Introduction

If you’ve seen the Clinical Dose Compliance Score chart on our product page and want to understand exactly how it’s calculated, this is that breakdown. This article walks through the full methodology – how each ingredient is scored and weighted by sourcing cost, and what the numbers actually mean – using public data. Please note this methodology applies specifically to standardized herbal extracts. Non-herbal nootropic ingredients (such as racetams, synthetic compounds, or isolated active compounds) are outside its scope. Luckily, none of the brands listed contain racetams or relevant isolated active compounds. However, some, such as Qualia Mind 2.0, do contain synthetic compounds or other isolated active compounds that may or may not be supported by science.

Nootropic brands data

The nootropic market is largely unregulated and notoriously difficult to evaluate. Most products list impressive ingredient names but disclose little about actual potency. We pulled label data from leading nootropics brands and compared every herbal ingredient against published clinical dosages on healthy adults.

The most striking finding isn’t which products underperform – it’s how many score zero not because the ingredient is absent, but because the dose is unquantified. Proprietary blends make independent verification impossible. Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint comes close enough to the clinical benchmark to count (Rhodiola at 300mg with 3% rosavins.) Everything else either hits or misses.

Now that we have the raw data, we can better understand the clinical dose compliance score/clinical dosage accuracy (%) chart. You will notice that some of the brands are missing. The brands included in the following graph were limited to the top 10 most relevant brands in the nootropic space.

Clinical dose compliance score

Represents the total mg of active ingredients compared to dosages used in clinical research. Unquantified (unverified potency) extracts = 0.
Standardization percentage is the only way to verify how much active compound is present in an herbal extract. Without it, a label listing 500mg of Rhodiola could contain anywhere from a negligible trace to a therapeutic dose – there is no way to know. A dose you cannot verify is a dose you cannot count.

Notes on Noocube: Noocube lists Panax Ginseng as a 8:1 extract rather than a ginsenoside percentage. An 8:1 extract ratio is not equivalent to an 80% ginsenoside standardization – we estimate an 8:1 extract to contain around 20% ginsenosides, but this is only an estimation.

We revisit the chart featured in the product page, starting with breaking down the equations used to calculate the values.

Qualia Mind 2.0 is the second best formulation, and is almost twice as good as the next best brand. The rest of the brands are all in the 7-12 range – with the exception of all the products with a score of 0.

Comparative cost & value

Taking cost into account, this is how much it would cost you if these products were dosed appropriately to clinical minimums – indexed to the price of Focus Max XR.

We also add back some more competitors into the chart whose score >0.

The rankings shift considerably once price enters the equation. Blueprint jumps up to the 2nd best value – more than twice as good of a value as 3rd place – with nearly half the value score of Focus Max XR. They accomplish this almost entirely on the strength of one well-dosed ingredient and a lower price point than blends with much higher ingredient content.

Two additional notes on the underlying data. The retail ingredient costs used to weight the compliance score represent the cheapest standalone sources we could find on the internet.
Additionally, none of the brands listed (or any standalone herbal nootropic extracts on the market) use extended-release capsules.

Conclusion

When it comes to the nootropics market, scientific literacy is the best consumer protection. Most nootropics on the market deliver a fraction of the clinically studied dose, and price does not predict which ones. Focus Max XR scores 100 only because it was designed to hit these specific benchmarks. The methodology in this article applies to any herbal nootropic supplement. A formula that cannot be independently verified should not be independently trusted.
The best supplement decision is an informed one. This analysis exists to help make that possible.

Disclaimer: Prices sourced from brand websites and Amazon. Supplement formulas and pricing change frequently – verify current data before making purchasing decisions.