Thesis Neuroprotection Review 2026

Neuroprotection packs 12 ingredients into two capsules, and on paper most of them are close to the amounts in their studies. Read the forms, though, and the picture changes. Caffeine, theanine, PQQ and NADH get full credit. The three with the most memory research, bacopa, ginkgo and turmeric, are in forms their trials didn't use, so each gets half credit at most. The CoQ10 is listed by the weight of a branded phytosome rather than the CoQ10 inside it, and that also halves its credit.

Every amount is printed, so transparency stays fairly high, although we had to work out the curcuminoids and glucoraphanin from percentages, and the label doesn't print how much CoQ10 is in the phytosome. Testing scores zero. Thesis says it checks every batch, but we found no report for Neuroprotection.

The panel on the back of the refill pouch lists every ingredient with its amount, two capsules a serving and 25 servings a month, and the extracts carry their standardizations or brand names.¹ The directions are two capsules in the morning, with or without food. The caution box says not to take more than two capsules in 24 hours, and not to take it if you're pregnant, nursing or under 18.

The product page is less careful than the pouch. Its ingredient list drops the brand names and calls the CoQ10 a "Phosopholipid," but it does give every amount.²

Bacopa is the biggest ingredient at 300 mg, comfortably above our 250 mg benchmark from a 12-week trial in people with age-associated memory impairment.⁷ The catch is the extract. Thesis's is a stem and leaf extract at a minimum of 20 percent bacosides, and the extracts in the trials are either named ones or standardized to 40 to 55 percent. At 20 percent, a serving holds about 60 mg of bacosides, roughly half what 250 mg of a 50 percent extract would give you, so it gets half credit.

Ginkgo is 120 mg of GinkoSelect, Indena's leaf extract, and 120 mg is the dose in the trial we use as its benchmark.⁸ That trial used EGb 761, an extract standardized to 24 percent flavone glycosides and 6 percent terpene lactones, in people with dementia. The label doesn't print either figure, so we can't confirm it matches, and it gets half credit. It's also worth knowing that a meta-analysis of trials in healthy people found no effect of ginkgo on memory, attention or executive function.⁹

Turmeric is 200 mg of CuminUP60, a turmeric extract with at least 60 percent curcuminoids, so about 120 mg of curcuminoids. Our benchmark is the 180 mg of curcumin in Theracurmin, a form made to be absorbed better, which improved memory over 18 months in 40 adults aged 51 to 84.¹⁰ CuminUP60 is a different product with no memory trial we could find, so it's short on both the amount and the form.

Broccoli seed and mustard seed work as a pair. The 125 mg of broccoli seed extract at 13 percent glucoraphanin gives about 16 mg of glucoraphanin, roughly half the 30 mg a day in a trial in older adults with memory problems.³ That trial is small, with 19 people finishing after three and a half years, and the company that funded it makes glucoraphanin. Your body needs an enzyme called myrosinase to turn glucoraphanin into sulforaphane, and the 50 mg of mustard seed is there to supply it. In a crossover study, a gram of brown mustard powder more than quadrupled the sulforaphane people absorbed from cooked broccoli.¹¹ That was 20 times as much mustard, though, and brown mustard rather than the white mustard Thesis uses.

CoQ10 is listed as 100 mg of UbiQsome CoEnzyme Q10 Phytosome. That's the weight of the whole ingredient, and Indena standardizes it to about 20 percent CoQ10,¹³ so a serving holds roughly 20 mg of CoQ10. Our benchmark is 100 mg of ubiquinol, which eased tiredness after mental tasks over 12 weeks in a trial funded by a ubiquinol maker.¹² Phytosomes are designed to be absorbed better, but we found no trial of UbiQsome for focus or fatigue, so it gets half credit at most.

PQQ and NADH are the two that land cleanly. NutriPQQ is PQQ disodium salt at 20 mg, the dose in a 12-week trial in 41 older adults.¹⁴ NADH is 20 mg, twice the 10 mg in our benchmark trial, but that trial was in 26 people with chronic fatigue syndrome, where 8 responded to NADH and 2 to placebo.¹⁵ It doesn't tell you much about focus in healthy people.

