In this competitive world where planning, problem-solving, and critical thinking can make or break the outcome of anyone’s endeavors, it’s easy to succumb to quick solutions that offer an easy way out of everything you’ve gone through.

After all, who wouldn’t want a pill that would make them remember everything they’ve studied for in the last semester?

Who wouldn’t wish for less downtime and better productivity in the workplace?

Who wouldn’t want to double their IQ?

Who wouldn’t want to be “limitless”?

That’s exactly what the smart drug Formula Focus promises you.

Dubbed as “the pill that will change humanity,” Formula Focus (not to be confused with Focus Formula, a completely different product) promises brain enhancement that no other smart drug in the industry can give.

I first learned about this supplement (and you undoubtedly did as well) from an email I received that had “Trump Credits His ‘Very Good Brain’ to This” in the subject line.

It was in my spam folder, which didn’t come as a surprise to me.

When I clicked on the email, I was taken to a short paragraph that claims that when Donald Trump appeared on Dr. OZ, they had a lengthy discussion about this supposed “IQ boosting brain supplement” that he used to help win the election.

So with my curiosity sparked, I decided to click through and read more.

The first thing I was confronted with was a warning from gmail about possible web forgery suspected on the site I was being led to.

Not a good way to start off…

Being the adventurous one that I am, I decided to click through anyway.

I was presented with what appeared to be the Forbes website, with a snapshot of President Trump being interviewed by none other than Dr. OZ.

The title screamed “Donald Trump with Dr. Oz: ‘This tiny pill gives me the mental and physical stamina that will win me this election.”

So what is this revolutionary new advancement in brain supplements?

None other than a supplement called Formula Focus.

Formula Focus is apparently a “Smart Drug”, that is freely available over the counter without a prescription.

Smart drugs, as the name suggests, are designed to stimulate the brain to greater levels of efficiency.

It’s sort of like coffee, only more “revolutionary”.

Like most smart drugs, Formula Focus is aimed at helping people enhance their brains to surprising levels.

Back To This Forbes Article

Throughout this supposed Forbes article they cite instances where celebrities, athletes, and professionals have sworn before the effects of the drug and then proceed to explain the science behind the brain and how it can be improved.

Celebrities like Denzel Washington…

And Genius Stephen Hawking…

And Anderson Cooper from CNN even tested it out for 2 weeks

They actually quote him as saying “The Formula Focus pills were extremely hard to come by”, which of course creates a sense of scarcity.

Sounds Convincing, Right?

Well, I’m here to tell you that it is ALL complete B.S.

For example, if you look at the URL of this supposed “Forbes” article, you’ll see that it’s not Forbes.com, but rather a site called cognitive-improvementnews.com.

Also, remember that Dr. Oz interview we talked about earlier?

Well, I just so happened to watch the entire interview on the Dr. Oz website, and he makes absolutely no mention of any supplements that he’s taking, including Formula Focus.

If you don’t believe me you can watch the interview yourself below:

Low Cognitive Performance is a Real Problem

As we grow older, the brain starts to slow down at a pace depending on your lifestyle as a person.

There are many factors around this, but just like the rest of the human body, the brain does get stressed out on the short term and get old in the long run.

People who want to excel in life definitely worry that their age and lifestyles might catch up with them, so they take steps to keep their mental health in check.

Lower brain power usually means experiencing any of the following:

• Memory loss or inability to recall
• Forgetfulness, even as early as the age of thirty
• Getting distracted easily or not being able to focus on one thing for a long time
• Low energy despite being in good physical shape.

Indeed, staying sharp is for the brain as staying fit is for the body, and Formula Focus does claim to target these specific problems.

Fact: You CAN Enhance Your Brain Power

Don’t be mistaken: science has proven that there are ways to help prevent poor cognitive performance as well as improve the brain’s power overall.

Even without specially formulated smart drugs, there are commonly known natural brain boosters that can help improve the brain in its own way.

The most common of these is caffeine, which can perk up the brain in case you need that added boost during crunch time.

Some herbs like have been recognized for their medicinal effects.

Ginkgo balboa, an herb native to China, has been known to help treat age-related mental conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.

Other herbal teas have been known to give a relaxing effect on the brain, which helps with focus and concentration.

Some food types are also known to contribute to brain activity.

As far as smart drugs are concerned, the concept of Nootropics (from the Greek words nous and trepein, which mean “mind” and “bend” respectively) is real, although their exact effects are still debated upon by the medical community.

Nevertheless, there are a lot of cases where prescription drugs have helped people perform better mentally.

In fact, some schools and universities have been vigilant in keeping these drugs out of schools because they are seen as unfair to those who rely on their natural mental ability.

In some states, they are even seen as illegal.

The reason is quite obvious: drugs like ADHD stimulants like Adderall, when used on healthy individuals, can have dangerous side effects.

So where does Formula Focus fit in?

The smart drug industry is still very young, so there have been only a few products that have been known to improve cognitive abilities.

Others claimed to have the same effect are just brain stimulants (i.e. they’re filled with caffeine and other ingredients).

So it’s quite possible that Formula Focus falls under the latter category.

Let’s discuss the reasons one by one.

Ingredients in Formula Focus

In its main promotional page as well as its press release, Formula Focus hardly enumerates the actual content of its pill, save a few vague mentions of “essential vitamins” that could benefit the brain.

True enough, there are some types of vitamins and minerals that do improve brain activity, but not to the level that genuine smart drugs would.

