Ultimate Guide to Nootropics part 2. Racetams

In 1964, a group of researchers in Belgium, headed by Dr. Corneliu Giurgea, developed a drug designed to induce sleep and help treat motion sickness. They based their creation off the endogenous neurotransmitter GABA, which is used by the body to reduce neuronal excitability and stress. While the synthesized compound, called piracetam, failed to provide any sleep-inducing qualities, the scientists did find its potential for enhancing cognitive processes, giving birth to the first nootropics, and leading Giurgea to coin the term “nootropic.”