Awaken Gold is a caffeine-free daytime brain nutrition supplement made by Awakened Alchemy. It’s regarded as one of the best nootropics on the market.
On the surface, it has the same ingredients in its formula as the original Awaken nootropic; the only difference is the addition of noopept.
It’s a much-hyped, but under-researched, synthetic nootropic compound invented by a Russian company.
By adding noopept Awaken Gold loses the all-natural status that the original Awaken had. Although it’s just one ingredient, it has a fairly substantial difference in state and formula effect.
WARNING: Noopept isn’t an ideal ingredient for a nootropic for a number of reasons, so exercise caution with this one. You might be slightly more interested in things like Mind Lab Pro.
Awaken Gold Ingredients and Formula Analysis
Awaken Gold combines the original Awaken formula and Noopept, which is one of the most effective nootropics available in 2025.
The original recipe contains ten clinically-studied premium nootropic compounds, neuro-vitamins, amino acids, and adaptogenic herbs. The ingredients are as follows:
- Noopept is the “golden” part in the Awaken Gold’s formula. It has been described by many as one of the most potent nootropics known to man. Noopept is involved in neuron growth, and as such, it improves the rate at which your brain transmits information. The recommended dosage is 10 to 30mg per day, so the 20mg provided here is quite enough.
- Phenylethylamine (PEA) is a “neuro-amplifier” naturally produced by the human body. It has rapid and unique uplifting effects on mood, motivation, awareness, creativity, and sensory perceptions. PEA functions as a neurotransmitter, improving attention and focus, and also increases the actions of Acetylcholine, Dopamine, Serotonin, and Norepinephrine.
- Pyrroloquinoline Quinone (PQQ) is a powerful antioxidant compound that extends cognitive longevity by promoting the growth of new mitochondria. Elderly cognition can significantly benefit from PQQ’s neuroprotective effects. Given that the recommended dosage of PQQ is 20 to 40 milligrams, the 10mg included in this stack might be a bit too low.
- L-Theanine is an amino acid found in green tea. It promotes feelings of relaxation, reduces stress levels, increases cognition, mental attention and alertness, and boosts mood. Supposedly, it reduces the adverse effects of caffeine, but there is no clinical evidence to support this. By promoting Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) and Nerve Growth Factor (NGF), L-Theanine also increases neuroplasticity and learning abilities, as well as increasing Dopamine and Serotonin levels.
- N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine (NALT) is a bioavailable form of the amino acid L-Tyrosine. NALT helps the brain stay sharp by enhancing focus, promoting good mood, and improving attention and concentration. It also reduces stress, fatigue, and helps with sleep deprivation.
- Ashwagandha Extract is an Indian herb and probably the best known natural adaptogen. KSM-66 is a patented form of Ashwagandha, which contains 5% more of the active compound, but it still retains the natural components of the herb. It has a deserved reputation for reducing stress and anxiety, and for improving brain function, reaction time, learning, and mood in a general sense.
- CDP Choline (Citicoline) is a rather popular cholinergic nootropic which has the extremely rare ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. It replenishes the levels of acetylcholine, which is useful for improving focus and clarity, and enhancing memory. It is also known for its involvement in the production of Uridine. The inclusion of this ingredient is meant to ensure your brain function is at its peak.
- Uridine 5’-Monophosphate is a crucial building block in the promotion of energy production and synaptic plasticity. Supplementing with Uridine increases neuroplasticity by enhancing the growth of neurites; it also facilitates improved learning and memory.
- Uridine 5’-Monophosphate is particularly useful when it’s combined with Citicoline and Methylcobalamin, as is the case with Awaken Gold.
- Phosphatidylserine, a phospholipid containing both amino acids and fatty acids, is a required substance that provides an outer cover of your brain cell membranes. Supplementing with Phosphatidylserine significantly increases memory recall, memory recognition, and mental flexibility.
- Vitamin B12 or Methylcobalamin is a vitamin that is recommended in hefty dosages for rejuvenating different metabolic pathways. It plays a crucial role in the production of myelin, which helps the brain to function at optimal levels, and prevents memory decline.
- Bioperine is a black pepper extract. The primary role of Bioperine in this formula is to boost the rate at which all other ingredients are absorbed in the body. Some research suggests that it also has some antidepressant capabilities as well.
Dosage for Awaken nootropics
The recommended dose is two capsules in the morning or early afternoon, but not more than four tablets within 24 hours. For cycling with this product, it’s recommended to have at least four days off every 2 months of daily use.
We do recommend that you start with one capsule in the morning on an empty stomach.
This way, you can test the effects before taking another tablet before lunch. Repeat this for three days, and if you’re okay with the results, you can switch to 2 capsules in the morning.
Side Effects to watch out for
This product is safe for use 99.99% of the time, but you’re free to consult with your doctor if you’re already using some other drugs.
That being said, if taken in larger quantities or if you’re sensitive to some of the ingredients, side effects like brain fog, headaches, and irritability may occur.
Given the fact that this is a caffeine-free product, you don’t have to worry about jitteriness or crashes that caffeine can cause. That being said, the noopept CAN cause some side effects in SOME people.
Benefits of Using Awaken nootropics
Awaken Gold increases neuroplasticity (accelerating learning), improves focus, memory, and clarity, promotes positive thinking, increases motivation, and supports overall long-term brain health.
The effects of this product can be experienced within the first 60 minutes of taking the pills; however, the results tend to get better the more you use it.
I’ve really found that the longer you use this, the better the effects.
I found the same thing actually with another top nootropic, Mind Lab Pro. I don’t know why this is, I guess the body learns to better utilise the ingredients over time, or just gets used to getting into flow state.
It might take 5 to 7 days for the best results; that said, this may vary depending on your body type, size, and age.
Conclusion
Awaken Gold works thanks to some of the best nootropics out there. It is generally perfect for awakening your mind, enhancing your motivation, and sustaining your memory.
It is a bit pricey, but in our opinion, it’s worth it. Also, there is a 60-day money-back guarantee, which means either the stack works for you or you get your money back. Get the best price here! (They have bundle options as well, to save even more money).
Useful nootropic resources
Nootropics is a big topic.
There are lots of things to consider, so here some other articles or reviews of nootropics that might help you:
- What are nootropics? An introduction to how smart drugs work that goes into more detail than the short introduction in this article
- How to become limitless with nootropics: This is an in depth article about using nootropics and becoming limitless in your own life
- NeuroPeak review: Another popular nootropic that I tried for about a month
- Alpha Brain nootropic review: Another nootropic, a bit more expensive but includes some more advanced or lesser known ingredients like Huperzia Serrata (I’d suggest this is for more experienced users)
- Mind Lab Pro: To date (Feb 2025) this is the best nootropic I’ve personally tried, and I LOVE the results I get from this. Really powerful ingredients and a great all rounder too.
- Lumonol nootropic review: Another option which is pretty good as an all rounder, but not as high quality maybe as some of the other ones.