There are also certain elements like vitamins B and E that have been proven to NOT have any effect on cognition at all.

But considering that Formula Focus hardly mentions any of its active ingredients, it’s difficult to tell whether it contains anything promising at all.

At best, the pill becomes doubtful as to whether it really is an effective smart drug.

It does refer its audience to some studies and citations but is careful to not say whether the findings were applied to the manufacturing of their pills at all.

I did a little more digging and finally found the complete ingredients list in Formula Focus.

It includes the following: St. John’s Wort, Glutamine, Phosphatidylserine, Bacopa Monnier, Acetyl-L Carnitine, DMAE Bitartrate, Gingko Biloba, and Vinpocentine.

In all honesty, there’s nothing really “revolutionary” about this formulation. In fact, it’s really nothing more than a blend of vitamins and minerals that you’ll find in any over the counter multi-vitamin.

Which leads us to our next topic…

Doubtful Endorsements

Formula Focus relies a lot on dropping big names that are supposed to have approved of the legitimacy of the pills.

This aspect of their marketing has raised a lot of doubt.

First, they claim to present their product “as seen on” media outlets like the New York Times, NBC, CNN, and USA Today.

Sadly, a quick search on any of these websites will show that these sites have never reported or aired anything related to Formula Focus.

They also like to quote individuals who claim to have improved their lives because of Formula Focus.

Their most notable personality is Stephen Hawking, who is supposedly quoted in an interview to have attributed the sharpness of his mind to the pill, among other smart drugs.

But something tells us that Stephen Hawking naturally has a sharp brain himself and that his brilliance has nothing to do with Formula Focus at all.

They even show a photo of Bill Gates apparently giving a speech somewhere, saying his results with Formula Focus were unbelievable.

Then they have testimonies from named individuals in the middle of the article as well as at the bottom of their web pages.

To be fair, some of them could be true, but most supplements have relative effects, and none of the tests show how effective they really are.

The problem, however, is that the Facebook comment plugin isn’t even real.

The reply and like buttons are fake too.

This means that the testimonies are only made to look likethe social network, but actually isn’t.

Last, but certainly not least, we have none other than Donald J.

Trump stating that Formula Focus gave him “the mental and physical stamina that won him the election”.

Scientific Inaccuracies

Perhaps the most exaggerated aspect of Formula Focus is the numbers they use to measure brain power after taking the supplement.

At the onset, readers are shown an article that says “We can now Access 100% of the Brain.”

This claim assumes that the normal human doesn’t, which is has been debunked years ago.

The myth that we only use 10% of our brain has long been disproven, and that says a lot about the scientific backing of the pill.

While there’s also data which supports the idea that a person’s IQ can be improved, the double or 300% increase claimed by Formula Focus is a bit farfetched. Increasing one’s IQ involved a plethora of environmental and social factors over the years, and the rate wouldn’t have nearly doubled.

To say that the pill can double one’s IQ with one take makes it too good to be true.

Limited Offer “Today” and Forever

Finally, the site’s posting of a “Breaking News” that’s been posted “five hours ago” have been the case for DAYS.

The “Story Updates” regarding the scientific findings as well as the urgent “Limited Offer” are both dated on the exact date as you are viewing the site.

Formula Focus seems to intend to make this news as “fresh” on a daily basis.

Verdict

Formula Focus does get the science behind brain health and enhancement, but that doesn’t prove the efficacy of its own product.

At best, the safest assumption is that these are simple supplements that just help the brain if you take it regularly, but that would hardly count as a smart drug, much less be considered as the “pill that will change humanity” or the “biggest advancement to brain science up to date.” But because the ingredients are hardly mentioned, we cannot say for sure that the pill has any value at all.

Just take note that the site itself notes that the pill hasn’t been evaluated by the FDA, which means that there’s no proof that the stuff is safe or free of side effects.

While we’re not quick to accuse manufacturers of deliberately selling harmful drugs, you’re better off playing safe by looking at accredited products.

So if you’re planning on taking on their “limited free trial”, do so at your own risk.

Also, the site claims that the stuff is sold on eBay for about $300 a bottle.While there are some supplements with the name “Formula” or “Focus” on it, nothing there is labeled as Formula Focus.

None of them look like the bottle in the website as well, so we’re sure it’s not the same product.

But wherever the stuff is sold, it’s definitely not worth trying at $300 per bottle.

Have You Used Formula Focus? Leave Your Review Below!

Ask A Question

User Questions and Answers

Has anyone ever asked Dr Hawking or President Trump if they "really" take this stuff? Looks like pretty wild claims to me! -Edward

Trust me. They don't take it.- Rob

I just received a 10 page blurb from Nordic Clinical in Point Claire, Quebec, re a product called Mitoboost with Niagin. Do you have anything on this product? It sounds good, but don't they all. Appreciate your work!! -Rod

I didn't, but it looks interesting. Look for a review on the website in the next few days.- Rob

Author: Rob Miller

Rob Miller founded SupplementCritique.com over 7 years ago, and has been the chief editor ever since. He has a diploma in Advanced Dietary Supplements Advisor, and worked at GNC for 3 years. He KNOWS supplements, both inside and out. Rob currently resides in Jupiter, FL, with his wife of 4 years.  Learn more about him in his Bio here. Follow him on Twitter , Facebook, LinkedIn, or find him on Google +. View all posts by Rob Miller