Does Alpha Brain work?

I Tried Alpha Brain for 30 Days — Here’s What Actually Happened

Disclaimer: This isn’t medical advice. Just one tired human’s experiment.

I’ll preface this by saying I’m not a biohacker. I’m just a chronically distracted human with a full browser of open tabs in my brain at all times. I’ve tried a handful of supplements over the years that promise better focus or mental clarity, and most of them either did nothing, made me jittery, or straight up gave me anxiety.

So when I kept hearing about Alpha Brain by Onnit, I was curious but cautious. Joe Rogan loves it, but that wasn’t exactly a selling point for me. Still, it has a loyal following, and the ingredients seemed more legit. Less random caffeine bombs, more nootropic blends that supposedly support memory, focus, and mental processing.

Week 1: The Placebo Glow

The first few days felt promising. I thought I was a little sharper, a little less foggy around 10am. Was it the Alpha Brain? Was it the extra hydration because I was trying to be “better” about taking supplements? Impossible to say. But I’ll admit, I felt good. Not jittery, not hyper. Just kind of clear.

No stomach upset, which was a concern. Some brain supplements mess with my digestion. This one didn’t.

Week 2: Focus Mode (Kinda)

This is when I actually started to notice something that felt real. I sat down to write a few long articles and didn’t drift off to doomscroll every 12 minutes. I still procrastinated, of course (I’m not a robot), but when I did work, I felt more locked in.

There were a few weird dreams. Not scary, just vivid. I Googled it and apparently that’s a thing with Alpha Brain for some people. It wasn’t a dealbreaker. Honestly, kind of interesting.

Week 3 to 4: Subtle but Consistent

The second half of the trial was less exciting, but consistent. I wasn’t magically smarter or suddenly running 10 tabs with 100% retention. But I did feel like my focus “baseline” was a little higher. The mental fog that usually kicks in around 2pm didn’t hit as hard.

I also noticed I was reaching for coffee a bit later than usual. Not skipping it — let’s not be ridiculous — but I wasn’t desperately chasing caffeine just to get through emails.

So… Did It Work?

Yes. Sort of.
Not in an “unlocking 100 percent of my brain” way (sorry, Lucy), but in a realistic, sustainable, noticeably better-than-nothing kind of way.

It didn’t make me feel wired or overclocked. It made me feel a bit more capable of doing the things I already need to do, with less resistance.

And I’ll take that.

Would I Buy It Again?

Probably. It’s not cheap, but if you value mental clarity and can afford it, it’s worth testing. If you’re super sensitive to supplements, maybe start slow. I didn’t experience anything negative.

Also: zero crash. No weird withdrawal feeling when I paused for a few days.

Final Thoughts

Alpha Brain didn’t change my life, but it did help make my brain feel a bit less like scrambled eggs. And that’s enough of a win for me to keep it on the shelf.