Caffeine and theanine are 100 mg each, both at or above our benchmarks,¹⁶¹⁷ and they're the reason the default version feels like anything on the day you take it. Thesis also sells Neuroprotection without them, and we've scored the caffeinated version because it's the default on the product page.²

Spermidine and mustard seed have no research range we can score, so they earn nothing for dose. The spermidine is unusual. Ten milligrams of spermidine trihydrochloride works out at roughly 6 mg of spermidine, several times the 0.9 to 1.2 mg used in the human memory trials. The larger of those, a year-long trial in 100 older adults at 0.9 mg, found no effect on memory.¹⁸¹⁹ The 200 mcg of selenium is a mineral, so it isn't scored either.

Neuroprotection against its closest matches

Shared ingredientsFull formula

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Product	Thesis NeuroprotectionThis review	×Caffeine + L-Theanine 100 mg / 200 mg Capsules	×Caffeine 2	×Transparent Labs Cognition
Scientific audit	5.2/10	9.4/10	7.2/10	7.8/10
Buyer rating	9.8/10	8.8/10	8.8/10	9.7/10
Price per serving	$5.16	$0.33	$1.47	$1.67
Doses of Thesis Neuroprotection's ingredients
White Mustard Seed	50 mgmustard seed powder, 5 enzyme units of myrosinaseNo cognitive dose range	Not in formula	Not in formula	Not in formula
PQQ	20 mgNutriPQQ disodium saltAt or above the study dose benchmark	Not in formula	Not in formula	Not in formula
NADH	20 mgreduced NADHAt or above the study dose benchmark	Not in formula	Not in formula	Not in formula
CoQ10	100 mgUbiQsome CoQ10 phytosomeHalf credit	Not in formula	Not in formula	Not in formula
Curcumin	120 mgCuminUP60 turmeric extract 200 mg at min. 60% curcuminoids, 120 mg curcuminoids; neither Theracurmin nor Longvida60 mg below the study dose benchmark	Not in formula	Not in formula	Not in formula
Ginkgo Biloba	120 mgGinkoSelect leaf extract, no 24/6 printed (ruling Z)Half credit	Not in formula	Not in formula	Not in formula
Sulforaphane	16 mgbroccoli seed extract 125 mg at min. 13% glucoraphanin, 16.25 mg glucoraphanin14 mg below the study dose benchmark	Not in formula	Not in formula	Not in formula
Caffeine	100 mgcaffeineAt or above the study dose benchmark	100 mgcaffeine (anhydrous per the product page)At or above the study dose benchmark	50 mgnatural caffeine from Coffea robusta seedsAt or above the study dose benchmark	100 mgPurCaf organic caffeine from green coffee beanAt or above the study dose benchmark
L-Theanine	100 mgL-theanineAt or above the study dose benchmark	200 mgL-theanineAt or above the study dose benchmark	100 mgL-theanineAt or above the study dose benchmark	100 mgAt or above the study dose benchmark
Bacopa Monnieri	300 mgstem and leaf extract, min. 20% bacosides (not the studied form; ruling J only rescues named studied extracts)Half credit	Not in formula	Not in formula	Not in formula
Spermidine	10 mgspermidine 3HCl, far above the studied 0.9 to 1.2 mgNo cognitive dose range	Not in formula	Not in formula	Not in formula

The products that share the most cognitive ingredients with Thesis Neuroprotection are shown first. Any product sharing at least two can be added.

Innerbody Labs Focus Support is the closest caffeinated alternative we've reviewed. It has the same 20 mg of PQQ, with caffeine, theanine and Cognizin citicoline, and it scores higher for $2.97 a serving. If you'd rather avoid caffeine, Nooceptin has bacopa and ginkgo for $2.23. Neither has Neuroprotection's broccoli seed, CoQ10 or NADH, though, so if those are what you're after, Thesis is one of the few places you'll find them together.

A month of Neuroprotection costs $129.00 as a one-time order, which is $5.16 a serving and one of the highest prices we've audited.² The subscription is much cheaper. Its first box costs less than half the one-time price, and each box after that, delivered every 25 days, costs about a third more than the first but still well under the one-time price. Thesis sells it on its own site, and we didn't find it on Amazon.

• try.takethesis.com direct

  Listed price

  $129.00

  Per serving

  $5.16

  Status

  One-time purchase, 1-month bundle

This prices the scored ingredients as separate bottles at the amounts their studies started from.

