Nootropics, fasting, caffeine cycling, dopamine detoxes and morning light exposure have become modern productivity rituals. But here’s what neuroscience says actually improves brain fog – and what’s just an expensive optimisation culture
‘Brain fog’ is such a buzz word at the moment – and for good reason. Everyone seems to be suffering with the cloudy cognitive symptoms, whether it’s from long Covid, hangovers, or just lack of mental exercise.
But the term has only recently become so widely used. According to expert Doctor Adam Staten, Medical Director at One Day Tests, ‘brain fog’ was originally coined to describe what women were suffering with during menopause.
“I think the term has helped both patients and clinicians talk about a symptom that otherwise is quite hard to describe but has a huge impact on quality of life,” says Staten. “It’s such a good description of the experience and one that people understand and relate to,” he says.
With brain fog becoming more and more prevalent in patients than ever, the wellness industry has begun looking into ways to reverse the symptoms, prevent overload and stave away any long term issues like dementia. And that’s where cognitive biohacking comes in. But what works and what’s just a money-making fad? We found out.
Why do people want to biohack their brains anyway?
“The idea of preventative medicine has been around for as long as people have practised medicine but seems to be gaining a new momentum,” says Staten. “This is influencing everything from individual dietary choices to government policy on health.”
The doctor believes there are a number of reasons why the interest in biohacking our brains has surged, such as new interest in longevity. He thinks that means more than people wanting to live longer though; “They’re interested in maintaining health and performance for longer too, not just physically but mentally as well,” he says. “This is part of a more general mindset shift away from treating illness and towards promoting wellness and trying to make the most out of life.”
The doctor believes that seeing our relatives age and be affected by diseases like dementia has also had a large impact on our desire to do anything we can to prevent these fates. “Most people today will have seen friends or family members who have gone through severe cognitive decline and naturally people have become interested in how they prevent that happening for themselves.”
Do supplements work to biohack our brains?
Contrary to what you might have been led to believe, Staten suggests that the evidence for supplements’ ability to help with cognitive function is somewhat limited. “Often the interest in [supplements] far outstrips the evidence base for them,” he says.
Take magnesium for example, which is a trendy supplement for the likes of sleep and mental health; “A review of the evidence in 2024 essentially found that there wasn’t yet enough evidence to draw any conclusions about [magnesium’s] impact on cognitive function,” says Staten. Well, that’s disappointing.
Is there any use in Nootropics? “Nootropics are difficult as the term covers a really wide range of different substances but, much like magnesium, the evidence isn’t really strong enough to recommend that any are definitely effective or necessarily even safe for long term use,” says Staten.
And what about Creatine? “Creatine has mostly been researched in relation to its impact on skeletal muscle but there is a growing body of evidence suggesting it might be helpful in conditions as varied as PTSD and post-concussion syndrome,” says Staten, but says that it’s still yet to be explored fully. “Unfortunately, the evidence base is probably still not enough to make a strong recommendation.”
But fear not, there is hope yet – according to Staten, there are some simple ways to help improve your brain’s function – and they don’t require spending a load of money to do so! Win, win! Read on to find out what he suggests.
What bio-hacking techniques actually work?
So often when looking for a quick fix, we forget that the most simple tools are often the most effective. “There is now all kinds of fascinating evidence about the role that things like diet, exercise, learning new skills, and maintaining social relationships have on how well we function cognitively,” says Staten.
“The habits that tend to have the strongest evidence for them are, in many ways, the things that you would expect – the same health advice that is given to improve so many different aspects of health.”
He suggests: “The best way to ensure that you are getting adequate micronutrients for good brain health is to eat a varied diet – the human body is evolved to extract what it needs from food so this is always the best way to get good nutrition.”
Here’s Staten’s top 5 recommendations:
- Exercise
“It is hard to underestimate the importance of exercise. In the long term regular exercise helps to stave off age-related changes in the brain and helps to reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems like vascular dementia. Fitter people are able to process things more quickly as they are able to allocate more of their ‘resources’ to interpreting the environment around them, enabling them to respond to challenges more quickly. Exercise boosts mood which aids with concentration, both immediately after an exercise session and in the longer term. Regular exercises (particularly resistance training) has been shown in some studies to improve cognitive function in those already diagnosed with dementia.”
- Better sleep
“Everybody is familiar with the experience of poorer cognitive function after a bad night’s sleep. This is particularly true in those with chronic insomnia. Chronic insomnia is a recognised risk factor for dementia and people who have poor sleep related to underlying medical conditions, such as obstructive sleep apnoea, experience a demonstrable deterioration in cognitive functioning over time compared to those who don’t. Evidence shows that sleep is important throughout our lives for cognitive function and development, from brain development in infancy, to slowing cognitive decline in old age. Achieving better sleep should really be seen as a valid intervention to improving cognition in both the short and long term.”
- Relaxation techniques such as mindfulness
“As mentioned above, chronic stress is one of the biggest causes of cognitive problems in younger adults. Stress may be managed in many ways but mindfulness is one way that has been studied and shown to have positive effects on task performance, as well as reducing the symptoms of stress.”
- Alcohol in moderation
“Alcohol intake obviously has a very immediate effect on cognitive functioning but long term alcohol intake above recommended limits accelerates cognitive decline, causing structural changes in the brain such as shrinkage of grey and white matter and the formation of neurofibrillary tangles which are associated with Alzheimer’s disease.”
- MIND diet
“The MIND diet is a combination of two fairly similar dietary approaches – the mediterranean diet and the DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) both of which are used to reduce cardiovascular risks. These diets are both high in antioxidants and good fats and avoid ultra processed foods and refined sugars. The MIND diet has a good body of evidence showing that it slows cognitive decline and improves cognitive function.”
If you’re experiencing brain fog, what should you do?
Staten advises that anyone who is experiencing brain fog should speak to their local GP as a precaution. “There are many reasons for the feeling of brain fog and generally it can be addressed with minor lifestyle changes but sometimes there is an underlying medical problem that should be addressed sooner rather than later.”
