FOCUSfactor (click for best price) is a “brain health supplement” marketed as nutrition for the brain; the manufacturer claims it improves memory, concentration, and focus. The bottle also states FOCUSfactor is America’s # 1 Brain Health Supplement, which raised our eyebrows as an obvious marketing gimmick.
But what stands out about FOCUSfactor is that the 40-ingredient supplement reads a lot like a multivitamin up until the “Synergistic and Proprietary Formulation,” which blends a number of common nootropic ingredients. This supplement is produced by Synergy CHC Corp, a company in the process of rapidly expanding their portfolio of consumer supplements, of which FOCUSfactor appears to be a flagship.
Our testers tried FOCUSfactor to see if the supplement delivered on the promises of feeling sharp and more alert. This is the first combo multivitamin/brain supplement we’ve tested for this site, though we expect to see more pop up on the market in the coming months. Read on to see if the lengthy ingredient list gave our testers the focus and concentration Synergy CHC claims it would.
FOCUSfactor ingredients
The Ingredients
- Vitamin A – 4,000 IU
- Vitamin C – 250 mg
- Vitamin D – 100 IU
- Vitamin E – 30 IU
- Thiamin – 3 mg
- Riboflavin – 1.7 mg
- Niacin – 25 mg
- Vitamin B6 – 15 mg
- Folate – 400 mcg
- Vitamin B12 – 20 mcg
- Biotin – 300 mcg
- Pantothenic Acid – 12 mg
- Calcium – 50 mg
- Iron – 5 mg
- Iodine – 15 mcg
- Magnesium – 100 mg
- Zinc – 10 mg
- Selenium – 50 mcg
- Copper – .04 mg
- Manganese – 2 mg
- Chromium – 100 mcg
- Molybdenum – 10 mcg
- Potassium – 50 mg
- Synergistic and Proprietary Formulation – 692 mg
- Dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE)
- L-Glutamine
- Bacopin
- L-Pyroglutamic acid
- Phosphatidylserine
- Docosahexaenoic Acid Concentrate (15% DHA from fish)
- Choline
- Inositol
- N-Acetylcarnosine
- Bilberry Fruit Extract (25% anthocyanosides)
- Gamma Aminobutyric Acid
- Grape Skin Extract and Activin
- Vinpocetine
- Trace-Lyte electrolyte concentrate
- Huperzine A
- Boron
- Vanadium
- Other Ingredients: Dicalcium phosphate, microcrystalline cellulose, croscamellose sodium, stearic acid, silica, magnesium stearate, and pharmaceutical glaze.
Usage Guidelines
- Take 4 tablets per day with food. To accommodate body weight, activity level, stress level and/or inadequate diet, take additional tablets up to a maximum of 8 tablets per day.
- Accidental overdose of iron-containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6. Keep this product out of reach of children. In case of accidental overdose, call a physician or poison control center.
- We had our BrainWiz testers take 4 to 8 capsules per day with food.
What Our Testers Say
“FOCUSfactor gave me mild, but noticeable, energy. I felt a mild increase in focus and sharpness throughout my work day. There wasn’t a crash, but there were diminished results the more days in a row I took it. I did stop taking other multivitamins while testing this supplement; doing so seemed really redundant given the vitamin blend.”
“I don’t think this supplement worked for me. I took it with caffeine, and worked up to 8 tablets with breakfast, but besides maybe a mild wave of energy, I did not feel an improvement in focus or concentration.”
“I took these tablets after breakfast with my second cup of coffee. I did feel a bit sharper in the morning, but the feeling was quick to diminish. I worked up to 6 tablets with no increased results. I would prefer to take fewer tablets that gave a bit more punch.”
“I felt a small increase in energy and focus for the first couple of days that I took this supplement. I paired it with caffeine and went up to 8 tablets. I took a few days off of the supplement and noticed the increase once I started taking it again. But definitely not close to the most noticeable boost I’ve gotten from nootropics.”
BrainWiz Tips
- Our testers all experienced mild or no effects with no jitters. This is a good start if you’re new to the world of nootropics and want to explore brain enhancers gradually. You also get the added benefit of a multivitamin with this supplement.
- Most of our testers liked pairing this supplement with caffeine in some form, usually coffee.
- Testers already taking a multivitamin chose to skip their regular multivitamins when testing FOCUSfactor, as it already contains a fairly robust vitamin blend.
- The testers who felt cognitive effects from FOCUSfactor noticed they diminished after roughly a week of taking the supplement. After a few days off from the supplement, taking four or more tablets of FOCUSfactor once again produced a mild cognitive boost.
- As with any supplement or nutritional regimen, you should talk to your doctor or medical professional before use.
Supplement Summary
FOCUSfactor is a very mild caffeine-free nootropic stack and multivitamin. It’s a good entry-level supplement for those new to nootropics, and its vitamin list makes it a nice two-for-one. Though its perceived effects seem to diminish over time, taking a break from the supplement for a few days seems to be enough time for its effectiveness to return. If you’re looking for a broad-ranging nootropic with a more significant energy boost, you might be better off looking at stacks like Neuro Elite, Neurofuse, and Lumonol.
This supplement pairs fairly well with coffee for those who drink caffeine regularly.