Note:I was provided 1 free bottle of Kognizen from the manufacturer, but I am not affiliated with them in any way.

All of my thoughts on this product are from my own personal testing and research.

I was recently approached by a company called MX Nutraceuticals about reviewing their supplement.

It’s been awhile since I tested out a nootropic supplement, so I figured it was high-time I gave one a shot.

Contents

What is Kognizen?

Created by MX Nutraceuticals, Kognizen is a supplement that promises to boost your energy, focus, mood, and memory.

Unlike several other Nootropic formulas like Mind Lab Pro and Accelleral, their formula is apparently designed to start working on your very first use.

Additionally, the manufacturer claims that with just 3 capsules you’ll realize an increase in alertness, short term memory retention, and reduced stress.

What Are Nootropics And Do They Really Work?

Nootropics are a class of supplements that are taken by individuals to help improve things like learning ability and memory, safeguard the brain against physical and chemical injury, and assist the brain in operating in unsettling conditions.

They include chemical compounds like Bacopa Monnieri, Panax Ginseng, L-Theanine, and Caffeine.

They’re a bit controversial in the sense that they are a bit understudied, and even have the potential to affect brain plasticity.

I’m not going to get into a full discuss of what Nootropics are here, but if you’d like to learn more about what they are, what they’re designed to do, and the science behind them, click here to read our full guide.

A Clinical Look At The Kognizen Ingredients

According to the product label on the Kogizen website, the only ingredients contained in the supplements are:

• L- Theanine: 300 mg
• Caffeine: 150 mg
• Ginkgo Biloba: 180 mg
• Ashwaghanda Root Extract: 450 mg
• Korean Panax Ginseng: 360 mg
• Rhodiola Rosea: 435 mg
• Vitamin B1: 9 mg
• Vitamin B3 (Niacin): 9 mg
• Vitamin B6: 6 mg
• Folic Acid: 0.3 mg
• Vitamin B12: 0.1 mg

Click Here for a full size picture of the ingredients label.

At first glance, Kognizen looks like a simple L-Theanine and Caffeine combo.

I’ve used this specific combo numerous times in the past, and typically it works great.

In fact, the effects of l-theanine and caffeine have been well documented in numerous clinical studies, and have been show to help:

• Improve alertness
• Visual information processing
• Attention switching
• Word recognition
• Improve mood

Source: (1, 2)

A typical effective dose of caffeine and l-theanine is around a 160 mg / 200 mg ratio.

Kognizen has a 150 mg / 300 mg caffeine to l-theanine ratio, which is close to the suggested dose.

Ginkgo Biloba is a natural herb that, among other things, may help with memory disorders like Alzheimer’s disease. (Source)

So what makes Ginkgo Biloba so effective, and why is it included in the Kognizen formula?

Researchers believe that it’s health benefits stem from the fact that Ginkgo is an effective antioxidant.

It contains high levels of flavonoids and terpenoids, 2 chemical compounds that have impressive antioxidant effects. (Source)

In a study conducted with 260 men and women over the age of 60, Gingko Biloba was shown to improve certainneuropsychological/memory processes. (Source)

My Personal Results With Kognizen

(Click Here
to read my “This is too long, just give me the summarized version” of this)

As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, I was provided a bottle of Kognizen free of charge to test it out.

As soon as I saw the formula, I knew this was going to work.

The only question in my mind was, “how well and for how long”.

The directions on the Kognizen label state that you should take 3 capsules per day in the morning or early afternoon.

This is good advice, because unless you plan on pulling an all-nighter, it’s not a good idea to take a supplement like this too late in the day.

If you do, you may find yourself staring at the ceiling counting sheep to try and fall asleep.

When I test out a supplement, I normally only take the smallest dosage possible so that I can keep any potential side effects at bay.

However, since the formula looked very familiar, I decided to throw caution to the wind and just went with 3 capsules first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.

That last part of the sentence above is crucial…

Whenever you take a nootropic supplement such as Kognizen, it’s absolutely essential that you take them on am empty stomach.

There’s such a huge difference between taking them on a empty vs. full stomach.

In most cases, it can be as much as a 90% difference in effectiveness.

On the first day I used Kognizen, I had a particularly challenging task ahead of me.

I was updating an article that I had written about 3 years back that needed a bit of a refresh.

