Solaray Sharp Mind

Some customers have been happy with their boost in brain power following taking this supplement, but others feel that it works no better than a placebo. We take an in-depth look at Solaray Sharp Mind to find out more.

Solaray Sharp Mind Pros

• Made in the USA by reputable company Solaray
• Customers have not mentioned side effects
• Reasonably priced – looks like a good deal

Solaray Sharp Mind Cons

• Principle ingredient Cats Claw comes with no real evidence that it has a nootropic effect
• Although they may be rare, this supplement could cause a range of adverse effects
• No scientific proof that this supplement will work as described

Watchdog Rejected Diet Pills

Solaray Sharp Mind Review

Solaray Sharp Mind is a nootropic supplement that contains a blend of natural herbal ingredients including Cat’s Claw – an extract derived from a woody vine that grows in South America, Horse Chestnut Seed Extract, Ginkgo Bilboa extract and Dopa Bean extract.

All these ingredients are known as herbal remedies for various illnesses and ailments and some have an effect upon mood and mental functioning.

With the rise in popularity for Nootropic supplements, these previously unknown ingredients are beginning to show up in a wide variety of products.

Gingko has long been a Chinese medicinal herb and is believed to work as an aphrodisiac. There is some evidence that it can enhance cognitive functioning too by improving blood flow to the brain.

Dopa Bean extract, also known as Velvet Bean is often taken as a recreational high because it has a small physcoactive effect but more importantly may help increase dopamine levels.

Although the evidence for Cats Claw is not yet proven, this natural extract is believed to repair environmental stress damage to your brain cells and damage to DNA. There is no firm evidence yet but research is ongoing.

Solaray Sharp Mind also contains natural chemicals and stimulants Vinpocetine, Huperzine A, a natural stimulant derived from a type of moss and Phosphatidylserine Concentrate derived from Soy.

Solaray Sharp Mind does not contain caffeine so you should not experience jittery side effects and the usual adverse effects of caffeine.

Solaray Sharp Mind comes from Solaray a well known supplement brand in the USA. Solaray advertise on the Healthy Foods Channel and are well known as a quality manufacturer. All Solaray products are made in the USA at the company’s factory. Solaray have won awards for supplements and conform to the green screen logo that indicates that the plants have been tested for microbes, heavy metals, herbicides and pesticides, so as to ensure purity.

Solaray is a well established US supplements brand that is on sale worldwide from many major retail outlets.

We recently covered Solaray Yerba Mate in a previous review and although we rejected it, thought it had some very good points.

What Does Solaray Sharp Mind Claim To Do?

Much of the advertising is about the good reputation of Solaray rather than what this supplement will actually do for you.
Statements include:

No other brand offers a wider selection of vitamins, minerals, herbs and specialty products than Solaray.

And:

With over 900 products, Solaray is the most comprehensive supplement brand in the industry! Solaray has their own manufacturing facility to ensure that quality controls are applied at every level.

According to the advertising on the Lucky Vitamin website:

Solaray SharpMind is the most complete brain formula with Ginkgo, L-Dopa, Phosphatidylserine, Huperzine A, Vinpocetine & More!

It would have been useful to know the sort of benefits we could expect from taking this “complete brain formula “and whether there was any clinical evidence to say it would work!

So What Is Solaray Sharp Mind and What Are The Ingredients?

Solaray Sharp Mind is a nootropic supplement described as a “complete brain formula.” Each serving is equal to one capsule.

