amino acid · for brain fog
Creatine
Builds an energy reserve in your brain — useful when you are short on sleep.
Say that in clinical terms
Increases brain phosphocreatine stores, buffering ATP availability during cognitive tasks and sleep deprivation.
How strong is the research?
Solid evidence
Only one studyA different form was studied
1 paper read, 1 supporting.
Who was studied: Healthy adults with no cognitive problems, tested with standard mental tasks.
How much to take
daily
5 g
Loading phase (20g/day for 5-7 days) optional. Maintenance dose sufficient for most cognitive benefits.
Before you take it
- No Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) has been established by NIH ODS for creatine; it is not classified as an essential nutrient. Doses of 3–5 g/day (maintenance) and up to 20 g/day (loading phase, 5–7 days) have been studied for periods up to 5 years in healthy adults without clinically significant adverse effects.
- Contraindicated with pre-existing kidney disease: creatine elevates serum creatinine, which can confound renal function monitoring and may add stress to already-compromised kidneys.
- Caution when co-administered with diuretics: creatine promotes intramyocellular water retention while diuretics increase fluid excretion; combined use raises the risk of dehydration and renal strain.
- Caution with nephrotoxic drugs (e.g., NSAIDs, aminoglycosides): no controlled interaction studies exist, but additive renal stress is mechanistically plausible.
- Contraindicated in pregnancy and lactation: no adequate safety data exist for these populations.
- Gastrointestinal side effects (bloating, cramping, loose stools) are reported at loading doses (≥10 g/day); occurrence at maintenance doses (3–5 g/day) is rare.
What we make of it
The identifier has a typo, and the European regulator has assessed the claim.
The detail
The identifier we stored is one character off the real paper. Worth knowing that the European Food Safety Authority has formally evaluated a creatine and cognition claim.