Bought separately at their study amounts, the nine come to about the same as a one-time box of Neuroprotection and more than the subscription price. The difference is that the separate bottles are the studied forms, a named bacopa extract, a standardized ginkgo, Longvida turmeric and plain CoQ10, so you'd be paying the same for ingredients that match the research more closely. It's also about ten capsules a day rather than two.

We couldn't find a review of Neuroprotection itself. Most Thesis reviews online still describe the old six-blend kit, which didn't include it. The newest one we found is on the blog of Roon, which sells a competing product. It says Neuroprotection is "Listed on the product page without amounts,"²⁰ but the product page's ingredient list gives every amount.²

The 100 mg of caffeine is about a cup of coffee, so count it with whatever else you drink. Keep the day's total under 400 mg, the most the FDA cites as not generally linked with harm in healthy adults.²¹ The caffeine-free version avoids that altogether.

Ginkgo can raise the risk of bleeding if you take an anticoagulant such as warfarin, and the NIH says it may be unsafe in pregnancy.²² The 200 mcg of selenium is half the 400 mcg a day the NIH sets as the upper limit, so check any multivitamin you take for more.²³ We also found no trial of spermidine at an amount this high. Thesis's caution box says not to use it if you're pregnant or nursing, and to ask a healthcare professional first if you have a medical condition or take medication.¹ We're researchers, not doctors.

Neuroprotection is more ambitious than most brain supplements, and Thesis deserves credit for printing every amount. Caffeine, theanine, PQQ and NADH are where they should be. But the ingredients with the most memory research are in forms the trials didn't use, the CoQ10 is about a fifth of what its label suggests, and no test report is published for this blend.

If you want the broccoli seed, CoQ10, PQQ and NADH idea in one pouch and you're happy to pay for it, the first-order refund gives you a fair way to try it. If memory is the goal, a bacopa or ginkgo product in the studied form will get you closer to the research for much less. Either way, give it about three months, since most of these ingredients were tested over 12 weeks or longer.