• Cat’s Claw Bark (350 mg): The principle component of the formula is this herbal supplement ingredient Unicaria tomentosa also known as Cats Claw because of its claw shaped thorns. It is known as folk medicine in South America and it has also been investigated as a treatment for cancer although it requires further clinical trials. It may help boost the immune system. It may help reduce inflammation. The problem is that it requires further testing with regards to efficacy and safety. No particular relevance as far as we can see as a nootropic effect.
  Source: http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/catclaw
• Horse Chestnut Seed Extract (140 mg): Horse Chestnut also known as Aesculus hippocastanum contains chemicals that are natural blood thinners so may be effective as a treatment for varicose veins. However this ingredient comes with numerous potential side effects. In its natural state it is toxic. Horse chestnut has been classified by the FDA as an unsafe herb.
  Source: http://www.drugs.com/npc/horse-chestnut.html
• Ginkgo Leaf Extract (60mg): Ginkgo Bilboa to give this extract its full name has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. It is taken for memory disorders, Glaucoma, Alzheimer’s, depression, anxiety, dementia and more. It improves blood circulation which benefits the brain, vision and hearing and it also seems to interfere with the progress of Alzheimer’s disease. Gingko is being investigated for numerous applications and it does seem to have numerous positive benefits. It can cause side effects.
  Source: http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ginkgo
• DopaBean™ (20mg): Trademarked supplement that also comes from Solaray, Muncuna Pruriens also known as Velvet Bean contains a substance called L Dopa which is a precursor to the feel good brain chemical dopamine. It is sometimes taken as an anti depressant.
  Source: https://examine.com/supplements/mucuna-pruriens/
• Phosphatidylserine Concentrate (10mg): Lots of people are taking Phosphatidylserine Concentrate as a memory supplement and as a sports supplement to boost performance. We also ingest it in food. This natural compound is found in high levels in Soy Lecithin as well as in meat and fish and according to health sources most of us consume on average around 130mg a day. The FDA have given “qualified health claim” status to Phosphatidylserine which allows product labels to state that “Consumption of Phosphatidylserine may reduce the risk of dementia and cognitive dysfunction in the elderly”
  However the FDA state that this is based on “very limited and preliminary scientific research “and this is the problem. The scientific research has not really proven any benefits. In addition the amounts here are extremely low. One clinical test suggested that 200mg three times a day was a safe nutritional supplement for the elderly and although results did not show it had much effect, no adverse effects were reported.
  Source: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs
• Vinpocetine (3 mg): Synthetic chemical that resembles a chemical found in a plant called Vinca Minor. It has been investigated for a treatment for Alzheimer’s and other diseases and conditions that interfere with thinking. Vinpocetine appears to increase blood flow to the brain and may have neuro protective effects.
  Source: http://thyroid.about.com/vinpocetine.htm
• Huperzine A (10mcg): This chemical derived from a plant called Chinese Club Moss or Huperzia Serrata goes through lots of processes during manufacture, so many that it could be regarded as a synthetic drug rather than a plant extract.
  It is believed to increase the levels of the brain chemical Acetyl Choline which is crucial in thought processes. There is evidence that it improves memory. When taken for this purpose, daily doses vary from between 30mcg to 400mcg a day so levels here are probably inadequate

So What Does All This Mean?

We cannot see this supplement doing a lot for your brain power!

The principle ingredients are not really known as nootropics and in our opinion, the nootropic ingredients such as Huperzine and Phosphatidylserine are in too insufficient quantities to work.

We have concerns about some of the potential side effects too. Cats Claw and Horse Chestnut extract are known to cause unpleasant side effects and it is important to remember that none of these ingredients are strictly proven for safety long term.

Does Solaray Sharp Mind Have Any Side Effects?

The good news is that according to customers, side effects are not an issue.

That said, some people may experience side effects. These may include:

• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Allergic reaction – itching, swelling, numbness
• Nausea
• Diarrhoea
• Changes to blood pressure
• Increased heart rate
• Palpitations
• Itching
• Gastrointestinal upset

Any Solaray Sharp Mind Reviews From Customers?

Solaray supplements are widely on sale so it is possible to find a range of genuine customer feedback. The good news is that nobody has mentioned adverse effects from using this supplement.

Some customers are satisfied. This man felt that the supplement made his brain sharper and he liked that it doesn’t contain caffeine,

I tried a few different memory enhancers before settling on SharpMind. The others had too much caffeine or else I just couldn’t tell a difference–or they were too expensive. I believe SharpMind does what it says–it “sharpens” my mind–I had had some fuzziness before I started using it, and it seems to have gone away. Not that I’m suddenly brilliant. I just don’t feel quite so fuzzy. Names, and where I left my keys–these come back reliably these days. I do recommend this product. The price is reasonable, too.

