Chances are you have black pepper somewhere in your home. While this common cooking ingredient can certainly spice up a meal, it also contains something that can at times be beneficial to your health. That nutrient is called Piperine. More often it is referred to as Bioperine. For those confused over the differences of Piperine vs. Bioperine, just know that Bioperine is Piperine’s trademarked name, so the two terms are often interchangeable.

Consumers are becoming more sophisticated regarding cognitive enhancement with nootropics and mental performance products like Qualia, but it’s important to not overlook the foundation of our diet.

Just about every civilization throughout history has practiced some form of neurohacking - deliberately upgrading their physiologies to positively affect their mind and psyche. The consumption of probiotic rich and fermented foods, for example, goes back over 10,000 years.

Today, the emerging field of human microbiome research has indicated that gut microbiota may play an important role in influencing brain development, behavior, and mood in humans.

Neurohacking is all about using the right tool for the job.  While racetams and transcranial stimulators more directly interface with our brain and neurochemistry, there are other less obvious ways to impact our psychological well-being and subjective experience.

Chief among these is by getting familiar with the gut, and understanding the relationship between its microbes and our brain function and mental health.

Nootropics. You might have heard of them. The “limitless pill” that keeps Billionaires rich. The ‘smart drugs’ that students are taking to help boost their hyperfocus. The cognitive enhancers that give corporate executives an advantage. All very exciting. But as always, the media are way behind the curve.