You may get a short-term cognitive boost, but you may end up hurting your brain (or another area of your health) in the long run. "There is no safe substance that may boost cognition in healthy individuals at this time," Fond says of ADHD medications, modafinil, and other prescription nootropics. "They are likely to be harmful over the long term." Even caffeine, which many people assume is harmless, can have negative effects on your heart over time. Nootropics are not regulated by the FDA, so manufacturers aren't required to prove their products are safe. However, most study participants were healthy adults who used modafinil for only two weeks or less. There are also no long-term studies available for any form of cognitive enhancement. That said, there are some groups for whom nootropics seem to be relatively safe. People with mild attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who take modafinil as part of a controlled clinical trial did not appear to experience significant side effects. Adults aged 50 and older who took modafinil showed improved memory performance compared to adults younger than 50, suggesting that nootropic use may be safe for the aging brain. Finally, no serious adverse events have been reported in patients taking prescribed doses of racetams (the main ingredient in Noopept) for an average duration of one year.