The specific type of supplement that I was writing about is not a very familiar subject for me.

In fact, it’s the only review of it’s category that I have on the site, so it took a TON of extra research to make sure I was writing factual information.

Usually when I update articles like this it can take me as much as 2 or 3 days to get all the information down.

This was not the case on this particular day…

I was able to add a good 1,500 words of rich content to the review in under 3 hours, and I can completely attribute this to the Kognizen.

The words were just flowing on to the page with ease, and I was able to disseminate the information I was reading quickly and effectively.

After I was done pumping out the changes in that review, I then decided to hit the gym.

When it comes to my workouts, sometimes I take a pre workout and sometimes I don’t.

It really depends on how I’m feeling that day, and what I’m looking to accomplish.

If I know I’m in for a particularly challenging workout, I’ll take either a couple of pills of a fat burner called Instant Knockout, or a powdered pre-workout called 4 Gauge.

On this particular day, I wanted to see if the Kognizen alone would help me power through my workout.

After all, most of the pre workouts I take do essentially the same thing as the fast-acting nootropics do.

Although I don’t recommend this to the average individual, I took 1 additional capsule of Kognizen about 45 min. prior to my workout.

On the drive to the gym, I could sense it was kicking in.

What followed was one of the most intense workouts I’ve had in a really long time.

By the end of the day, I could tell that it was starting to wear off, but not in a bad way.

For example, when I took a supplement called Addieup, it actually worked about the same as Kognizen.

However, at the end of the day I experienced this really bad come down, which left me basically feeling like shit.

This was not the case with Kognizen.

The effects seemed to just wear off gradually, and I felt totally fine when it was all said and done.

I continued taking Kognizen for the next 10 days, and for the first half of the week it was still working as well as it did on that very first day.

My motivation was kicked in to high gear, I was getting things done very quickly, and even noticed I was sleeping better.

However, it was towards the end of the first week that I began to notice the effects starting to wear off.

I’m not sure if it was because of the supplement itself, but I didn’t seem to be getting that laser-like focus that I’d been getting every morning.

It was then that I realized something…

I looked at the label and saw this:

For optimal results, the manufacturer specifically notes that you should take Kognizen on a 5 days on / 2 days off basis.

I was on day 7 when I realized it stopped working.

It’s for this reason that I would suggest you follow their recommendations, they ARE there for a reason!

In Summary

Kognizen definitely works, there’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

It helped me both with writing about boring topics, as well as my gym workouts.

With that said, follow the directions on the label. I went against their recommendations and took it for about 10 days straight.

As a result, I noticed I started to build a tolerance.

They recommend that you take it on a 5 days on / 2 days off schedule.

This will help to reduce any potential tolerance build-up, as well as keep it working the way it’s intended to.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Works fast
• I didn’t notice any side effects with Kognizen
• They ship worldwide
• Relatively inexpensive when comapared to various other nootropic supplements

Cons

• Will build a tolerance if you take it everyday for too long
• Not available in stores

Where To Buy

You can find Kognizen for sale on their official website, www.Kognizen.co.uk.

One bottle will run you approximately $52.86, and they also offer a monthly subscription that is way cheaper.

For example, if you sign up for the monthly subscription, instead of paying the full price, you’ll only pay $26.50 for the first month, and then $39.65 for each bottle afterwards.

If you’re on the fence about committing to something like that, just go with one bottle to start.

Once you see it’s working for you, you can always switch over to the monthly auto-rebill option.

Of course, you can cancel the monthly option anytime by simply emailing them.

As of this review, Kognizen is not sold in stores like CVS, Walmart, Walgreens, or Amazon.

If this ever changes I’ll be sure to update it here.

Recommendation

If you’re looking for an effective Nootropic supplement, Kognizen would definitely be towards the top of my list.

In fact, if I had a Top 10 it would almost certainly be on there.

Maybe even a Top 5 front-runner.

With that said, be sure to follow their dosing recommendations. I was stupid enough to continue taking it past the 5 day break date, and was scratching my head as to why it stopped working.

It was only then that I realized that you need to cycle nootropics like this to avoid building a tolerance.

Lesson learned, although I’ve already been taught this lesson 🙂

Have You Used Kognizen? Leave Your Review Below!

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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