Onnit and Gorilla Mind have established themselves as two of the leading dietary supplement companies, and we regularly recommend products from both.
But it gets a bit more complicated to recommend a product when both companies have similar supplements that aim to deliver the same effect.
Alpha Brain and Gorilla Mind Smooth are two such products, and the only way we could get to the bottom of this is to ask our dietitian for help in the research and our clients for help with testing.
Here's what three weeks of research and testing have revealed.
Key Differences Between Gorilla Mode And Alpha Brain
The main difference between Gorilla Mind Smooth and Alpha Brain is the amount of scientifically proven ingredients and their strength.
We weren't too surprised to see that the nutritional labels contained a lot of overlapping ingredients.
See, both companies have a long track record of paying attention to reliable scientific research.
But, there are two important differences.
Gorilla Mind has a stronger dose for the overlapping ingredients, and the company is also a lot more transparent about the formula.
Onnit has decided to hide the exact details of the ingredients behind a proprietary label, and that's something that makes stacking with other products more difficult.
Features Head to Head
We took a very close look at these two supplements under these four categories.
Ingredients
Both products have a few overlapping ingredients, including L-Tyrosine, Alpha GPC, Bacopa Monnieri, and L-Theanine.
The most interesting ones here are L-Tyrosine and L-Theanine.
L-Tyrosine is known to provide brain-stimulating effects and can help you feel more alert and concentrate better [1]. L-Theanine has a similar effect but can also help with reducing stress levels [2].
The key thing with these ingredients is that Gorilla Mind Smooth comes out slightly on top with a higher dose. It also has a few other proven ingredients.
But more on those shortly.
"L-Tyrosine is an amino acid that is used to produce noradrenaline and dopamine; it appears to reduce stress during exposure to acute stressors (which tend to deplete noradrenaline) and may help to prevent stress-induced memory and attention deficits."
- Kamal Patel, Editor at Examine.com
Effectiveness
To figure out how effective these products are, we got our team and nine clients to keep a daily journal about how well they felt they mentally performed.
We did that for a week and then started taking Gorilla Mind Smooth for a week and did the same journaling.
After that week, we switched to Alpha Brain and took notes as well.
The result was that the majority of our testing team reported better mental alertness, focus, motivation, and concentration with Gorilla Mind.
Alpha Brain also showed a good mental performance increase, but it fell a bit short in comparison.
Supplement Form
Both products come in capsules, which are convenient for taking while you're on the go.
But Alpha Brain only requires taking two capsules compared to three for Gorilla Mind Smooth. That makes Alpha Brain a bit more convenient, especially if you're not a fan of taking many capsules each day.
Price
Gorilla Mind Smooth costs $39 for a 30-day supply, and Alpha Brain is $35. But you have to factor in that Gorilla Mind has a longer list of proven ingredients and a stronger dose.
Plus, when you factor in the more favorable test results we got, I’d say it's worth the extra $5.
Related Article: Gorilla Mind Smooth Vs Shroom
Unique Supplement Features
The next thing our dietitian helped with was to provide some background on the unique ingredients in each supplement to choose the best nootropic.
Gorilla Mind Smooth
Here are the ingredients unique to Gorilla Mind.
- Saffron Extract: This was a new ingredient for me, but studies have shown a link to improved brain function and limiting neurological issues [3].
- Ginkgo Extract: Clinical trials have shown that people who regularly take Ginkgo perform better at solving complex tasks and have an improved memory function [4].
- Kanna: This extract has been linked to an impact on stress levels and hypertension, which can further impact how clearly you're able to think and process information [5].
Suited For Men and Women
Gorilla Mind Smooth
Alpha Brain
Here are the unique ingredients in Alpha Brain and what our dietitian was able to find out about them.
- Oat Extract: One study has found a positive link between concentration, attention span, and the processing speed of incoming information [6]. However, that study used a considerably higher dose than what Onnit lists for the Flow Blend.
- Cat's Claw Extract: This South American herb has also been linked to overall brain health and function, but studies also used stronger doses [7].
- L-Leucine: Studies have shown that a combination of amino acids, including L-leucine, has an impact on brain function, but they didn't show that it could achieve that in isolation [8].
- Pterostilbene: Some studies have linked this ingredient to brain health, but scientists don't yet fully understand how this process works [9].
While these are all promising ingredients, their dosage and scientific support are not yet quite good enough to compete with Gorilla Mind.
Suited For Men and Women
Alpha Brain
Which Supplement Should You Pick?
While both supplements gave us positive test results for improved brain function and focus, Gorilla Mind Smooth came out on top with our research and testing.
The dosage of proven ingredients is higher, and the number of ingredients with scientific support also seems just that little bit better.
Only two of our test team of 15 people preferred Alpha Brain, so we're going with the majority vote.
Order your first supply today and see how much of a difference it will make in your work and training at the gym.
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