To my surprise, within a couple of minutes of popping it into my mouth, I could feel myself start to perk up at my desk and on the train. I was no longer struggling to get through my afternoon to-do list, and I still had enough energy by nightfall to not close my eyes during my commute. 

After a decade of drinking coffee regularly, it doesn’t keep me as awake as it used to. Neuro Gum, however, helped me beat afternoon slumps

I’ve also long struggled to find the energy to cook and clean after getting home at night, with far too many dinners consisting of boxed mac and cheese and takeout. On evenings I took Neuro Gum, I found myself more likely to start cooking right away instead of crashing on the couch.

My morning coffee was still a necessity, but there were even a couple of afternoons when I didn’t even need a second cup. However, there were also times when I found myself getting jittery after two cups and a piece of gum, which could be due to the roughly 240 total milligrams of caffeine. 

I suspect caffeine and L-theanine played a large part in waking me up, but since I don’t usually chew gum, the act of chewing itself may have also contributed. Chewing stimulates facial muscles, which increases blood flow to the brain. It also tells the brain that food is coming, which temporarily boosts energy levels. 

Since I don’t chew gum regularly – and because it costs $4.60 at my local CVS (approximately 50 cents per piece), more than twice a standard pack – I most likely won’t go out and buy it on my own, at least not regularly. But I can credit it for helping me get through a bout of seasonal depression. 

Cassidy’s experience

My morning commute is a lengthy and occasionally stressful process. The chaos of Midtown Manhattan’s rush hour reliably spikes the stress reading on my Oura Ring, a surge predictably followed by an energy dip about an hour after I settle at my desk.

As I boot up my computer, I pop a piece of Neuro gum and breathe deeply through my nose, the cool air freezing the back of my throat when it meets the mint.

I’m not a regular gum chewer. In fact, it never crosses my mind to buy a pack of gum or to ask for a piece when my coworkers pass it around. 

But I’ve been using the Neuro Energy & Focus gum every weekday for the past two weeks or so.

With the same amount of caffeine as a half a cup of java, to me, the gum is a warm-up for my iced coffee. But, more than just a quick cerebral jump start, I find the gum most helpful for calming my overstimulated senses.

Is it the placebo effect of chewing the gum, giving my mind a simple, repetitive physical sensation to focus on, that anchors me to the moment and calms me down? Or is it the gum itself and what goes into it? Could it be that a product works as advertised?

As I chew and focus on that first task of the day, I notice a shift: the mental fog begins to lift, replaced by a sharper alertness and a surprising ease with writing

Each piece of Neuro gum contains 60mg of L-theanine, an amino acid that increases alpha waves in the brain, the dominant rhythm when the brain is in a wakeful but relaxed state.

L-theanine has been clinically shown to suppress the sympathetic nervous system, specifically the cortisol-driven fight-or-flight response, mitigating stress responses such as increased heart rate and blood pressure.

While chewing and delving into the day’s first assignment, I have detected a noticeable shift in my mental state: the clouds in my mind begin to clear, replaced by sharper alertness and more ease with writing that makes starting the day’s work almost enjoyable.

I’ve also been using the gum to make it through the afternoon doldrums, when a post-lunch malaise takes over and the end of the day feels so close yet so far away. The caffeine content in each piece, around 40mg, seems to carry me through to the end of the workday.

I should offer this as a disclosure: Neuro gum is not my only source of caffeine. An admitted coffee snob and habitual cold-brew drinker, I carry to-go coffee cups like an accessory to an outfit.

But overloading on caffeine with a coffee in the afternoon is not conducive to writing, let alone sitting still behind a desk. That’s where the gum comes in. It gives me a steady boost that lasts until the end of the work day and my trip home.

Have I been converted to a regular gum-chewer? Well, not exactly. 

There’s still a lot I don’t enjoy about gum, any gum: the fading flavor after a short bit of time, the cow-like motion of chewing and the invasive thoughts about swallowing gum and it consuming my insides. 

Did the L-theanine and B vitamins work? I’d say yes. Was it the supplements or the simple, rhythmic act of chewing? I’m not sure, but I’m choosing to believe in the chemistry, a faith I’ll hold at least until the pack runs out.