There are lots of positive comments along the same lines:

Great Product, really helps with the mental clarity

This works. Makes you smarter and more alert

Not everyone is as pleased.

Some people have found no difference between taking and not taking it:

They should change the name of this junk to placebo mind. I have been using these pills for a month and i have not felt one thing change…

I won’t buy these again. I’ve gone through 120 capsules now, and don’t really find them useful or that they have any real impact on my thinking and memory…

And:

Took the whole bottle (not at once LOL) and couldn’t tell any difference. I won’t re-order and will continue looking for something better.

So Does Solaray Sharp Mind Work?

Solaray Sharp Mind does seem to work for some people although not all. Many customers have mentioned improved mental clarity, so it is obviously doing something for some people at least.

However this supplement contains ingredients that are not known or proven to have a nootropic effect. Cats Claw is the principle ingredient yet there is very little real evidence to prove that it does anything at all for increasing mental focus. Cats Claw is currently being touted as a nootropic but there seems to be zero scientific evidence to prove it such as a human clinical trial.

In addition, the more established nootropic ingredients; Huperzine Vinpectorine and Phosphatidylserine are in very low quantities.

Finally, we have serious concerns about taking a natural blood thinner such as Horse Chestnut extract. Improving blood flow to the brain does have cognitive benefits but this ingredient is more usually used for treating varicose veins and there is not enough scientific evidence to support the use of horse chestnut seed, leaf, or bark for any conditions. Taking this ingredient could be dangerous if you are on medication such as Warfarin.

https://nccih.nih.gov/health/horsechestnut

Where Can I Buy Solaray Sharp Mind?

Solaray Sharp Mind is on sale from a wide range of retail outlets but for most people the easiest way to buy is probably online.

Solaray Sharp Mind is on sale from the Lucky Vitamin website. Although Lucky Vitamin is a US company, they do ship worldwide as well as have country specific versions of the website that you can access at the top of the page.

1 x bottle of 60 capsules (2 months’ supply) costs $14.21 (£10.78 or €13.52)

Flat rate US shipping costs an additional $5.95.

Shipping costs elsewhere are calculated at the point of sale.

In addition you can receive discounts on bulk orders and if you sign up for Stay Lucky Autoship where you receive fresh supplies of supplements each month and are billed accordingly you can receive a further 15% discount.

You can also buy Solaray Sharp Mind via a range of sellers on Amazon USA

1 x bottle of 60 capsules costs around $12.50 plus shipping.

http://www.luckyvitamin.com/p-18531-solaray-sharpmind-60-capsules

What About A Guarantee

Solaray Sharp Mind is not covered by a guarantee.

Watchdog Verdict

There is a lot that we like about Solaray supplements. We feel that this is a US brand you can probably trust and we believe that Solaray Sharp Mind is safe and will not cause adverse effects. That said you will need to speak to your doctor first if you are taking medication because this supplement may cause interactions.

Another good point about this supplement is that there is a lot of positive customer feedback. Many customers have felt that it has helped them feel more focused and alert. However there is a high level of customer comments that claim this supplement does nothing at all so opinion is split and effects are by no means guaranteed.

The bottom line is that Solaray Sharp Mind does contain some nootropic ingredients and these may help you feel sharper and more focused but in our opinion, the strengths of the more proven ingredients such as Huperzine and Phosphatidylserine are in very low quantities and there is just no evidence that that the other ingredients will work.

In our opinion, there are better nootropic supplements on the market so although Solaray Sharp Mind looks OK; it is just not good enough to add to the approved list.

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About the author: Jane Weston

Jane has been passionately involved in the diet and supplement industry for a number of years, with an impressive track record covering over 4000 products.

An early grounding in food science gives Jane the necessary knowledge to objectively analyze, and a love of coffee gives her the edge when deadlines need to be met.