23 sources cited

1. Thesis Neuroprotection supplement facts, back of the refill pouch, image on try.takethesis.com. 2 capsules a serving, 25 servings, selenium (amino acid chelate) 200 mcg, bacopa extract (stem and leaf, min. 20% bacosides) 300 mg, CuminUP60 turmeric extract (min. 60% curcuminoids) 200 mg, broccoli seed extract (min. 13% glucoraphanin) 125 mg, GinkoSelect ginkgo leaf extract 120 mg, caffeine 100 mg, L-theanine 100 mg, UbiQsome CoEnzyme Q10 Phytosome 100 mg, mustard seed powder (5 enzyme units of myrosinase) 50 mg, NutriPQQ (PQQ disodium salt) 20 mg, NADH 20 mg, spermidine 3HCl 10 mg, with the directions and caution. Accessed Nov 4, 2026. Label image
2. Thesis (Outliers, Inc.). Neuroprotection product page. With and without caffeine, one-time $129 for a month, subscription $59 for the first box then $79 every 25 days, "designed to activate the NRF2 antioxidant pathway and strengthen mitochondrial resilience", the survey (June to July 2026, 31 customers, 15% discount code), "Clinically-proven, powerhouse ingredients" heading, "THIRD-PARTY TESTED" badge, the testing block, and "If you don't feel 50% improvement in your cognitive focus area within 30 days, we'll refund you for your entire purchase." Accessed Nov 4, 2026. takethesis.com
3. Shimizu S, et al. Efficacy of 42-month oral administration of glucoraphanin in preventing cognitive decline in individuals at elevated risk of dementia, including those with mild cognitive impairment. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study. Front Nutr, 2026. 30 mg glucoraphanin a day, 26 adults aged 63 to 90, 19 completed, funded by Kagome. PMID 41669080
4. Thesis. The science page. "With Neuroprotection, feel 50% less forgetful or get your money back" and "Thesis uses isolated, plant-derived compounds rather than blends or extractions." Accessed Nov 4, 2026. takethesis.com/science
5. Thesis help center. Do you have third-party testing? (updated June 4, 2026). "batch-specific COAs (Certificate of Analysis) for all raw ingredients and finished goods". Accessed Oct 29, 2026. thesis.applied.guide
6. Thesis. Shipping and return policy (last updated May 9, 2024). A full refund including shipping, for any reason, within 30 days of delivery of your first order, and refunds apply to the first order only. Accessed Nov 4, 2026. takethesis.com/policies/refund-policy
7. Raghav S, et al. Randomized controlled trial of standardized Bacopa monniera extract in age-associated memory impairment. Indian J Psychiatry, 2006. 125 mg twice a day for 12 weeks, improved mental control, logical memory and paired-associate learning. PMID 20703343
8. Le Bars PL, et al. A placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized trial of an extract of Ginkgo biloba for dementia. JAMA, 1997. EGb 761 at 120 mg a day for 52 weeks in 309 outpatients with Alzheimer's or multi-infarct dementia, ADAS-Cog 1.4 points better than placebo. PMID 9343463
9. Laws KR, Sweetnam H, Kondel TK. Is Ginkgo biloba a cognitive enhancer in healthy individuals? A meta-analysis. Hum Psychopharmacol, 2012. No effect on memory, executive function or attention. PMID 23001963
10. Small GW, et al. Memory and brain amyloid and tau effects of a bioavailable form of curcumin in non-demented adults. A double-blind, placebo-controlled 18-month trial. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, 2018. Theracurmin with 90 mg of curcumin twice a day, 40 adults aged 51 to 84. PMID 29246725
11. Okunade O, et al. Supplementation of the diet by exogenous myrosinase via mustard seeds to increase the bioavailability of sulforaphane in healthy human subjects after the consumption of cooked broccoli. Mol Nutr Food Res, 2018. 1 g of brown mustard powder with 200 g cooked broccoli, 12 adults, sulforaphane metabolite in urine more than four times higher. PMID 29806738
12. Mizuno K, et al. Ubiquinol-10 intake is effective in relieving mild fatigue in healthy individuals. Nutrients, 2020. 100 or 150 mg ubiquinol a day for 12 weeks, about 20 adults a group, funded by Kaneka. PMID 32498248
13. Indena. Brain health ingredients. Ubiqsome standardized to 18 to 22% coenzyme Q10 by HPLC. Accessed Nov 4, 2026. indena.com
14. Itoh Y, et al. Effect of the antioxidant supplement pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium salt (BioPQQ) on cognitive functions. Adv Exp Med Biol, 2016. 20 mg a day for 12 weeks, 41 older adults. PMID 26782228
15. Forsyth LM, et al. Therapeutic effects of oral NADH on the symptoms of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol, 1999. 10 mg of stabilized NADH (ENADA) a day for 4 weeks in a crossover, 26 patients, 8 responded on NADH and 2 on placebo. PMID 10071523
16. McLellan TM, Caldwell JA, Lieberman HR. A review of caffeine's effects on cognitive, physical and occupational performance. Neurosci Biobehav Rev, 2016. PMID 27612937
17. Dassanayake TL, et al. Dose-response effect of L-theanine on psychomotor speed, sustained attention, and inhibitory control. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Nutr Neurosci, 2023. Single doses of 100, 200 or 400 mg, 32 young adults. PMID 36263942
18. Schwarz C, et al. Effects of spermidine supplementation on cognition and biomarkers in older adults with subjective cognitive decline. A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Netw Open, 2022. 0.9 mg spermidine a day from wheat germ for 12 months, 100 adults aged 60 to 90, no effect on memory. PMID 35616942
19. Wirth M, et al. The effect of spermidine on memory performance in older adults at risk for dementia. A randomized controlled trial. Cortex, 2018. A spermidine-rich plant extract for 3 months, 30 adults aged 60 to 80, pilot. PMID 30388439
20. Roon Team. Thesis nootropics review 2026, real cost of all 4 blends. Roon blog, published Mar 28, 2026, reviewed Oct 10, 2026. Neuroprotection "Listed on the product page without amounts". Roon sells a competing product. Accessed Nov 4, 2026. takeroon.com
21. US Food and Drug Administration. Spilling the beans. How much caffeine is too much? 400 mg a day cited as not generally associated with negative effects for most adults. Accessed Nov 4, 2026. fda.gov
22. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Ginkgo. May increase the risk of bleeding with anticoagulants such as warfarin, may be unsafe in pregnancy. Last updated February 2025. Accessed Nov 4, 2026. nccih.nih.gov
23. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Selenium, fact sheet for health professionals. Tolerable upper intake level 400 mcg a day for adults. Updated Sep 4, 2025. Accessed Nov 4, 2026. ods.od.nih.gov