Comparison
Noopept vs Spermidine
Side-by-side of Noopept and Spermidine. Every row below is pulled from the compound schema and will update as our data grows. For deeper reads, follow through to each compound page.
Noopept
Noopept cognitive enhancer profile: 10 to 30 mg dosage, dipeptide nootropic mechanism, memory effects, and how it compares to piracetam.
Spermidine
Spermidine supplement benefits cover autophagy induction, longevity signals, and cognition. Wheat germ extract data, doses, and human trials reviewed.
Effects at a glance
Noopept
- •Russian dipeptide nootropic developed in the 1990s, registered in Russia 2002 for cognitive impairment
- •Roughly 1,000-fold higher per-mg potency than piracetam; therapeutic dose 10 to 30 mg/day
- •Active metabolite cycloprolylglycine modulates AMPA receptors and increases NGF and BDNF in rodent hippocampus
- •Russian RCTs in stroke recovery and vascular cognitive impairment show modest improvements over 4 to 8 weeks
- •Western evidence base is essentially absent; healthy-adult enhancement trials have not been published
- •Unscheduled in the US but not approved for human consumption; UK is prescription-only since 2014
Spermidine
- •Endogenous polyamine that induces autophagy via EP300 acetyltransferase inhibition and TFEB activation
- •Concentrated in wheat germ, soybeans, aged cheese, and mushrooms; ~10 to 15 mg/day in Mediterranean diets
- •Eisenberg 2016 reported dietary spermidine extended mouse lifespan and improved cardiac function
- •Wirth 2018 pilot (n=28) reported cognitive signal at 0.9 mg/day in older adults at risk for dementia
- •Larger Wirth 2019 follow-up (n=85) did not replicate the memory benefit at 12 months
- •Generally regarded as safe at supplemental doses; food-source position is reassuring
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Noopept | Spermidine |
|---|---|---|
| Category | nootropic | supplement |
| Also known as | GVS-111, N-phenylacetyl-L-prolylglycine ethyl ester, Omberacetam | spermidine trihydrochloride, wheat-germ-extract spermidine |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 0.7 | 6 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 20 | 1.2 |
| Dosing frequency | 2 to 3 times daily, last dose before mid-afternoon | daily, typically morning with food |
| Routes | oral, sublingual | oral |
| Onset (hr) | 0.5 | 2 |
| Peak (hr) | 1 | 4 |
| Molecular weight | 318.37 | 145.25 |
| Molecular formula | C17H22N2O4 | C7H19N3 |
| Mechanism | Hydrolyzed to active metabolite cycloprolylglycine; AMPA receptor modulation, BDNF and NGF upregulation, antioxidant and antiexcitotoxic effects. | Induces macroautophagy via inhibition of EP300 histone acetyltransferase and activation of TFEB-mediated lysosomal biogenesis. Substrate for hypusination of eIF5A, required for translation of mitochondrial respiration proteins. |
| Legal status | Approved in Russia and CIS states; prescription-only in UK; unscheduled and unapproved in US, EU varies | OTC dietary supplement (wheat-germ extract has GRAS status in US) |
| WADA status | unknown | allowed |
| DEA / Rx | Not scheduled in the US | OTC supplement (not scheduled) |
| Pregnancy | Not recommended | Insufficient data; not routinely recommended at supplemental doses |
| CAS | 157115-85-0 | 124-20-9 |
| PubChem CID | 183503 | 1102 |
| Wikidata | Q4321022 | Q411089 |
Safety profile
Noopept
Common side effects
- headache
- irritability
- sleep disturbance with late-day dosing
- occasional blood pressure elevation
Contraindications
- pregnancy
- lactation
- pediatric use
- severe hepatic impairment
- severe renal impairment
Interactions
- memantine and other glutamatergic agents: theoretical AMPA-pathway interaction(minor)
- antidepressants: theoretical effect via BDNF axis, undocumented(minor)
- antihypertensives: occasional blood pressure elevation may require monitoring(minor)
Spermidine
Common side effects
- mild GI upset (rare)
- headache (rare)
Contraindications
- wheat-germ allergy or celiac disease (for wheat-germ-extract products)
- active cancer (theoretical)
- pregnancy and lactation (insufficient data)
Interactions
- DFMO (difluoromethylornithine): competing polyamine metabolism; do not combine without oncology guidance(moderate)
Which Should You Take?
Spermidine comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 2 catalogued goals, OTC dietary supplement, oral dosing, with a Tier-A outcome catalogued. Noopept is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is memory, pick Noopept.
- → If your priority is stress and HPA-axis regulation, pick Noopept.
- → If your priority is healthspan extension, pick Spermidine.
Edge case: If you want to avoid controlled substance, Spermidine is the more accessible choice.
Default choice: Spermidine. Lower friction to source, a Tier-A evidence outcome catalogued, and broader goal coverage. Reach for Noopept only if your priority sits squarely in the goals it owns above.
This verdict is generated from each compound's schema (goals, legal status, evidence outcomes, dosing route). It updates automatically as our compound data evolves; the deeper read sits on each individual compound page.
Common questions
What is the difference between Noopept and Spermidine?
Noopept and Spermidine differ in category (nootropic vs supplement), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Noopept or Spermidine?
Noopept half-life is 0.7 hours; Spermidine half-life is 6 hours.
Can you stack Noopept with Spermidine?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
Go deeper